Try Pearl-Picking & 99-Islands Cruising @ West end of Japan!

September 12, 2007 - 5:10 pm by akko@hakata in Others, Travel  

At the west-end of Japan, you’ll have an amazingly beautiful and unique view of Kuju-ku-shima (Kuju-ku means 99 and shima means islands, but there’re actually 208 islands, including mere rocks!), which is called Saikai Pearl Sea Resort!

What you can do here is,
1. Pearl-picking

Choose one of the pearl oysters,
Carefully, pick up the pearl.

Now the pearl [...]

Scenic Masterpiece of Kyushu 2, Mt. Aso (National Park)

August 27, 2007 - 11:58 pm by izumi in Others, Travel  

This is my most favorite scenery. My own image of Kyushu is green of mountains, and navy blue of the sea, and this is certainly the one.
I visit Aso 7 to 8 times a year, to enjoy this beautiful nature. Aso is famous for its world largest caldera, with active volcano. Another popular thing about Aso [...]

Scenic Masterpiece of Kyushu 1, Itsukishima, Hirado

August 23, 2007 - 6:05 pm by izumi in Others, Travel  

Itsukishima is part of Hirato city, Nagasaki, and is placed in the west end of Kyushu island.  It takes four hours from Fukuoka city, but is absolutely beautiful. The reason why the sea is so blue and transparent is because this is not the place to swim. 

TOYOTA LEXUS Factory Tour @Kyushu

August 20, 2007 - 1:52 pm by akko@hakata in Travel  

Kyushu Toyota is one of the two factory, producing LEXUS, the premium brand of Toyota(Another one is in Tahara, Aichi), and the only one making LEXUS RX350.
It organizes Factory Tour!
- You can see LEXUS RX manufacturing flow!
- The whole factory tour take 1 hour and 25 minutes.
- Foreign visitors need to be accompanied by an [...]

Hello Kitty’s got a suntan! @ Canal City Hakata

- 9:06 am by akko@hakata in Others, Travel  

Forgot sunscreen?
Sunbaked Hello Kitty visited Canal City Hakata yesterday to amuse little children, and also, grown-ups!

If you have no time (or money!) to go all the way to Sanrio Puroland, a Hello Kitty theme park in Tokyo, this would be the perfect place to satisfy children.
Character show is held every other Sunday, with different characters.
This [...]

Get over heatwave! Outdoor air-conditioner @ Canal City Hakata

August 17, 2007 - 7:01 pm by akko@hakata in Others, Travel  

There’s a way to escape from the crazy heatwave of Japan (hit above 40 degrees centigrade (more than 120 degrees) in several cities!), other than to stay at home, whicih may be to go to Canal City Hakata.

Just touch it!

It’s being foggy now.

This is what makes Canal visitors cool and comfortable, let’s say, outdoor [...]

Tokyo ramen reviews in English!

August 15, 2007 - 9:05 pm by kamiosaki in Culture, Food, Travel  

http://www.ramentokyo.com
For reviews of Tokyo ramen shops in English, by a native, I definitely recommend that you check out this site. Frequently, foreigners in Tokyo (residents or visitors), are hesitant to go after “real” ramen, as opposed to the stand up 400 yen noodle shops on the train platforms. If you are concerned about not finding [...]

Hanging around Town Late at Night

August 11, 2007 - 10:11 pm by kiokitok in Food, Travel  

Once called a sleepless town, more shops and restaurants open until late or never close, as the demand toward them increases since a lot of people in Tokyo work at night and go to bed in the morning. Almost all of the convenience stores open 24 hours a day, of course. They used [...]

With the Style, Artistic Californian Resort Hotel in Hakata/Fukuoka

- 11:39 am by akko@hakata in Food, Travel  

If you’re seeking a most sophisticated hotel in Hakata (Fukuoka), my recommendation would be With the Style, an artistic Californians style resort hotel near Hakata Station. You can stay or just visit for lunch to escape from the city’s heat wave.

Food is wonderful, with the Western look and Japanese taste.
(Hakata/Fukuoka is on the sea, gifted [...]

World Peace Praying Sites of Nagasaki; as one of the two A-bombed cities following Hiroshima & `White Light/Black Rain’

August 8, 2007 - 6:27 pm by akko@hakata in Travel  

August 9th is the special memorial day for Nagasaki, for it is one of the two A-bombed city in the world, following Hiroshima in 1945, at the end of WW2.
To remember the tragedy of war, to decide not to make that happen again, praying for the eternal world peace, there are two memorial parks, [...]