Aso mountain is the general term referring to 5 mountains.
Nakadake (1592m) is one of them, and is the only one still active.
The photo above is the caldera, which can be seen if the weather and wind condition is all right.
The last large eruption happend 90,000 years ago.

This board tells gas condition, and whether or not you can go close to caldera.

When we say `Aso’, it includes the huge area including caldera. During harvest season, mountains are covered with golden pampas grass.

You can enjoy local food in Takamori Area.

Japanese people love to take souvenior photo.

On sunny days, Aso is a perfect touring route for motorbike riders.

Throughout Japan, you can find variety of softcreams, but this is something special!
(You can get this at Dai-Kan-Bo)

Beside pampas grass, what you can enjoy in this season (Oct-Nov) is cosmos flowers, and leaves starting to get color.

*To get to Kyushu Island, you can fly to Fukuoka Airport from Tokyo(1′45”)/Osaka(1′20”)/Nagoya(1′30”), or can take a Shinkansen Bullet Train, or fly from Asian countries such as Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines. From Fukuoka Airport, you can take express trains to variety of destinations. Kyushu express trains are unique and is very comfortable. The view from express trains is something amazing !!

Shooting date: June 21 2008

Address: 2859 Minamiusa, Oaza, Usa-shi, Oita-ken 872-0102 Japan
Telephone: 81 (0) 978 370202
Fax: 81 (0) 978 372748
Website: http://www.usa-kanko.jp/usa-jingu/
Proprietor: Usa-jingu Religious Authorities
Opening hours: 7am-6pm daily

Fukuoka, which already has a very good reputation among residents,
business people (especially Tanshin-Funin people* !), domestic tourists,
and also oversea visitors, first appeared in the latest MONOCLE magazine,
and introduced as the best shopping city, and the 16th livable place.

As a resident, Fukuoka is;
-Gourmet! Especially recommendable is ramen noodle, seafood, local shochu (distilled spirit).
-Friendly! People show welcome mood to visitors.
-Modern! Fukuoka has many beautiful architectures in city center area.
-Fashionable! You’ll know once you walk into Tenjin area, especially in the evening.
-Comfortable! 1.5 million population is just OK to make the city exciting, not too crowded.
-Clean. very clean and organized.
-On the sea! Beautiful beach is available within an hour drive from the city center.
-Convinient! Within a walking distance you can find almost everything there’s in Tokyo.
-Accessible! From Tokyo to Fukuoka = 2 hous’ flight. From Tokyo to Fukuoka= 1.5 hours’ flight
(because of the way wind blows. )
-Happy! Fuku means Blessing or Happiness, Oka means Hill. So Fukuoka is literally happy
-And lots more things you’ll find when you visit !!

Yatai food stalls are popular among tourists and local people.
Fukuoka is the perfect place to enjoy nightlife !

Another urban area named Momochi is about half an hour from Tenjin, which is a romantic dating spot.
234 meter Fukuoka Tower is amazingly beautiful at night.

FUKUOKA Related Posts
Try Maiko Makeup @ Yoji-ya
ICHIRAN Ramen Shop, special lunch box version @ Canal City Hakata !
ICHIRAN Ramen Shop @ Canal City Hakata, more photoes, English order sheet, and my recommendation
Antenna Shops of Hakata; foods, cup-sake, Glico @ Canal City Hakata

These are colors for your eyes and lips. Each is from Japanese traditional natural colors of flowers, fruits, snow, etc.
They may look unusual, but once you put them, you’ll find they fit beautifully.

Lip balm made of Yuzu (Japanese citrus), with relaxing sweet sour scent.
The woman illustrated on the cap is the cover girl of Yojiya’s Aburatorigami, facial oil blotting paper, a popular Kyoto souvenior among girls.

Original makeup tools. These brushes are made of goats’ hair.

Soap, Lotion…skin care items to make moistured skin.

Variety of high quality makeup brushes, all made in Japan.

Adding `red’ to eyelids and lips, `sakura (cherry blossom)’ to cheeks.

Snow-skin is essencial to Maiko makeup.
So finish with a light dusting of translucent snow white powder.

The great advantage of visiting counter is that you can get personal makeup advice face-to-face.
What I found out today is, this Maiko makeup is very cool (I mean not simply traditional), and I can put it on everyday. So please try :>

*Photographed and Reported at Yojiya @Daimaru, Fukuoka Tenjin.

People from all over Japan visit Michizane-kou (it’s a way to call him friendly and with respect), and pray `Please let me (or let my son/ daughter) pass the entrance exam!’.

(If you know something about Japanese educational system, to enter good highschools and universities is very hard, and considerd to be crucial to decide future career. Usually, entrance exams are held from Jan. to early Feb., for school starts in April in Japan).

See? lots of people.

On your way to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine from the parking or railway station, is the Sando street, which is a passway to the shrine. There’re many souvenior shops along the sando, and here in Dazaifu Tenmangu, one of the specialities is definitely…

Umegae-mochi, which is a special rice cake with pasted sweet beans inside. Ume means plum, and is the simbol of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, for several reasons.

(First, Michizane, the god of academy loved plum tree. Second, there’s a background story. When Michizane was sent away from Kyoto to Dazafu, it is said plum flower jumped from there, to follow Michizane, missing. The seed of the flower’s grown up to be a Jumping Plum Tree `Tobiume‘ , which you can see today, just next to the shrine building. Besides, Tobiume, here’re thousands of plum trees in Dazaifu which are in full broom and are magnificent in March. )

ACCESS

To go to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, from Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station (Tenjin), about half an hour by Nishitetsu railway (get off at Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine station).
By car, it’s about 20 to 25 minutes from Hakata or Tenjin, passing highway.

YOU CAN ENJOY DAY-TRIP IN DAZAIFU AREA!

Next to Dazaifu (you can visit on foot) is Kyushu National Museum, so you can enjoy a day trip in Dazaifu Area, enjoying culture and nature ! Dazaifu is blessed with beautiful nature, especially with flowers in each season !

Canal City Hakata has no new year holiday !

Shimekazari (decoration for welcoming New Year, fixed on the top of shops’ entrance) in Hakata is very unique.

These are very common in here.

*Kyushu Tourism Information Site will also help you discover the charms of Kyushu !

This is Hakata Port, which has 2,000 years of history, is especially well known for the cultural trading between China, that the national treasure Gold Seal (Kinin) were given to Na, the old country of Japan.

This means Hakata Port has been the gateway to Asia since 2,000 years old. Actually it’s the oldest artificial (man made) port in Japan, made by a lord Taira no Kiyomori.
The present Hakata Port opend in 1899, with more than 2 million people pass this port. Well but of course, It’s not only people that Hakata Port is bringing in and out.

TOYOTA LEXUS are also shipped from Hakata Port. (There’re two LEXUS factories in Japan, one is in Toyota city in Aichi, and the other is in Fukuoka. Today Kyushu island is called `Car Island’ for having several huge automobile factories!)

From HAKATA PORT, you can travel to…

From Hakata Port, you can travel to Iki-island, Tsushima-Island, Goto-Island in Nagasaki, to Shikanoshima-Island, Noko-Island of Fukuoka city, Busan in Korea (Have you ever known that from Hakata Busan is closer than Hiroshima? ) and ports all over the world, or just enjoy cruising around Hakata Bay.

Lots of ships comes in and out.

This is Hakata Port Tower, completed in 1964.

The height of Hakata Port Tower is 100m.

OBSERVATION TOWER of HAKATA PORT TOWER

The observation tower (free to go up ) is 80m, which is not very high but can enjoy clear and dramatic panorama view of Hakata Port.

Hakata Port Tower is very generous. It’s free of charge to go up this observation tower ! Isn’t that amazing, while Tokyo Tower cost 820 yen for adults, Fukuoka Tower 800 yen ?

Not only generous, Hakata Port Tower is friendly to little children. At the bottom of the tower, there’s a very nice museum we can learn a lot about Hakata Port, and the corner is a children’s place with some sea related picture books!

ANOTHER TOWER IN FUKUOKA; FUKUOKA TOWER

Now let me mention that there’re two towers in Fukuoka prefecture (Hakata is a small traditional town of Fukuoka). One is this Hakata Port Tower, and the other is Fukuoka tower. Both are standing seaside, but Fukuoka tower is newer (completed in March,1989), and is taller (234m)

This is second highest tower in Japan, following Tokyo Tower (333m).

ACCESS TO HAKATA PORT TOWER

From Hakata Station, you need follow just one street called `TAIHAKU-DORI’. You can jog for 30 minutes, cycle for 15 minutes, or take a bus (10 minutes’ drive and amost common way to get there!).

This is the most famous shinto shrine in Hakata city, and worshipped by Hakata locals.
(Hakata is a traditional merchants town, and is a part of Fukuoka city).

RELIEF OF CHINESE ZOADIAC

This is the relief of Chinese zodiac, which is said to have more than 3000 years of history. The twelve animals are imaginary, and according to the year you’re born, one animal apply to you.
It is also believed the sign of the year represents the character of the people born in that year.
For example, people born this year (2008) is…

MOUSE(RAT).
The other MOUSE (RAT) year people are those who’re born in 1900, 1912, 1924. 1936. 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996.

So, Kushida Shrine staff turn this relief, so that mouse points the lucky direction (This year `north’). Now you see Japanese people are very supersticious!

YAMAKASA FESTIVAL AND KUSHIDA SHRINE

This is MIKOSHI, the festival carriage used in Yamakasa Festival, the most popular local festival in Hakata town. And KUSHIDA SHRINE works as the main place for the festival.

This is how Yamakasa Festival goes. It’s annual, and is held in the middle of July. The whole Hakata town becomes busy and lively during the festival season !

KUSHIDA NO YAKIMOCHI

Kushida no Yakimochi is a popular speciality of Kushida Shrine. It’s a rice cake with sweet bean paste inside, and is very delicious, with the perfect combination of crispy covering and moderately sweet content.

ACCESS

About 10 to 15 minutes walk from Hakata Station. Next to Canal City Hakata, the largest shopping mall in Kyushu.

Variety of dishes for lots of use.

Hita is also famous for making good GETA !

Decoration for New Year.

Plum jam, Plum pickles. (Hita produces good plums!)
The green one is YUZU KOSHO. YUZU is a Japanese citrus fruit with nice sour scent, while KOSHO means pepper. YUZU KOSHO add wonderful flavour (and scent ) to KYUSHU FOOD, such as TETSUNABE-GYOZA, MOTSU-NABE, MEN-CHANKO, MIZU-TAKI, YAKI-TORI, or simply to TOFU. And I especially recommend this YUZU KOSHO for your souvenior :>

ACCESS

To visit Hita, there’s an express bus from Fukuoka Airport / Hakata Station. It takes a little more than an hour from the Airport, and some more from Hakata Station.

Mameda town in Hita, the main street, with 200year-old buildings from Samurai Time.

Mameda town in Hita is especially famous for Hina Matsuri, the Doll Festival in March.