A Journey to Japan: Central Fukuoka

It is time to leave. Three weeks in Japan was fascinating. But before we did that, we still explored a few small places in Fukuoka. After all, it's not a common occurence for us to be in Japan, so we took all opportunities to explore this fantastic country.

A Journey to Japan: Ōhori Park

Ōhori Park was the last of the several parks we have visited in Japan. This park is located in western Fukuoka, and was easily reachable with the metro.

A Journey to Japan: Fukuoka Tower

It's our final city in this trip. So while we were in Fukuoka, we were exploring the various points of interest of this fascinating city in Kyushu. And one of those points was the Fukuoka Tower.

A Journey to Japan: Karatsu

While we were in Fukuoka, we opted to do a day trip to Karatsu. Karatsu is a nearby city in neighbouring Saga Prefecture, and is easily reachable by train from Fukuoka.

A Journey to Japan: Dazaifu Tenmangū

So we landed in Fukuoka. It is our final stop before heading back home. After taking the Shinkansen from Hiroshima, we arrived in Hakata Station, and our hotel was just a short subway ride away from it. As it was still early, we couldn't check in yet, so we just dropped off our bags and then headed out for lunch. And after lunch, we decided to take the train to go to Dazaifu, where a famous Shinto Shrine is located.

A Journey to Japan: Iwakuni

Before we left Hiroshima, we did a day trip to Iwakuni. Unlike our other day trips, for this one, we actually had a car. We had a friend who was in Hiroshima, and we wanted to meet her and do something together. As she had a car, she proposed going to Iwakuni, as none of us had the chance to visit this place yet.

A Journey to Japan: Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art

The last item we wanted to visit before moving on from Hiroshima was the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, also known as the Hiroshima MOCA. It is a sleek modern art museum, located within an expansive park.

A Journey to Japan: Hiroshima Peace Memorial

I suppose it would be a big mistake if we were in Hiroshima and we wouldn't visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. After all, Hiroshima is etched in everyone's memories as the place where the atomic bomb has been dropped. My husband was here years ago, but for me it was a first time, and so one morning, after having breakfast at the hotel, we made it a point to visit this place.

A Journey to Japan: Daishō-in

The Itsukushima Shrine wasn't the only thing worth exploring in Miyajima. After checking out the floating torii, we went to the hills behind and climbed up the staircases that led to Daishō-in. The name of this temple actually means Great Holy Temple, and there were plenty of interesting features that we explored.

A Journey to Japan: Itsukushima Shrine

After spending a few days in Okayama, it was time to move on. Our next destination was Hiroshima, which we reached by taking a ride with the Shinkansen. After a short time, given the high speed, we were whisked away from Okayama to Hiroshima in just a few moments.

A Journey to Japan: Kōraku-en

We visited several gardens while we were in Japan. But perhaps the best one we saw was Kōraku-en, in Okayama. After all, this garden is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, and was definitely on my list of things to check out.

A Journey to Japan: Kurashiki

While we were in Okayama, we also did a day trip to Kurashiki, which is a nearby city. It was easily reachable by train, so we headed to the main train station and hopped on to the next train going in that direction.

A Journey to Japan: Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art

It was raining that afternoon in Okayama. So we decided to duck into one of the several museums that were close to each other. Somehow we ended up in the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art, and I have to say, that was a great choice.

A Journey to Japan: Okayama Castle

So we made it back to the mainland. Or rather, to the main island, Honshu. After spending some time in Shikoku, we took the train to Okayama, where we spent a couple of nights. And after dropping off our bags in the hotel, we immediately checked out this castle, just within walking distance from the city centre, where we were at.

A Journey to Japan: Shikoku Mura

The last thing we did in Shikoku (and in Takamatsu in particular) was to visit the Shikoku Mura. This is an open-air agricultural park, showcasing numerous historical houses from around Shikoku, built from the Edo to the Taisho periods. If one wanted to have a taste of the various other cultural heritage features of Shikoku without moving great distances, then this is a great place to visit.

A Journey to Japan: Zentsū-ji

After spending the morning in Konpira-san and having the local chicken on the bone for lunch, we went to the nearby town of Zentsūji. It was a short train ride away, and is worth going to due to the fact that a famous temple is located there.

A Journey to Japan: Konpira-san

While we were in Takamatsu, we decided to visit a nearby town, Kotohira. This town is the setting for a rather famous shrine, Kotohira-gū, also known as Konpira-dai-gongen, or more affectionately, Konpira-san.

A Journey to Japan: Takamatsu Castle

For our third castle, we checked out the Takamatsu Castle. I mean, it's right next to the city's major train stations, so it was definitely eye-catching. This also allowed me to compare and contrast the various castles that we have visited along the way.

A Journey to Japan: Ritsurin Garden

After spending two nights in Tokushima, we decided to move on. We took the train from Tokushima to Takamatsu, the primary city in Kagawa Prefecture. And after dropping off our bags in the hotel, we went to Ritsurin Garden, which is perhaps its most famous tourist attraction.

A Journey to Japan: The Awa Odori

Before coming to Tokushima, I didn't really know much about Japanese festivals. So only when we started planning our trip did we learn about the Awa Odori, or the Awa Dance Festival. It's typically held in August, and so we were slightly late for the actual event, however, Tokushima has a purpose-built hall that one can visit in order to learn more about this cultural Japanese heritage.