Chikugo North

Hi! My name is Faith and I’m the Area Leader for Chikugo North.

About Me:

I began my journey on JET with the 2023 cohort and was lucky enough to be placed in Fukuoka Prefecture, where I have family, friends, and a deep cultural connection.

Before JET, I attended the University of California - San Diego, from which I graduated in 2022. I then moved back home to work as a substitute teacher in my home school district to build up a little life and work experience.

I’m mostly a home-body and love spending my free time reading, writing, and drawing silly little pictures on my iPad. When I get the motivation to study, I like reading up on mythology and practicing my Japanese skills. I’m a big fan of boba, and you’ll often find me slipping away to Gong-Cha on my way home from work to pick up a Mango Alisan Tea with tapioca
pearls. I also have a habit of going to arcades to play claw machine games, and my plushie collection continues to grow as a result.

Area Introduction:

Chikugo North is part of the Chikugo Area, including the cities of Asakura, Chikushino,
Ogori, Onojo, Kurume, Tachiarai, and Ukiha. The location is beautiful and sports the duality of both city-life and the rural countryside. Everyone will find something they enjoy here.

I live in Kurume City, which is the biggest city in the Chikugo North area. Along with train stations and shopping centers, Kurume City hosts a number of unique events and locations to explore.

There are many festivals in the area, including a yakitori festival, sake festival, and lantern festival. The Chikugo River Fireworks Festival (筑後川花火大) is one of the biggest events held in Kurume City. People from all over Fukuoka Prefecture come to watch this fireworks festival, which boasts a show of 15,000 fireworks. There are numerous food stalls and great scenery, but it sure gets crowded! This year 450,000 people were estimated to come!

Temple and shrine lovers are in luck with many beautiful sites to visit in the Chikugo North area. A few to check out are the Kora Taisha Shrine (高良大社) in Kurume, the Nyoirinji Temple (如意輪寺) in Ogori, and the Ukiha Inari Shrine (浮羽稲荷神社) in Ukiha. You can track your spiritual pilgrimages by getting a goshuincho (御朱印帳) and collecting goshuin stamps (御朱印) from the temples and shrines you visit—for a small fee.

For those who enjoy looking at traditional Japanese architecture, or appreciate the
atmosphere of early Japan, I recommend visiting Asakura. Tucked within Asakura is a town called Akizuki, also dubbed “little Kyoto”. Featuring the Akizuki Castle Ruins and classical Japanese architecture, the area is reminiscent of the Edo period and is sure to be a hit with history lovers.

As the Chikugo North Area Leader, my goal is to create a welcoming environment and foster a community with all those that live in and around the area. Living in a foreign country is challenging, no matter how old you are or who you bring with you. Having people you can enjoy happy moments with and turn to during tough times is essential to a successful and
fulfilling life. Feel free to join us at our Kurume City Sip & Read book club gatherings, game events, fruit-pickings, movies, museum outings, and more!