Kyushu between Fukuoka and Nagasaki in autumn 2024 (Japan) (page 3 of 5)

Day 4 wrap-up - Ukiha

Given the long drive, we take the car back to Fukuoka.

It’s still too early for dinner, so we treat ourselves to a little snack break at the station. We try the Umegae mochi, a specialty from Dazaifu. It’s a lightly grilled mochi with sweet red bean paste. It’s warm and delicious.

Tonight, we’re in the mood to try another local dish. We head to the recommended restaurant at Hakata Station. The station’s dining hall is buzzing with life. People are chatting, eating, and drinking beer in a lively and friendly atmosphere. Motsunabe is a hot pot with tripe. Don’t let the word "tripe" put you off—just try it! This dish is a flavor explosion. It’s rich, creamy, and smooth. It comes with sides: horse sashimi and condiments (sesame, fleur de sel, chives), seasoned chicken salad, tripe thinly sliced with yuzu, and a delicate mashed potato, not to mention mentaiko and a choice of rice or udon. We went with the udon, and it was amazing. The udon were a bit thick but still firm and melt-in-your-mouth.

Thanks for this refreshing account. I was in Japan around the same time as you, but not on the same island!

Hello and thanks for the encouragement.

I read your travel journal, even though I stayed quiet. Thanks for sharing.

The small area with a few shopping streets isn’t very big. A few streets, including one on a road that’s quite busy with cars. The streets are empty or nearly so. Most shops are closed. Which makes me think it might be more interesting to visit on a weekend than a weekday. Maybe with more activities, the town would have seemed more appealing.

It’s not very lively on weekends either, even during festival season (I took part in the city’s Yosakoi fire festival every year, and outside the stage areas, it was quiet). Also, many shops and restaurants *look* closed from the outside, but they’re not. You just have to push the doors—but that’s not always easy.

Otherwise, in Yame, what you really should see are the tea plantations. There are breathtaking landscapes around the village of Hoshinomura, and plenty of activities centered around this drink. The city is also famous for its fruit, and fruit picking is a popular local activity. And of course, there’s the Inari shrine.

The small area with a few shopping streets isn't very large. A few streets, including one on a road that's quite busy with cars. The streets are empty or nearly so. Most of the shops are closed. This makes me think it might be more interesting to visit on a weekend than on a weekday. Maybe with more activities, the town would have seemed more appealing.

It's not very lively on weekends either, even during festival season (I took part in the city's Yosakoi fire festival every year, and outside the areas near the stages, it was quiet). Also, many shops and restaurants *look* closed from the outside, but they're not. You have to know to push the doors, but that's not always easy.

It's true that it's not always easy to tell if something's open or not. I tried opening two, and the shops were indeed closed. That probably wasn't the case for all of them.

Otherwise, in Yame, what you really need to see are the tea plantations. There are breathtaking landscapes around the village of Hoshinomura and plenty of activities related to this drink. The city is also well-known for its fruit, and fruit picking is a popular local activity.

I had planned to go but changed our plans during the trip. Initially, we were supposed to spend 4 or 5 more days in Fukuoka Prefecture. However, the drive through the countryside toward Ukiha and then Yanagawa from Fukuoka didn't appeal to us, and we also really enjoyed our next stops. So, we followed our instincts and didn’t feel obligated to stick to the original plan. Our choices forced us to drop Yame from the itinerary, but I’ll keep it for a future trip in the region.

Fruit picking is famous in quite a few places, but I haven’t had the chance to try it yet.

And of course, there's the Inari shrine.

The shrine was really nice despite the gray sky.

Day 5 - Dazaifu

The weather isn’t great today. It starts pouring just as we leave. We decide to visit the famous Shinto shrine Dazaifu Tenmangu. As usual, we stop at a konbini first for breakfast. We can’t resist the fried chicken from these little convenience stores. We also take the chance to buy clear umbrellas since the rainy weather seems like it’s going to stick around for a while. The trip to the temple isn’t much more interesting than yesterday. When we arrive, there are crowds of small parking lots, all paid and with varying prices depending on how close they are to the entrance and how long you park. Two older gentlemen warmly invite us to park in their lots. The welcome is very friendly and attentive—they take care to guide you carefully into the limited space. No surprises: the parking conditions and price are clearly explained upfront. Here, it’s 300 yen for 2 hours, and each additional half-hour costs 100 yen, if I remember correctly. They also lend umbrellas for free if needed. To our surprise, this shrine isn’t paid entry.

The shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, or Tenjin, the deity of studies, culture, and the arts. I was expecting crowds, but even though there are people, it’s manageable. Maybe the weather helped. Inside the grounds, we arrive at the end of a ceremony for grandchildren. Other, older children are rushing to buy good-luck charms.





I really hesitated about coming, but I didn’t regret it. The place is vast and pleasant. Between water features, a small bridge, flower displays (chrysanthemums), traditional Japanese buildings with exhibits on architecture and its various uses in Japanese life, a museum—the site is full of interest, quite the opposite. Plus, visiting in the rain (which had almost stopped, just a light drizzle) gives it a timeless atmosphere.







The architecture exhibit "With Others" is in a beautiful wooden building made of wood and rice. A soft, comforting warmth emanates from the place. The visit is worth it as much for the exhibit as for the space itself. You explore it in socks. Not everything is understandable since some documents are in Japanese, but it’s still interesting and broadly comprehensible even if you don’t speak Japanese—there are lots of objects and documents you can touch and look through. Very hands-on. You can walk around the building, move from room to room, and take the time to sit and contemplate the garden.





We make a quick stop at the Kyushu National Museum, but due to limited parking time, we give up on visiting it properly. We settle for the free-access ground floor, checking out the exhibit on the different cultural arts of Asian lands. The exterior and interior of the museum building are very modern.



At the museum entrance, there’s an umbrella parking area with individual locks. We finish the visit by exploring the shopping streets with all sorts of varied shops. The atmosphere is friendly. We even spot what looked like trash cans.



Making umegae mochi



To be continued, the rest of the day

Day 5 follow-up – Yanagawa

One of the main goals of the day was the evening in Yanagawa. But first, we wanted to visit a garden, the Kiyomizudera Honbo Garden. The journey there left me just as puzzled. Within minutes, though, we went from an unappealing urban environment to a tropical forest setting, arriving at the garden’s entrance. With the light rain falling, the feeling of being transported into the heart of the wild nature was particularly strong. However, it was surprising to see no cars in the parking lot. We took the path that plunged us even deeper into a kind of "Amazon," with the sound of birds and the rushing water of rivers—it really felt like we were in the middle of a jungle.

We reached the garden without any trouble. Everything was well signposted, but no doors were open. I knocked and called out several times, thinking maybe it was open but the doors had been closed because of the rain... We walked around to another building, but unfortunately, this place, which seemed splendid and magical, wouldn’t open its doors to us—much to my disappointment. It’s supposed to be open, though.



As a consolation, we continued a little further along the "jungle" path. There’s a very interesting hiking area here that I think is worth exploring. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time for it. We got back in the car and headed to Yanagawa. Yes, because the goal of the day was to attend the Yanagawa Hakushi Matsuri festival, which celebrates the death of the poet Kitahara Hakushu (1885–1942), a native of the city.

The GPS led us to some canals in the city, but they weren’t the right ones. Since we had no internet and no precise address, we had to ask people for directions several times—it was hard to understand everything at once. Eventually, we arrived at a small parking lot. It was already nearly dark, and there was no sign of life. The shop in the parking lot was about to close. We asked one of the staff, who explained that it was a little further away. We walked quickly and then heard noise—we’d found the right canal. Preparations were underway. The festival involves a 2- to 3-hour boat tour where a meal is shared. The boats are lit by lanterns. You have to book nearly a year in advance. Of course, we didn’t have a spot, but we came to watch the departure.

The rain had probably delayed the start because there was almost no one in the boats when we arrived.

It took a good half-hour, maybe a little more, for everyone to get settled, the meals to be served, and the boatmen to be ready to navigate these lucky participants. Though with the rain, I’m not sure they felt so lucky after all. A few onlookers, mostly Japanese, were there like us to cheer on the participants. At this small festival with no crowds, we met another foreign couple—Australians who had come to Japan for two weeks and, like us, were here to see this matsuri.

Under the rain, which had finally stopped, the first boatman launched the departure with cheerful hearts. The participants clinked beers. Kanpai!



They passed under a bridge where a beauty queen and journalists were covering the event. It’s a charming, laid-back festival.



Along the canal, there were a few shops we didn’t have time to visit.

There was a small souvenir shop selling local products, nicely decorated.



Once the boats were launched, we left them to glide poetically and headed back to Fukuoka. We ended the evening at the apartment, preparing a nice meal with the wagyu we’d bought on sale a few days earlier, some seasoned rice, and small asparagus. Tomorrow, we leave Fukuoka.

Day 6 - From Fukuoka to Hasami

As we were getting ready to leave our accommodation and Fukuoka, a loud alarm started blaring with a man speaking. It was in Japanese, so we didn’t understand. There were still 20 minutes before our departure time. A strange idea crossed our minds—that this alarm might be a reminder that we’d be leaving soon. So, we ignored it and continued getting ready. However, it went off again with the same message. The alarm was worrying, so I decided to use the voice translator... The message said, "There is a fire, please evacuate without taking any of your belongings." I opened the apartment door, and on the landing, other people were on alert.

A few minutes later, we were downstairs with the other residents. Some French travelers with a relative living in Tokyo were there. We chatted while waiting. The emergency services arrived and intervened quickly—2 fire trucks and a security officer’s car. In the end, it turned out to be a false alarm.



We were able to go back and finish getting ready, but it had taken about an hour. Later that morning, we hit the road toward Hasami. Since a typhoon was passing through the area that day, our plan to go to Karatsu was postponed. The sky was gray, and it was raining, but there wasn’t as much wind as expected. The sea was a bit choppy, and the water was murky. I was a little nervous about driving with a typhoon warning, but everything went smoothly.

Along the way, we decided to stop at a random restaurant in a rural area. We didn’t know what they served, but we were about to find out. It was a small, unpretentious place—I love those. An old-school restaurant run by a couple, simple, family-friendly, and relaxed. Cute little chairs for toddlers.

We partly chose our meal by copying an elderly couple eating there.









We enjoyed a delicious katsudon (a bowl of rice topped with a breaded and fried pork cutlet, simmered in a savory sauce with eggs) and zaru soba (cold buckwheat noodles served with a dipping sauce called tsuyu. You add finely chopped green onions and wasabi to the tsuyu for flavor and spice. Thin strips of nori are often placed on the noodles when serving).

The meal came with unlimited hot green tea, which is common in many restaurants.

As for the bill, it was 13 € for two. A really great deal.

Day 6 follow-up - From Fukuoka to Hasami

We hit the road again. We make a quick stop at a small shrine, then drive on toward Hasami.

Spotting the sign for Okawachiyama, a tiny pottery village nestled in the mountains, we decide to swing by before heading to our hotel. We hesitate a bit since the afternoon is already well underway and the weather isn’t great—gray skies and a light drizzle. In the end, it turns out to be a real hidden gem.



The village sits at the foot of the mountain, and the rain gives it a mystical, misty vibe that’s really charming. Pottery is everywhere, starting right at the bridge. Once we park, it’s just a matter of strolling from one pottery shop to another. What might sound boring is actually a magical walk through the art of ceramics. Each store has its own unique style. Most of the shopkeepers are artists who work with their families and are happy to share insights about their craft.



Price-wise, there’s a wide range, but let’s be clear—this is art, and it’s not cheap. These are almost collector’s items.





Two collections really caught my eye. They had a modern style but blew me away with their elegance and beauty. One was matte pottery featuring seasonal fruits and vegetables at the center of a flat plate. Then there were these small, matte, water-blue dishes. And finally, those individual chopstick rests that, when put together, form a flower with its delicate pistils—so poetic.





No matter where you are, the mountain is always visible. Today, you can hear the river rushing by.

Another stop higher up the street left a lasting impression—not just because of the ceramics. From the moment you step into this house, you feel at ease. Special care is given to the cute, flower-filled garden. At the door, there’s more decor, including a tengu. The shop itself is small but well-stocked, featuring light duck-blue ceramics. The shop is run by a grandmother who could just as well be a florist. You can tell she loves flowers. From her tiny outdoor space, she can see the mountain, where the water for her pond comes from and which her husband uses to make their pottery. The largest pieces are in their living room. You have to take off your shoes to see them. Family photos are scattered here and there.



A few pieces caught my attention. We talked about the price, and when I thought I understood the amount, I went to buy one—but she quickly corrected my mistake. While I was putting my shoes back on and apologizing for the misunderstanding, we kept chatting. As I was about to leave, I lingered a bit in the first room, where she showed me the raw material used for the ceramics, letting me feel how porous it was. Then, suddenly, she went to fetch one of her vases that had been soaking in her pond with flowers. She emptied it and told me she’d like to give it to me as a gift. But first, she asked if I’d mind since it had a slight crack on one side. Surprised by her gesture, I of course said it was no problem and happily accepted her gift. She wrapped it up just like she would have if I’d bought it. I don’t know what inspired this act of generosity, but life sometimes has lovely surprises in store.

We continued exploring the village’s little backstreets before heading back to the parking lot and then checking out the cemetery. It could be a charming spot for a picnic by the water.



So many little details make this village charming. It’s a visit we really enjoyed. The shops close at 5 PM.



It’s time for us to get back on the road to our accommodation. We arrive after dark. The hotel parking lot is full. We settle into our room and decide to eat early and nearby. A quick internet search shows it’s probably for the best—everything closes early around here. Some restaurants shut as early as 8 PM. We find a place just a two-minute walk away. Without realizing it, we’re in an onsen area. There’s a small complex with baths and several dining spots. For a change, we go for pizza tonight. The welcome is super friendly. People in the countryside are really laid-back.

For those who'd like to see a few more photos: check them out here https://forumvoyage.forumactif.com/t4315-kyushu-exploration-du-nord-ouest-entre-fukuoka-et-nagasaki-a-lautomne-2024

Day 7 - Kashima

As people living in Japan predicted, after the typhoon, the weather turned beautiful! The sky is completely clear and blue. As for the sun, it’s shining and warming our hearts and bodies.

Under this glorious weather, we take the car. Stopping at a 7-Eleven for breakfast is no exception today, and we continue with a quick stop to fill up the car with gas. At many gas stations, there’s still staff, so this morning, we don’t even need to get out of the car. We just roll down the window, say hello, hand over some money, the tank gets filled, we get our change back, and off we go.

The countryside roads we take are stunning. The environment in this part of Saga Prefecture is especially lush, alternating between mountains, plains, and rivers. The small villages we pass through often have pretty houses—some traditional, others more recent—but almost all are well-maintained. You can tell there’s life here, and it doesn’t feel like an abandoned rural area. Maybe some places are, but if so, we didn’t see any where it was more obvious.

At an intersection, I spot an ice cream shop. We haven’t had any yet, unlike last year (when this little treat had become almost a daily ritual), and I’m really missing it. So without hesitation, even though it’s still morning, I decide to stop. After all, who knows if we’ll pass by here again later or another day? The small parking lot in front is full. I turn around to park in the lot before the intersection, which belongs to a restaurant. It’s huge and nearly empty, and since I thought we’d only be stopping for a short time—just long enough for an ice cream—I figured it’d be fine. Well, no! We hadn’t even gotten out of the car when a woman immediately came over to ask if we were going to the ice cream shop and, if so, to park elsewhere. "Gomenasai" (sorry). We tried. We get back in the car and discover another parking spot for the ice cream shop, hidden behind it.

Outside, there are a few tables with umbrellas where you can enjoy your ice cream. Two people are taking advantage of them. We open the door and step into a cozy little shop. The ice cream selection is pretty limited—maybe 4 or 5 flavors, not much more. You can add all sorts of decorative toppings, some more kawaii than others, and some more useful than others in terms of taste, but it seems like Japanese people love decorating their ice cream. Our order is simple: one cup of matcha ice cream for one of us, and the other gets a mandarin and matcha ice cream surrounded by a kind of chestnut cream, topped with a candied chestnut. The service is quick and efficient. The shop’s decor, full of cute little details, and the warm music playing make us decide to enjoy our ice cream inside after all.

Sitting at one of the counters, we savor our first ice cream at Café TAKENOKO. And it’s good! The matcha ice cream is sweet and slightly bitter. The mandarin ice cream tastes like frozen fruit. The chestnut cream is smooth and delicate, and the chestnut is firm yet melts in your mouth. We even get a little French musical touch with the voices of Vanessa Paradis and Serge Gainsbourg.

Day 7 - Kashima

We hit the road again toward our morning destination, Mifuneyama Rakuen Garden in Takeo. The GPS didn’t take us to the right spot. I’ll notice this happened several times during the trip, and it’s often better to follow the directional signs you see on the road as you get closer to places. Still, we sorted out the access issue quickly. The parking lot was full, but we found a small spot. At the entrance, a woman was running the local products shop and selling tickets. The shop had dried/candied peaches—we grabbed a pack for those midday snack attacks. For the garden entry tickets, you could combine them with another ticket for an evening sound-and-light option. We hesitated a bit but ultimately decided against it, and we were right to do so.

I’ll say it straight away: this was the first visit on our trips to Japan that left us disappointed. Why? 1- The garden looked untended, almost like a fake garden left to go wild. You could tell the upkeep was minimal, and in Japan, that’s really unusual. At least, we’d never seen anything like it before. We were kind of shocked and just didn’t get it. 2- The garden’s highlight, a field of flowers (azaleas) at the foot of a mountain, didn’t wow us. That said, it wasn’t the right season, so we’ll give it that. 3- Most of the other spots in the garden held no interest for us and were overgrown. 4- The garden didn’t give off any sense of serenity or leisurely strolling, and there were few places to sit and take it all in.

This review only reflects our visit and how we felt that day. Maybe in another season... Everyone should make up their own mind.



Luckily, a cute, curious, and not-too-shy *neko* at the entrance and exit was there to cheer up visitors missing out on beautiful gardens.

Day 7 – Kashima continued

Still under a blue sky, we drive this time to the city of Kashima, and more precisely to the Yotoku Inari-jinja shrine, one of the three most famous Inari temples in Japan.

The parking lot is large and paid. You have to enter your license plate number at the very modern ticket machine. No way to cheat—there are identification cameras.

We first stroll through the Yotoku Monzen shopping street before settling into one of the restaurants.

You have to take off your shoes before entering the dining room.



We eat a really good katsudon, some karaage (fried chicken), and an inari sushi (fried tofu stuffed with vinegared rice), all accompanied by unlimited green tea.

The meal is delicious and filling. The service is friendly and pleasant. All for a modest sum of 14 € for two.

Day 7 - Kashima continued

Now it's time to visit the Yutoku Inari Shrine. It's a major tourist spot in Saga Prefecture, so we're not alone, but it's still quite manageable.

The shrine, nestled against a rocky hillside and very colorful, has a majestic yet understated feel. It's perched on wooden beams 18 meters high.

Many elements catch the eye and define the perceived beauty of this place of worship. There are notably: - the bridge over the pond with its usual koi carp

- the mural paintings



- a very beautiful black and gold gate



- a gigantic black and gold Tengu mask



- the beautiful staircase leading to the main building, with its bells floating and ringing in the air



- this tunnel of torii



- the view of the valley and the shrine from the two upper levels



- the mini shrines

- the view of the river at the foot of the temple and the temple at sunset



We enjoy the visit. We won't be able to visit the last shrine at the very top because access is closed—too bad, as there's supposedly a beautiful view of the Ariake Sea from up there.

On our way down, a young man calls out to me. What follows is a conversation of the deaf in Japanese. I thought this young man was a Japanese tourist asking me (or so I believed) what time the temple closes. It took five long minutes of going in circles before I finally understood that he was simply telling me the temple was closing and it was no longer possible to go up. I was thinking to myself, why would a Japanese person ask a foreign tourist what time it closes?

As we leave, at the entrance, a crowd gathers. Many of them are wearing masks featuring the fox, which represents the deity Inari. This deity is dedicated to prosperity and agricultural crops. A family kindly agrees to pose for a photo but prefers to let their daughter be photographed.



This family explains that there's an ascent dedicated to the deity tonight. That's why so many people are queuing up to buy fox masks and, who knows, take a souvenir photo. Everything is planned.



We then return to the parking lot just across the street. We take a quick detour to the shrine on the other side of the hill before leaving. It was too late to go to the shopping district nearby. We try to go to the floating torii at Tara but turn back because night is falling too quickly.

Day 7 - Kashima/Ureshino wrap-up

Since it’s still a bit early to eat, we turned around and headed back home, knowing we’d stop somewhere along the way for a meal. Meanwhile, we discovered new chains of stores/supermarkets that we always enjoy exploring.

A few finds:

- A bell to call a salesperson in the beauty section - A beauty area to test products - A French-style apéro bag with sausage and cheese



- Small whole fish in the dog food section



Eventually, we dawdled a bit too long, and it’s now a little late to find a place to eat. At 8 PM in the countryside, it can get tricky. So we keep our eyes peeled because restaurants aren’t on every corner around here.

I spot a family leaving a restaurant, stop in front of them, roll down the window, and ask if it’s still open. They tell me no. Thanks, okay, we keep going. We hit the road again and stop five minutes later because there’s an area with maybe 2 or 3 restaurants. As soon as we get out of the car, people head toward us, and I quickly realize it’s the same family I just asked. They explain they made a mistake—the restaurant *is* still open. Great, we’ll go there. But the woman insists on calling for us. Turns out the restaurant is closing, so it’s not possible. The story could’ve ended there, but Japan never runs out of ways to help. Finding us a restaurant becomes their mission for the evening. We chat a bit—oh, you’re French, not American, incredible! The woman tells her son, "You can speak English." The kid, a little shy, laughs. English probably isn’t his thing. "What do you like to eat?" "Anything, but we want to eat Japanese." They think it over. The woman suggests Joyfull, a Japanese chain that stays open late and is everywhere. But the husband realizes we want something good, so he tells his wife, "Joyfull isn’t what they need." They think some more and come up with a sushi restaurant. "Okay, follow us in your car," they say. We’re now trailing this family in their white car, driving *very* slowly to make sure we don’t lose them.



We arrive in front of the restaurant after circling around Takeo a few times. While the woman goes to ask, the dad rushes over to tell us to wait—she’s checking. No problem. But no luck—it’s closed. And off we go again, another stop on a busy, lively street in Takeo. Same routine: the woman goes to ask, and Mr. tells us to wait. Being helped like royalty—*AHAHA*—we say *daisobu* (no problem), we’ll wait, though we feel a little bad for keeping them so long, but they won’t leave us. This time, it’s a tempura restaurant. The chef is outside and explains it’s closed. The woman tells him who we are and that she’s looking for a good restaurant for us. Passersby stare. The chef clearly makes a suggestion. We’re off again. Another stop in front of a restaurant in a small alley. Same deal—Mr. tells us to wait, and Mrs. goes inside. Jackpot this time—the restaurant is open!

The family opens the restaurant door for us, walks us in, hands us off to the sushi chef, and says goodbye. We would’ve loved to thank them more and invite them, but they’d just eaten. Plus, the restaurant staff was already busy setting our table, so it was hard to do much else. This family spent a good half-hour driving us around the city to find a restaurant. Even though we’re used to it, we’re still sometimes amazed by these gestures. What *omotenashi* (Japanese hospitality)!

We’re seated at the bar. The restaurant’s vibe is cozy: warm wood, small private rooms with sliding rice-paper panels, Japanese decor, a TV playing a baseball game, and a relaxed chef. We go for an omakase menu—chef’s tasting menu. They always ask if we eat certain fish, so it’s pretty personalized.

The conversation flows easily with the chef since we speak a little Japanese, he speaks a little English, and for more complex topics, we use a voice translator now and then. The evening unfolds with simple but *very* good sushi—super fresh, with some new fish discoveries—and great chat. We learn he’s from Osaka, has lived here for 24 years, and has been a sushi master since he was 18. He’s a dad of three. He recently went fishing with a friend and caught a big tuna. His former sushi master left him a beautiful Japanese knife engraved with his name (the master’s name), and he’s really proud of it. He even poses for us happily. He’d love for tourists to discover Ureshino because it has a lot to offer, in his opinion (onsen, beautiful nature, near the sea, great food, etc.). He asks us to tell French people to come. We teach him the word *gingembre* (ginger) in French. All in all, we have a great time thanks to the chef and the family who brought us here. The evening ends on these lovely encounters.

Day 8 - Yobuko

The day starts under a bright sun and a beautiful blue sky. We hit the road heading towards Yobuko. It takes us about 1 hour 30 minutes to get there. Just before arriving at our destination, the panoramic landscape on our right delights us. A small rest area tempts us to park and take a closer look. It’s a Mediterranean-style scene that greets our eyes: a lush green coastline and crystal-clear blue sea. We also spot a harbor further down in the distance, where a few fishing or cruise boats seem to be leaving—I’m not sure which. With the heat, we’d love to dive into the water.



Walking a little along the coast, we come across a Japanese grandmother... The conversation starts up. She’s really enthusiastic. She walks here every day. Well, she also told us a lot of things we didn’t understand, but we listened attentively before saying goodbye from the heart.

A little further on, a pure white Buddha statue stands overlooking the sea. It’s said to protect those heading out to sea.



We then return to the car to continue toward the morning’s goal, which we reach 10 minutes later.

Yobuko is a small town centered around the harbor. It’s quaint and charming.



Beautiful fish, including lots of squid, are displayed on the stalls. The prices aren’t posted, but after chatting with a local couple, we learn it’s 1000 yen for 2 squid. They look really appetizing. I don’t know if they’re good—we don’t buy any.

The vendors offer to show us the squid on the rotating dryer. The woman doesn’t want to be photographed too closely because she’s self-conscious about her teeth.



The water in the harbor is clean and transparent. You could almost dive in.

Another vendor is selling dried mackerel. She offers us a taste. It’s melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I wonder if there’s some kind of glaze on it. Either way, it’s really good, even though mackerel isn’t usually my thing.



Drying the squid takes several weeks to reach maturity. The vendor is actually drying some herself, and she has several racks with squid at different stages of drying.

A cat keeps watch.



Near the area with a few restaurants and a local products shop, as well as the main parking lot, many people are fishing. A gentleman tells me there are lots of fish called *kuru*—well, if I understood correctly.

As we approach the restrooms, there’s a tourist information board. We walk over to check it out alongside others. A cheerful group is there. The conversation starts easily. They laugh at my accent—how to put it... very *franchouillard*... making some words hard to understand for many Japanese, especially "furansu" (French). Luckily, in the group, one woman understands because she’s been to France before and plays interpreter for the "difficult" words. It’s a group of retired friends from different parts of Kyushu (Saga, Fukuoka, Beppu, etc.) who’ve come on a camping trip for a few days. They advise us against visiting the Nanatsugama Cave, which you can see by boat. After this fun and friendly exchange, it’s time to say goodbye.

We take a quick look at the local shop. Of course, there’s plenty of fish.

We walk out to the jetty. Lots of families are gathered to enjoy fishing together. They’re fishing for *kuru*. The atmosphere is peaceful.



The bridge we see leads to Kabeshima Island.



Plenty of boats are docked at the marina.

Day 8 continued - Kabeshima

We then set off again to head to Kabeshima Island. We had thought about visiting the caves, but we can’t do everything, and after chatting with the group earlier, we decide on the island that’s been catching our eye.

The architecture of the bridge is stunning, and crossing over the water is impressive.

We make a very quick first stop at the port. A few fishermen are busy waiting for a catch. One of them looks at us... he seems a bit rough and less happy to see us. Are we deep in the countryside?!! Hahaha, we won’t go check. Kabeshima’s port faces Yobuko’s port but is much quieter.

Three minutes later, we park the car again. The Tashima Shrine is nestled by the water, at another port. The atmosphere there is even more peaceful—birds flying, the warm sun beating down, a few houses facing the sea, and this silence filling us. The setting is sublimely simple. We pass through the torii, the entrance gate to the shrine, then climb the steep stone steps to reach the main building. There are several buildings, one of which is very colorful. The shrine is linked to Matsura Sayohime, a legendary figure who was said to have turned to stone after waiting for her beloved. This legend is represented by a well-known rock that is considered the body of the kami at Sayohime Shrine, a secondary shrine of Tashima Shrine. We have the place completely to ourselves. When we go back down another staircase, the turquoise blue of the sea is framed by the gate leading to the stairs: a living painting, utterly captivating. This visit, this place, wins us over with its raw, unadorned simplicity—like a bubble outside of time.









To savor this atmosphere, we treat ourselves to a refreshing drink at the small stand right across from the shrine entrance. The hut is tiny—just enough to make something to sustain us—and a few tables outside. Two young women run the place. A man there when we arrive warns them that two foreigners are heading straight for the shop. We recognize the moment of worry in their welcoming but slightly stressed smiles. Dare I say that this moment, which only lasts a few seconds, I find amusing, like a little imp. The two women are charming, and we order our drinks: an iced matcha latte and a strawberry soda. We sip them while taking in the view in front of us.



After this little break, we get back in the car and head to the end of the island at Cape Hizen. The road gets very narrow at the end, where it’s impossible for two cars to pass. We cross paths with a vehicle that backs up to let us through. Luckily, a tiny parking lot with three spots is waiting for us. We have to reverse into it, otherwise getting out would be tricky given the tight space. A Japanese woman returning to her car watches me park (and I did it very poorly, so I had to maneuver several times to get it right), but when I get out, she congratulates me as if I’d just completed the Paris-Dakar, she’s so surprised to see foreigners here—and in a car, no less. Though driving there is actually very easy. Maybe one day, if I can drive on a narrow road in Pakistan, I’ll raise the flag, but for now, I’m just laughing. Right at the entrance, there’s a cattle farm. The cows are peacefully grazing in the grass.



We then walk about a kilometer to reach the cape. There are two other parking lots along the way (the second one is just as small), but it’s nicer to walk and enjoy the view.

At the cape, we can see several small islands and the rugged coastline. It’s beautiful, and the moment is lovely.



Since we’ve planned to go to Karatsu for a festival and there’s a bit of a drive, we don’t have time to explore more. So, the festival is to be continued.

Day 8 - Karatsu continued and conclusion

We easily reach the city of Karatsu in 30 minutes, not without stopping at a konbini to grab some fried chicken since we hadn’t eaten lunch.

As mentioned earlier in the travel journal, the goal of coming to Karatsu was to attend a matsuri (festival): the Karatsu Kunchi. It takes place over three days, from November 2nd to 4th every year. It’s been around for over 400 years and celebrates the abundance of harvests.

The matsuri (festival) starts at 5:00 PM. We weren’t sure exactly where it was happening, but we arrived in the area and finding a parking spot turned out to be a bit tricky. Several streets were closed due to the festival, many parking lots were full, and we couldn’t park at a supermarket without risking getting stuck when we needed to leave. We drove around for a while before spotting spaces under the railway tracks. There was no sign indicating the parking was paid, so—if you’ve read the previous entries—you know we’ve already had the rental car locked in a parking lot twice, and the "trauma" is still fresh. We didn’t want to end up in the same situation when we came back for the car. So, I flagged down two people passing by. Apparently, no problem. Well, we *hope* we made ourselves clear.

All that was left was to find where the matsuri was happening. We walked along the railway tracks. Other people were out on the street too, so I asked them. Surprised to see foreigners here, they were very welcoming and pointed us in the right direction. They were heading there too. The festival was starting at 5:00 PM, just 10 minutes away. We walked briskly, and a few minutes later, we spotted a crowd waiting for the show to begin.

We could tell our arrival didn’t go unnoticed. Two foreigners in Karatsu—it’s probably not an everyday sight. We felt people looking at us with curiosity in their eyes. Some, already in high spirits (maybe thanks to the biru—beer), talked to us, and we exchanged smiles.

After hesitating a bit about the best spot to watch the parade, we positioned ourselves—without realizing it—near the parade’s final stop, close to the station. No matter where you stood, there were plenty of people there to enjoy the show. The crowd was very family-oriented, but not exclusively. All generations were present.

What were we about to see?

The Kanchi Matsuri is a 400-year-old festival where 14 large floats called "hikiyama" (meaning "mountains on wheels") parade through the streets over three days. Apparently, the second day is the best because the floats go to the beach. The floats are made from lacquered wood, Japanese paper, bamboo panels, and gold or silver leaf. They stand 7 meters tall and weigh between 2 and 5 tons. They take the shape of mythological creatures, dragons, samurai helmets, and famous warriors. These floats were all built in the 19th century, with each one taking between 3 and 6 years to construct. The 14 floats represent the 14 towns in the area. The floats are pulled by locals (the "hikiko"), each wearing straw sandals and the tunic of their neighborhood. Each group parades with distinct colors. The procession is set to the rhythm of Japanese drums and flutes while the hikiko pulling the floats chant in unison and with energy: "En-ya!, En-ya!, En-ya!" or "Yoy-sa, Yoy-sa!, Yoy-sa!" to celebrate the harvest’s abundance and business prosperity.

We witnessed a festival full of energy and good vibes. It was really enjoyable. The floats were truly impressive in size and were beautiful, colorful moving works of art. The hikiko pulled the floats with vigor and joyfully chanted to the gods: "En-Ya! En-ya!, En-ya!" The drummers and hikiko played off each other, drawing the crowd into a festive and simple atmosphere! Here’s a mix of photos from the festival:



The matsuri lasts an hour, so starting at 6:00 PM, people head to the various street food stalls scattered around the city center.



The street energy shifts, and the different groups of hikiko return to their neighborhoods to celebrate together.



We weren’t hungry yet, but I needed to use the restroom, and it was dark. Since we couldn’t visit Karatsu (like the beach or the castle), we wandered through the alleys and shopping streets until we reached a small shopping center called Maizuru Shopping Plaza. The term "shopping center" seems exaggerated—it was more like a tiny mall inside a supermarket, part of which was closed. During a quick break on one of the benches, we ran into a foreign couple. My French instinct made me say "bonjour" in French for no particular reason, and they responded in French too. So, we weren’t the only foreigners at this local festival. Even though we prefer interacting with locals, running into fellow countrymen is always nice, no matter the country. The exchange was limited to a "bonjour" and a smile.

We decided to explore the mall and supermarket. On our way back down to the ground floor via the escalator, we ran into the French couple again. This time, we took the time to get to know each other and chat about our respective trips in this country. It was their second trip, and one of them had decided to learn Japanese after their trip last year. We took a quick souvenir photo, exchanged numbers to send it, and after an hour of chatting, it was time to continue our journey.

We’d been on the move a lot today and felt more like sitting down in a restaurant than grabbing quick street food, despite the pleasant atmosphere. We walked around aimlessly but noticed that many restaurants were closed. After a while, seeing that we’d wandered into very quiet streets, I asked a "couple" where we could find a good, open restaurant. They asked what we wanted to eat: yakitori sounded good, but we were open to anything. The young man—clearly in a festive mood (he’d already had a few drinks)—thought of a restaurant. He called, but it was closed. They explained that most restaurants were closed or closing early (8:00–9:00 PM) because of the matsuri and the yatai (street food stalls). The couple offered to take us somewhere. It was a chance to chat with some very enthusiastic young people—helped by beer, it seemed. While the young man said hello to some people nearby, we continued talking with the young woman. She asked if we drank alcohol and then invited us to a party. We were up for it, but the young man was much less enthusiastic than her, so they backed out. No problem—the young woman gave me her girly business card, we took a souvenir photo, and she told us to have fun!

We decided to keep looking for a restaurant in other streets, some lively, some not, but all beautifully lit by lanterns. Given the time, it was tough—most places still open weren’t taking new customers. We eventually went back to the car, figuring we’d find something on the road or, worst case, stop at a konbini.



In the end, we stopped at a yakiniku place in a shopping area. We were seated in a private room, which is always a nice touch at restaurants. To order, everything was on a tablet written entirely in Japanese. There was no Wi-Fi, so two waitresses kindly helped us by translating the different pages and placing our order. The Japanese service was a delight. The yakiniku was basic, but it did the job of feeding us. We drove back to our place in about an hour to an hour and a half.



To be continued: ARITA

Day 9 - Arita

The day starts with brunch at the konbini. An improvised hot dog with a sausage and Japan’s thick, fluffy sliced bread, seasoned with ketchup and mustard. These condiments come in small individual packets—just press them together, and the ketchup and mustard come out so you can spread them on your sandwich without even getting your hands dirty. Another super practical example of everyday simplicity.

Then it’s off to Arita. We begin with a visit to Tozan-jinja Shrine. This shrine protects the city and ensures the prosperity of the porcelain trade, which is the heart of the local economy. The shrine is easily accessible, located parallel to the main street—just cross the railway tracks.



The shrine is situated on the slopes of Mount Renge'ishi. The shrine isn’t large, but it has an original decoration. Many elements are made of porcelain, whereas they’re usually stone. You’ll find a porcelain torii, lanterns, and ema. It’s really pretty and a nice change. From the esplanade of the main building, there’s a lovely view of the city and the surrounding nature.

On this sunny morning, there were only a few people around, neither at the sanctuary nor in the streets.





We then continued with a visit to a few ceramics shops. Each shop has its own unique style.



In one of the shops, we struck up a conversation with the manager. We learned that she’s the 4th generation carrying on the tradition of making and selling ceramics. The painting part is even done in the back of the shop by the woman we were talking to.

Even though we didn’t buy anything, the conversation continued warmly, with a few laughs shared along the way. We realized that it doesn’t take much to break the ice or at least ease the initial reserve, shyness, or awkwardness to create a friendly exchange.

Afterward, we headed to a parallel street that also clings to the mountainside. Here, the street is even quieter than the main one but charming with its stone walls and small canal. The low walls surrounding the houses are a brownish-orange color, known as "Tombai" style. These bricks come from the kilns where the city’s porcelain is fired, and when they’re worn out, they’re reused to build the walls. The cemetery is elevated, and it exudes a sense of serenity.





There are some lovely old houses, and you can sometimes spot pieces of ceramic used as decoration.

A little later, we stopped by the tourist office, which had a very relaxed and family-friendly vibe due to its size and the approachable service. A quick trip to the restroom revealed some lovely ceramic decorations on the light switches and sinks—very floral!