Fukuoka

I just got back from a week trip to the northern cities of Fukuoka and Nagasaki. It was so great to be in a big city again, hundreds of restaurants, fast food, book stores, electronics stores and other things I miss. I also got to see a friend I hadn't seen in a long time.

The first couple days were relatively warm but then the temperature took a dive and the day I left there was a light snow storm.

I met up with my friend You-chan and we after wandering around Fukuoka for a bit we went to this cute old style town that's famous for its retro style and western buildings. It's also famous for bananas for some reason, we even met up with Banana man.
Retro vs. boring tower


Later that day we went to Kokura and saw their Xmas light displays and feudal castle. The castle was closed so we couldn't go inside but it was still impressive. Kokura was the original target for the Nagasaki atomic bomb but the skies were cloudy so the plane moved to city number two on the list.


The next day we went to Nagasaki to visit the peace memorial park and museum. Unfortunately the museum was closed due to it being the end of the year, but at the park we could see ground zero where the bomb was dropped and pictures of the absolute burned desolation that was the result. Nagasaki is now a beautiful city, but there are so many statues and reminders of the devastation that I think it would be a little depressing to live there.



Nagasaki has a beautiful river running through it marked by all the old style stone bridges. This one is called Megane bashi because in the reflection it looks like a pair of eyeglasses.



Back in Fukuoka on the New Years Eve we went to a temple just to look around and a nice old man showed us the demon masks on the sides of the temple, one a male, one a female.

New Years eve was nothing special for us. We met up with some of You's friends for dinner and a few drinks but it was way to cold to go to a temple and hear them ring the gong at midnight as many people do. The next day You-chan flew back to Taipei and I'm back on the island waiting for the school year to start up again.