Saga 佐賀県
Perhaps one of the most forgotten parts of Kyushu, Saga seems to have not too much to offer in terms of tourism appeal; it is sort of the forgotten spot between Nagasaki and Fukuoka. Still, there are a couple of things I stopped in for.
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| My view at breakfast in Saga. |
Karatsu and northern Saga are one of the closest points to the Korean Peninsula from Japan, so historically it has been an important trade area. Now, it is beautiful, but perhaps a little dated. Saga is famous for its historical pottery, which has Korean influences. There is a castle, but it is not only recently rebuilt, it is also relatively unimpressive compared to some of Japan's other castles. Still, the coastline is beautiful and I stayed in a decaying little onsen with a fantastic view of the ocean.
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| Old pottery house. The mounds on the right are old pottery ovens. |
After visiting the historic pottery sites, I stopped in at a guidebook recommended restaurant, Kawashima Tofu Shop (川島豆腐店), for lunch where every course featured tofu, including dessert and the main drink. It was really good, so if you are even planning to be in Karatsu (or their location in Tokyo), book this place in advance since there are only 10 seats and they serve the meals only at set times. I had the privilege of being there with a family of nine people from Fukuoka, so that added to the fun.
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| Tofu is good. |
Fukuoka 福岡県
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| Yatai in Fukuoka. A dying art, but good fun. |
There are a few interesting places to visit in Fukuoka pictured below. I will tell you about the main reason to visit this otherwise average Japanese city: ramen and food stalls called yatai (屋台). Fukuoka still has little holdouts of places where people set up these food stalls on the streets, but they are becoming rarer. Basically, you can walk around and stop in at these tiny outdoor restaurants with maybe 10 seats, and have a variety of foods. But, the number one food in Fukuoka is tonkotsu ramen, also called hakata ramen after the area of Fukuoka where it's from. I was in Fukuoka for 3 days and I had 4 different tonkotsu ramens. I hear ramen shops are becoming "cool" these days, so if you are looking for place to eat it, Fukuoka is that place.
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| Kushida Shrine, Hakata, Fukuoka |
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| Dazaifu Temple, Fukuoka |
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| Dazaifu Temple, Fukuoka. Busy in the days just after New Years. |
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| Kyushu National Museum. One of the best museums I've seen in Japan. |
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| Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, special exhibit. Yu-ki Nishimoto (西元佑貴), Indian Ink artist. |
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| A tower near the water. |
I am not a ramen expert - and yes, those exist. Here is my ramen philosophy. There is basic ramen, which you eat because it is there, and it comes in Shio (salt), Shoyu, Miso, and Tonkotsu (pork). There is specialty ramen, which could mean that the shop does some interesting twist on the style. There is elite ramen, which is the type of things you will find in guidebooks or on the ramen database website. Finally, there is the best ramen. The best ramen is an unapologetic soul food, which is best served with a thick soup (muddy consistency), al dente noodles, and a bit of attitude. My preference is for tonkotsu, but there are some good miso or shoyu ones out there. My point here is, go to Fukuoka and eat good ramen, okay?
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| Lining up for the best ramen. |
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| Eating the best ramen. This is the best ramen. This is not opinion, but fact. |
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| Very decent ramen at Ippudo. |
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| Very nice ramen at the ramen stadium. |
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| In not-Fukuoka, this would have been good. |
