Just a short train ride from Fukuoka is Dazaifu, home to the Kyushu National Museum and a number of different temples and shrines. The main walk out of the train station towards Dazaifu Tenman-gū has many different shops selling souvenirs and places selling umegae mochi.
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| Platform and train at Dazaifu Station |
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| Starbucks has a very interesting design |
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| Store selling the local mochi |
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| Totoro :) |
After walking around the shrine, I took a lunch break before heading to the Kyushu National Museum. Lunch was at a small restaurant near the train station. A cold noodle appetizer was served before the meal of donburi and udon. It all tasted great! The menu had pictures from what I remember. Unfortunately, I can't read much Japanese but judging from the large amount of tourists, I'm sure many restaurants and cafes in the area have either pictures on their menu or menus in languages other than Japanese.
After lunch I headed to the Kyushu National Museum. Photography was prohibited in the Kyushu National Museum but the building's architecture is still cool. The main lobby houses the ticket window, a gift shop, and an area where you can experience different Asian cultures through an interactive exhibit. General admission is JPY 430 with discounts for college students and groups. Lockers are available onsite as well.
Located near the water is Fukuoka Tower, a great spot to check out views of the city. Admission is JPY 800 and there are discounts for groups, children, and students. The exterior lighting of the tower changes depending on the time of year. It seems most people either take a bus or take the subway and then walk the rest of the way. You can also take a taxi or drive to the tower.
I did walk along the beach near the tower but the pictures I took weren't very good unfortunately.
Dinner was at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant called 玄海丸 天神店! It's located near Tenjin Station and was reasonably priced. I ate a ton!
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| Tuna is my favorite! |
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| The stack of plates |
