Welcome to the second chapter of Fukuoka JET Spotlight! In this round, we asked our JETs to share their favourite sightseeing spots in our humble prefecture.
As international and inter-prefectural travel is dissuaded by the local government in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, now is the perfect time to get out and enjoy Fukuoka at its finest. This mini-series, Fantastic Fukuoka, will show you some sweet spots recommended by other ALTs.
Áine, Kitakyushu ALT
Q: What are your favourite sightseeing places in Fukuoka Prefecture?
My favorite places are Itoshima, the Kawachi Wisteria Garden, and the Kokura Illuminations.
Q: What are the main things to do or see at these places?
Itoshima has lots of beaches to enjoy as well as plenty of nice cafes and restaurants where you can relax while enjoying the sea views. My favorite spots in Itoshima are Sakurai Futamigaura (Wedded Rocks) which is probably one of the highlights of Itoshima. Keya Beach and Shiraito Falls are some other popular spots. It’s great to visit in the summer but also a really nice place to just go for a drive along the sea.
Kawachi Wisteria Garden is best visited from late April to early May (around Golden Week) and is a beautiful place to enjoy the wisteria when they’re in full bloom–and take some great pictures!
Kokura’s main draw is probably Kokura Castle, which in recent years has been revamped to include lots of fun, interactive exhibits about the castle’s history. But one of my favorite places in Kokura is the illumination bridge next to Izutsuya. These illuminations are put up around late October and remain until mid January. There are lots of illuminations all over the city during winter, but I think this location is my favorite.
Q: Please tell us some good stories/memories from when you visited these places.
The first time I visited Itoshima, it was a scorching hot, excruciatingly humid summer, and I stayed with three friends in a cabin in the woods located near the beach. None of us had a car and we soon realized that getting everywhere on foot was pretty exhausting. But luckily we had everything we needed within walking distance. We had a BBQ at our cabin, caught the sunset at the Wedded Rocks, and drank wine on the beach under the stars at night. Despite the heat, finding a mukade in our cabin (!!!) and having to walk a LOT, we had an amazing weekend and made some amazing memories that I’ll never forget.
I only visited Kawachi Wisteria Garden once but it was somewhere I had wanted to visit ever since I came to Kitakyushu. And I wasn’t disappointed! Seeing all of the wisteria in bloom was a wonderful experience and I was happy to have taken some great pictures with my friends.
The Kokura illuminations are my favorite place to visit in winter. I tend to walk over the bridge on my way home from the city center or on my way home from work. One of my best memories from where is when I had dinner with a friend who hadn’t seen the illuminations yet. On the way there, we stopped at a store her friend works at and got free ice cream! While there, I bumped into a friend of mine from my kyudo club. It was an evening full of random meetings and fun conversations. And of course we took lots of pictures at the illuminations!
Q: How can you access these places?
Itoshima is best accessed by car, but there are highway buses that go there from Tenjin and Hakata stations for about 650 yen.
Kawachi Wisteria Garden has a shuttle bus from Yahata station that runs one every two hours during peak season.
Kokura is the centre of Kitakyushu City and is easily accessed by train or bus. The cheapest way to get here from Fukuoka City is a 1150 yen Highway Bus from Tenjin and Hakata Stations.