Cherry tree in Maizuru Park

Despite the recent snowfall and frigid temperatures, the season for cherry blossom viewing is drawing near. The best time for viewing cherry blossoms in Fukuoka in 2012 will be April 4 to 13 (subject to change depending on the weather). Here are some popular spots for viewing blossoms in Fukuoka City:

Atago Shrine
A hilltop shrine with a great view of Hakata Bay and the surrounding city.

• Location: 15 min. walk from Muromi Station (Kuko Subway Line)
• Approx. number of Cherry Trees: 2,000

Maizuru Park
A large park with lots of space for picnics, with the remains of Fukuoka Castle as a backdrop.

• Location: 7-10 min. walk from Ohorikoen Station (Kuko Subway Line)
• Approx. number of Cherry Trees: 1,000

Nishi Park
A hillside park, known as one of the top 100 cherry blossom spots in Japan.

• Location: 10-15 min. walk from Ohorikoen Station
• Approx. number of Cherry Trees: 1,300

Uminonakamichi Kaihin Park
Cycling, disc golf, and seaside strolls combine with beautiful cherry blossoms in this massive multipurpose park.

• Location: Transfer from the JR Kagoshima Main Line at Kashii Station, and take the JR Uminonakamichi Line to Uminonakamichi Station (park entrance and bicycle rentals just outside the station)
• Approx. number of Cherry Trees: 2,000

Minami Park
Cherry blossoms and greenery tucked away in a quiet corner of town.

• Location: 15 min. walk from Sakurazaka Station (Nanakuma Subway Line)
• Approx. number of Cherry Trees: 1,400

Forest City Aburayama
The beautiful Mt. Aburayama provides laid-back hiking trails and amazing scenery (including an unparalleled view of the city and bay from the summit). The addition of cherry blossoms makes it even more stunning.

• Location: Take bus #13 from Tenjin (急行 / kyuko express bus) bound for Hibaru Eigyosho, or bus #113 from Hakata Station (急行 / kyuko express bus) bound for Hibaru Eigyosho, and get off at Aburayama Danchi-guchi (油山団地口) bus stop (takes approx. 30 min. using either bus). From Aburayama Danchi-guchi, it’s about a 1 hour walk to Forest City Aburayama or a 15 min. taxi ride, but there are special buses that go up on weekends (buses don’t run late and they arrive about every 1.5 hours–bus schedules are shown in Japanese on Forest City Aburayama’s website).
• Approx. number of Cherry Trees: 2,000

Note: “Approx. number of Cherry Trees” statistic taken from http://www.innovade.co.jp/en/seasons/04/hanami/fukuokashinai.html

Broadway Burger

Nothing beats a good-quality hamburger, and no matter what country you are in, good burgers are usually found at bars. Fukuoka is no exception: Off Broadway on Oyafukodori serves some of the best, if not the absolute best, burgers in town.

Off Broadway was one of the first bars geared toward non-Japanese (“foreign bars”) in Fukuoka, and it has about two decades of history in the Oyafukodori neighborhood of north Tenjin.

For a mere 1,000 yen, you can have a famous Broadway Burger complete with thick, top-quality beef, lettuce, tomato, onions and mushrooms, with a side of tasty fries. Their other menu items are equally amazing. In addition, Off Broadway has happy hour from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. (just after the end of may other bars’ happy hours), with beer and wine at 300 yen a glass. In fact, there is an extremely wide selection beers, liquors and cocktails, including hard-to-find Long Island Iced Tea variations and a four-liter tower of beer!

Off Broadway has live music and hosts DJs regularly on weekends, while regulars flock there to chat with old friends on weekdays. It’s very welcoming to expats and overseas visitors, and most of the staff members can speak English, making it a great spot if you’re new in town or just passing through.

Hours are 7:30 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. from Sunday to Thursday, and 7:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. They can be reached at 092-724-5283, and a map to the bar can be found on their English-language website. Their menu can be viewed here.

Oyafukodori, the Street of Wayward Children

Oyafukodori (親不孝通り) has changed dramatically over time, and it is a place almost every local has an opinion on. Most people you ask will tell you something along the lines of “Oyafuko is dangerous–don’t go there.” But the dangers of the past have almost all disappeared, leaving an eclectic neighborhood struggling to find its identity again.

Oyafukodori Blvd. itself is only 400 meters (1,312 feet) long, extending northward from the north side of Showa-dori Blvd., opposite the terminus of popular Nishi-dori. Oyafukodori (often just called Oyafuko) can refer to the street as well as the neighborhood the street lies at the center of. Although not all parts of Oyafukodori have Tenjin addresses, the area is considered by locals to be the northernmost part of the greater “Tenjin” area,the commercial and entertainment center of Fukuoka City.

Kieth Flack, one of Oyafuko's popular nightclubs

In fact, Oyafukodori has been a commercial center for hundreds of years, serving samurai patrons back in the Edo Period (1600-1868) and eventually students and young artists. Buses and streetcars used to run by the south end of the street, and two major prep schools (Kyushu Eisu Gakkan and Mizuki Gakuen) were opened on the north end. The combination of heavily used public transportation routes and students passing along the street on their way to the schools resulted in the opening of many business catering to young customers. A free-spirited youth culture developed, which was aided by low rents drawing poor students in their 20s to apartments in the area. Disco gained massive popularity in Japan during the bubble era, and Maria Club–the most popular disco club in Kyushu–drew massive crowds to the area. Other clubs and bars, karaoke parlors, restaurants, arcades, coffee shops and izakaya were opened, and street musicians and artists flocked to Oyafuko to express themselves and take part in this energetic culture. Starting in the late 1980s, Fukuoka’s first “foreign bars” catering to non-Japanese also opened in the area, two of which (International Bar and Off Broadway) are still in business today.

As you can guess, most of the prep school students weren’t attending classes very often, which led to the street being nicknamed “Oyafukodori” (親不孝通り) meaning “Street of Wayward Children” or “Street of Unfilial Children,” because the youth were skipping school while their parents paid expensive tuition fees. Unfortunately, gatherings of rebellious youth led to increases in crimes, which didn’t get better after the economic bubble “burst”–at this time, many businesses closed down or moved out, while fuzoku businesses (sex trade businesses, often dominated by gangsters) moved in, taking advantage of low rents. Violent crimes in the area gave Oyafuko its bad reputation, and because of that many people incorrectly assume the term “Oyafuko” refers to no-good criminal youth (another possible interpretation of 不孝, or “unfilial”).

The Anmitsu Hime theatre is one of Oyafuko's many unique establishments

The municipal government has attempted to improve the image of this northern Tenjin neighborhood by changing the kanji characters used to write the street’s name from 親不孝通り to 親富孝通り, which means just the opposite of the original name–”Street of Incredibly Filial Children.” Then they took down he former street signs and simply tried to erase references to “The Street of Wayward Children,” but the neighborhood’s deeply embedded history and unique culture ensured that the original nickname stuck.

Today’s Oyafukodori is at a low point: most popular nightlife and shopping is now centered in central Tenjin and Daimyo, with notable growth in Imaizumi to the south of Daimyo. In short, the Tenjin “scene” is gradually migrating south, progressively farther from Oyafukodori. On the bright side, low rents have drawn small shops to Oyafuko in recent times, and as far as the music scene goes it is still home to most of Fukuoka’s best nightclubs and live houses. There is a wide selection of bars in the neighborhood, too, including a large number of foreign bars. Oyafuko may have hit hard times, but there is still hope for its future.

The Wayward Children have all disappeared, as has the violence and crime, and in their place is a small group of people that still believes in the street’s magic. The steady pulse of Fukuoka can still be felt in this old northern-Tenjin neighborhood.

Oyafukodori at night

Some of you may remember my Osaka Insider blog, and ongoing project that eventually led me to start writing a guidebook. After much hard work, I have finally released my first published work, Osaka Insider: A Travel Guide for Osaka Prefecture!!

This unique guidebook covers sightseeing destinations throughout Osaka Prefecture, both famous and unknown. Written by a Japanese-speaking American expatriate and former long-term resident of Osaka, it offers an unbiased and in-depth look into the best things to see and do in Osaka, whether you are a first-time visitor or local resident. The addition of ramen and okonomiyaki guides, festival and event information, rail and walking maps, general sightseeing information and tips, essays by the author and more make this the single most comprehensive English-language guide on Osaka Prefecture to date. It’s the guidebook that no visitor to Kansai should leave home without. Come to Osaka and discover the best-kept secrets of Kansai!

Currently it’s available through my online store and also at Amazon.com. It’s same price either way! For customers in Japan, you can still purchase it through the American Amazon site even if you have a Japanese credit card–the slowest international shipping option is very affordable, although it will take a little while to arrive (overseas express shipping options are also available). If you happen to live in or visit the Fukuoka area, I would be happy to sign your copy personally.

I have also created a Guidebook Maps page, which was designed to be used in conjunction with this guidebook. This is especially useful if you have internet access during your time in Japan.

One of the biggest motivating factors behind this project was the warm and support and encouragement I have received over the years from my readers, and for that I thank all of you. For those of you who have never visited Kansai, or those who heven’t spent much time in Osaka, I hope you will consider purchasing Osaka Insider: A Travel Guide for Osaka Prefecture and discovering more of the great things it has to offer!

For visitors to Fukuoka City, the “Green” bus provides an easy way to travel between the city’s famous sights and central districts. Its route connects JR Hakata Station, Gion, Nakasu, Tenjin, Ohori Park, Fukuoka Tower, the international ferry terminal (at night), a number of museums, cultural and historical sites, and more!

Green buses arrive every 30 minutes on weekends and public holidays, and every 40 minutes on weekdays. The first bus departs from Hakata-eki Kotsu Center (the bus center adjacent to JR Hakata Station)  at 9:00 a.m. daily, and the last bus departs at 6:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays and 6:20 p.m. on weekdays. Buses departing from 5:30 p.m. onward follow a special nighttime route that takes you to spots around town with good night views.

Additionally, a “Green Pass” is available for 700 yen (350 yen for children) that gives you all-day unlimited use of Green buses–not a bad deal when you consider that one ride normally costs 250 yen. The SUNQ Pass and Fukuoka Taiken Bus Ticket (website in Japanese) can also be used to ride Green buses.

While Green buses may not come as often as regular city buses and trains do, their route is extremely convenient for visitors who don’t know their way around the city (the Fukuoka city bus system (website in Japanese) can be difficult to navigate at first).

Check out the printable daytime/nighttime route map (PDF) or visit the English-language website for more information!

Note: Image provided by Wikimedia Commons.

#9: Gibo-chan
A recent entry into the character mascot arena, Gibo-chan is the mascot for the Edo-Tokyo Museum. Apparently he’s an ornate wooden post…? At any rate, he’s apparently quite popular in Tokyo, especially among the kids.

#8: Morizo and Kikkoro
This pair of mascots were the official mascots of Expo 2004 in Aichi Prefecture. They are both some kind of forest spirit, with Morizo (right) being the older, wiser one and Kikkoro (left) being the younger, curious one. I think anyone can enjoy these green blobs of cuteness.

#7: Nishikokun
I’m at a lost for words every time I lay eyes upon Nishikokun, the unofficial character mascot for Nishikokubunji. It’s like…some sort of pendant with spandex-clad legs coming out of it. Watch this video to get a better idea of Nishikokun’s unique appeal.

#6: Burubeh
Burubeh is the mascot for Kodaira City, Tokyo Prefecture, the birthplace of blueberry cultivation in Japan. It’s a giant blueberry licking his lips, whose leaves (?) look like a hula skirt. What else can I say? Pure genius.

#5: Hikonyan
This feline mascot was created to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the construction of Shiga Prefecture’s Hikone Castle, one of Japan’s greatest fortresses. Hikonyan was one of the first yuru-kyara to gain massive popularity, and he has made a number of television appearances, spawned a line of products and amassed a large fan following. The “nyan” part of his name is a play on words, as nyan is the Japanese onomatopoeia for a cat’s meow and also resembles the diminutive honorific suffix -chan (this is combined with the “Hiko” from “Hikone”).

#4: Domo-kun
Domo-kun made his debut in 1998 on NHK and has been a popular mascot since. His mouth is permanently locked open, and he can’t really speak (he just makes strange sounds that only his friends understand). He lives in a cave and has a plethora of strange companions, including an alcoholic bat, a tea-drinking rabbit, a fashionable weasel and others. Domo-kun’s biggest appeal is that you can’t look at him and not smile.

#3: Noppon
Noppon is the mascot of Tokyo Tower, created to celebrate the landmark tower’s 40th anniversary. There are actually two Noppon: the one pictured above, and his younger brother who wears red. There is no other word except “awesome” to describe what looks like a giant penis wearing overalls with a lightning rod on top.

#2: F-Man
…speaking of which, the next mascot comes from my town, Fukuoka. F-Man is the mascot for local English-language magazine Fukuoka Now, and his variety of superhero-like poses, ridiculous appearance and borderline-inappropriate name make him an instant classic. Aside from the propeller mounted on the long, orange thing protruding from his head, what would you venture to guess F-Man’s super-power is?

1: Kumamon
Another Kyushu local, Kumamon is by far the coolest mascot in Japan to date, and he was voted most popular in the nationwide Yuru-Kyara Grand Prix 2011. This half-deranged, drug addicted, potentially violent bear is also irresistibly adorable. His simple style and strong personality make him the ideal character mascot in Japan. Kumamon was created to draw tourists to Kumamoto Prefecture with the opening of the Kyushu Shinkansen in 2011, and according to his profile he’s a public employee working for the same prefecture’s government. Posters and advertisements featuring Kumamon have appeared in locations all over Japan, and he has made a number of appearances in the media.

Special Mention: Worst Mascots

#3: Shirakamisanka
Generally speaking, your mascot should not look like a giant mound of green poo. And as you can tell by the car behind Shirakamisanka in this picture, it is quite a big mound indeed.

#2: Torimocchan
Torimocchan is the mascot for Yamanashi Prefecture’s chicken giblets. However, his creepy eyes makes him look more like a pedophile than anything. Keep your kids away from Torimocchan.

#1: Sento-kun
I don’t know where to begin describing all that is wrong with Sento-kun. The most prominent shortcoming is the unsettling, “rapey” aura that surrounds him. Then there’s the fact that he was created to honor the 1300th anniversary of historic move of the imperial capital in 710 to Heijo-kyo (now known as Nara)–they honored this momentous event by creating a Buddhist monk character with antlers jammed into his head (to represent the free-roaming deer of central Nara), a blasphemous decision that drew protest from numerous local monks. Furthermore, most characters in Japan are created inexpensively, by regular employees in their free time, whereas Sento-kun was designed for a large fee by an actual artist. In the end, almost everybody was creeped out and/or offended by this monstrosity, but that didn’t stop the Nara PR folks from putting his image and life-sized statues, not to mention costumed mascots, all around the Kansai area.

When it comes to alcoholic beverages, most people associate Kyushu with shochu, a type of liquor widely produced in the region (especially in southern Kyushu). However, in Fukuoka Prefecture (and neighboring Saga Prefecture), nihonshu has considerable popularity.

Nihonshu (lit. “sake of Japan”), usually known simply as sake in other countries, is a traditional rice-based liquor that has been brewed for more than 1,000 years in Japan. Notice I said “brewed”–despite the commonly used yet poor translation “rice wine,” nihonshu is made using a method that is more similar to that used beer than it is to wine. To start with, let’s take a look at the brewing process, a feat that requires immense amounts of skill and labor.

Amabuki Shuzo, a sake brewery near the Saga-Fukuoka prefectural border

The Nihonshu Brewing Process

It all starts with genmai, or unpolished, brown rice. Rice grown for use in sake is very different from that grown for consumption: the starches are concentrated in the center of the grain, and surrounding that are fats, minerals and proteins (in table rice, the elements are distributed more evenly throughout, giving the rice a more flavorful taste when consumed). Because the elements in the outer portion of the rice grain may degrade the taste of the sake, they are milled away, leaving (ideally) the starchy center portions of the grains. (Note that not all of these elements are harmful, and leaving some of them in sometimes creates a unique and pleasing taste.) Milling is a difficult and time-consuming process, and modern machinery is sometimes adopted by today’s brewers to increase precision and efficiency during this step.

Next, the rice is washed to remove excess powder created during milling, and then soaked to prepare it for steaming. Using ultra-purified water meeting rigorous specifications is key here, as the water the rice is soaked in will affect how it turns out in previous steps of the brewing process–certain chemicals found in most water will adversely affect the taste of the sake. After this, the rice is steamed (not mixed with water, but blasted with high-temperature steam) in as evenly a manner as possible, and then it is cooled.

Then comes what many consider to be the most important step in the process: the creation of koji, which is steamed white rice onto which koji-kin (a type of mold) has been cultivated. Only a portion of the rice is made into koji, and the process requires carefully controlled temperatures (the koji is made in its own separate room) and great precision. There are many types of koji-kin available, and the creation of koji varies from brewery to brewery, but it is widely agreed that the best koji is that made by hand, using minimal automation.

The next step is the creation of moto, or a yeast starter, which protects the contents of the fermenting tank from being ruined by outside bacteria. This moto, which has a high concentration of yeast cells, is prepared separately and then mixed in stages with koji, rice and water in a larger vat to ferment–this mixture, or mash, is known as moromi, and its volume is gradually increased through additions of koji, rice and water over a four-day period.

After fermenting, the moromi is pressed through a mesh filter to separate the sake from the solid rice particles that remain–there are various methods of pressing, including traditional methods as well as machine-automated ones. Following pressing, some brewers filter their sake by adding powdered carbon and running the resulting mix through a filter–this removes the amber color that often occurs (making it clear) and also removes certain undesirable flavors. Many brewers of high-quality sake today skip this step, as it is unnecessary if high quality rice and water are used and the brewers possess sufficient skill. Filtering may also remove certain characteristics of the sake that some consumers prefer to preserve.

After water is added to lower the alcohol content (which naturally reaches a level of nearly 20%), most sake is pasteurized to prevent it from spoiling. Some sake is unpasteurized (namazake), which creates a different type of taste, but it must be kept cold or its appearance and taste will change quickly for the worse. Pasteurization is usually performed once before storage (for aging) and once again before bottling, although namachozo sake is only pasteurized once (before bottling).

Nihonshu (Nokomi) and salt to be tasted along with it

Basic Sake Categories and Terms

The amount of low-quality nihonshu on the market is staggering, and most anything you find in the supermarket or convenience store is a nightmarish hangover-inducing mix of ingredients that I recommend you stay far away from. About 75% of nihonshu in Japan falls under the lowest category, futsushu (普通酒, “ordinary sake”), which is essentially sake that fails to meet the lowest quality standards (although there some passable futsushu). In other words, futsushu is the boxed wine of the nihonshu world.

Junmaishu (純米酒) is pure rice sake made using only rice, water and koji-kin, and whose rice grains (used in the brewing process) have been milled down to 70% of their original size or less to remove outer, contaminating layers (as mentioned above). Honjozo (本醸造) is sake in which a very small amount (strictly limited) of other liquor is added to the moromi before it is pressed. Adding another type of liquor increases yields, and it can enhance or lighten the flavor in various ways–even though it is not “pure” rice sake, there are many types of delicious honjozo on the market. In addition, honjozo sake must meet the same milling requirement (70% or less of original rice grains remaining) as junmaishu. Ginjoshu (吟醸酒) is sake in which the rice grains are milled to 60% of their original size or less, and daiginjoshu (大吟醸酒) is sake in which rice grains are milled down to 50% of their original size or less (some are milled to as little as 35%)–these types of nihonshu are much more difficult to make, and they are also the most expensive to buy. Junmai-ginjo (純米吟醸) and junmai-daiginjo (純米大吟醸) are ginjoshu and daiginjoshu made without the addition of other types of liquor–in other words, junmaishu that meets the milling requirements of ginjoshu and daiginjoshu.

Namazake (生酒) is nihonshu that has not been pasteurized, and namachozo (生貯蔵) is sake that has only been pasteurized once before bottling. Muroka (無濾過) refers to sake that is not filtered using carbon powder. Nigorizake (濁酒) is cloudy sake that has larger particles from the moromi remaining (by using a larger-holed mesh during pressing, or by adding some of the lees back into the sake after pressing)–nigorizake has a unique taste much different than that of regular sake. Genshu (原酒) is nihonshu into which water has not been added to reduce the alcohol content, making it a bit stronger than other types of nihonshu and giving its flavor more impact. Finally, koshu (古酒, lit. “old sake”) is aged sake, a type that most people have a hard time getting used. Koshu is usually darker in color and has a stronger flavor.

A glass of nigorizake (Shigemasu)

Benefits of Nihonshu

Japanese sake has a great range of tastes that varies depending on the brewery, the year it was made, the type of sake (see categories and terms above), and the skill of the brewers  involved in making it. Drinking nihonshu and discovering which types fit you personally is enjoyable and rewarding, and it is a unique experience in today’s Japan where traditional alcoholic drinks have declined in popularity, replaced by cheap chu-hi cocktails and generic-brand beers. Nihonshu can be enjoyed cold, at room temperature (for certain types), and even hot during the colder months of the year. One thing that differentiates nihonshu from other drinks such as wine and beer is its pricing: nihonshu is generally priced fairly based on the quality of ingredients and time spent making it, rather than being priced based on the fame of its maker, brand name or region.

Aside from enjoyment, there are many concrete advantages to drinking nihonshu. It contains a relatively high concentration of amino acids, which offer health benefits and also assist in the prevention of skin aging. Quality nihonshu (generally. anything that is junmaishu/honjozo or above) will not bring about bad hangovers. Like wine, nihonshu has health benefits if taken in moderation, and its highly purified water is said to be good for the body. Finally, some claim that it relaxes the body and mind more than other types of alcohol.

Nihonshu is one of Japan’s many traditions with deep historic roots that is being increasingly lost due to disinterest among younger generations. A recent boom in Fukuoka and other parts of Japan has caused a spike in the beverage’s popularity, but throughout Japan as a whole many people choose other types of drinks over nihonshu, and the ones who do drink nihonshu drink low-quality concoctions that don’t due justice to the refinement and richness of the traditional beverage. The vessels used for drinking sake are often pieces of artwork themselves, as presentation is just as important in drinking culture as it is in culinary culture in Japan. This is just one example of how nihonshu has deep connections with other aspects of Japanese traditional culture (in this case, pottery). An interest in nihonshu can lead to a deeper understanding of Japan as a whole.

Different types of nihonshu at a sake-tasting event (kurabiraki)

Sake Shops in Fukuoka

The following is a list of shops in central Fukuoka City where quality nihonshu can be purchased. I have ordered them based largely on my opinion of which stores offer the best selections.

Sumiyoshi Shuhan
http://sumiyoshisyuhan.com (Japanese only)
To my knowledge, this is hands-down the best place to buy sake in central Fukuoka. A visit to Sumiyoshi Shuhan will meet almost any customer’s nihonshu needs.
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (closed on Sundays)
Address (click for map): 3-8-27 Sumiyoshi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka / 福岡市博多区住吉3-8-27

Hakata Hankyu Department Store
http://www.hankyu-dept.co.jp/hakata/english (English)
The basement-level liquor shop has a surprisingly good selection of nihonshu, not to mention other types of liquor.
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Address (click for map): 1-1 Hakataeki-chuo, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka / 福岡市博多区博多駅中央1-1

Tomozoe Honten
http://www.tomozoe-honten.co.jp (Japanese only)
This shop is conveniently located near Haruyoshi (Fukuoka’s best nihonshu bar district), and its late hours combined with free sake samples make for a quality shop.
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (closed Sundays and public holidays)
Address (click for map): Haruyoshi 2-11-18, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka / 福岡市中央区春吉2-11-18

Liquor Shop Daito
http://www.daito-group.co.jp/ds (Japanese only)
This small liquor shop has a limited selection, but it is the best bet in the Yakuin area. It is also relatively close to Daimyo, where nihonshu is almost non-existent (except for a few bars).
Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (open until 9:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays)
Address (click for map): 2-4-5 Yakuin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka / 福岡市中央区薬院2-4-5

Iwataya
http://www.i.iwataya-mitsukoshi.co.jp (Japanese only)
Surprisingly, there are no good shops in Tenjin for nihonshu, so Iwataya is the best thing available. You can buy some decent Fukuoka-brand nihonshu here if you are in need, although prices are a bit steeper than usual. Relatively late hours even on weekends is a plus.
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Address (click for map): Tenjin 2-5-35, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka / 福岡市中央区天神2-5-35

A bottle of Amabuki junmaishu (hiyaoroshi)

Note: I owe a great deal of my knowledge to my friends and acquaintances (including various bartenders) in Fukuoka. I highly recommend The Sake Handbook by John Gauntner (available at Amazon and Amazon Japan) as an English-language resource for anyone interested in learning about nihonshu.

Nanakuma Subway Line

Fukuoka is known for its extremely convenient airport and seaport access, and this combined with a centrally located Shinkansen (“bullet train”) station that acts as the terminus for the Sanyo Shinkansen Line as well as the new Kyushu Shinkansen Line makes Fukuoka the central transport hub for Kyushu and much of western Japan. Furthermore, despite its large population, central Fukuoka City is relatively compact, making it the perfect place to introduce public transportation. However, despite the three subway lines and multiple train lines operated by both Nishitetsu and JR, many roads are still clogged, and access between the Hakata Station, the town center in Tenjin and many other vital districts around town still relies heavily on buses moving along already-crowded traffic corridors.

I’d like to introduce two promising mass-transit projects that are under consideration for Fukuoka City, one of which is already on the path to implementation. These two projects are (1) extension of the Nanakuma Subway Line and (2) introduction of a central-city light rail system.

Extension of the Nanakuma Subway Line

Official planning and preliminary meetings have been progressing steadily, and the much-discussed extension of the Nanakuma Subway Line is set to be carried out over the coming decade or so. The Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau is currently gathering the required permits, after which time it will begin construction. The new section of the line is expected to open in the 2020s, and the budget deficit created by construction costs and other expenses is expected to be eliminated after approximately 12 years of operation.

The need for an extension has been deemed necessary by most, and much of the debate has centered around the route for the new section. The following four ideas have been proposed:

Proposed Nanakuma Line extensions (see description below)

The green line is the current Nanakuma Subway Line, which terminates at Tenjin-minami Station (near Tenjin Station on the Nishitetsu Omuta Line and Kuko Subway Line). The Kuko Subway Line is shown in orange, connecting on the right with Hakata Station on the JR lines (dashed line) and continuing on to the airport (off-map), and the violet line is the Hakozaki Subway Line. The proposed “WF route” (waterfront route) is in red, connecting Tenjin (the city center) with the Port of Hakata, an important international sea terminal. The proposed Yakuin-Hakata route in purple would connect Yakuin Station on the Nishitetsu Omuta Line (a large, central station on the important Nishitetsu Omuta Line, and a station already served by the current Nanakuma Line) and Hakata Station (the main station in Fukuoka for JR lines, including the Shinkansen) via Sumiyoshi-dori, a heavily congested street currently covered by buses and badly in need of better public transportation–some people argue that the Nanakuma Line should have been extended in this direction to begin with, rather than turning northwest along Watanabe-dori toward Tenjin. Finally, the blue line is the route the city intends to adopt, connecting Tenjin to Hakata Station via Nakasu and the popular Canal City shopping and entertainment mega-complex.

Currently, people arriving via airplane or Shinkansen only have the option of reaching Tenjin via the Kuko Subway Line, whose station is located in the northern section of downtown. The Nanakuma Line serves those living in the western and southern parts of Fukuoka City, but it provides no convenient connection to the Hakata Station area. The new extension will enable people coming from Hakata Station and the airport to get to the south of Tenjin–which is where much of the city center’s new development is taking place–as well as districts such as Imaizumi, Yakuin and Ropponmatsu. It will also give those coming via the Nanakuma Line an easier way to get to Hakata Station, Nakasu, the airport and other such areas without making the approximately 10-minute transfer (on foot) to the Kuko Line in Tenjin.

Introduction of Light Rail Transit in Fukuoka City

Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co., Ltd. (commonly known as Nishitetsu) operates all of the city buses and several important conventional rail lines in Fukuoka City (including the Omuta Line, which terminates in the Tenjin city center), as well as highway buses throughout Kyushu and Japan and other important transportation services. Nishitetsu is one of Japan’s “big 16″ private railroad companies, and the company is involved in other ventures including real estate, hotels, supermarkets and travel (agencies). They previously operated a streetcar network within Fukuoka City, but it was shut down in 1978.

As the 30th anniversary of this shut-down arrived in 2008, talk began to circulate about the possibility of introducing light rail transit (LRT) in Fukuoka City. Although some people consider LRT to be the same thing as the dated streetcar principle, it does offer real advantages and is being increasingly employed in large cities throughout the world, especially in the United States where over-reliance on automobiles have created infrastructural, environmental, economic and other problems. I have had the pleasure of using the MAX light rail in Portland, Oregon on numerous occasions, and despite its shortcomings, it provides effective and convenient transportation in a city that once relied almost exclusively on automobiles and buses–in fact, the MAX is being used as a model system by other American cities introducing public transit. LRT is cheaper to build than subways and elevated rail, and the trains produce smaller CO2 emissions than buses do. Not only cost, but construction time, are two problems involved in any new subway extension plan, and LRT can sidestep both of these obstacles. In addition, street-level trains can be boarded with relative ease compared with station-based traditional rail and subways, especially for the increasing elderly population in Japan.

The MAX light rail, part of Portland's TriMet mass transit network

There are also disadvantages. The trains must compete with traffic, and there is a risk that they will further clog up streets–this depends greatly on how well the system is constructed, whether or not trains share traffic lanes or have their own, how traffic signals and train timing are coordinated, etc. Additionally, LRT tends to be much slower than traditional trains and subways, and around the same speed as buses, although dedicated lanes (if possible in Fukuoka) or sections of track off primary boulevards could ease this problem greatly. Furthermore, as LRT will not be used for travel to more distant suburbs (this is well-covered by conventional rail), but merely for transport within the city, slower speeds should not create a major problem.

There are no concrete plans at this point, but Nishitetsu is talking about introduction of LRT as a way of reviving parts of the former streetcar system . They realize the need for cooperation from the Fukuoka municipal government in numerous areas, and they will also have to convince automobile users that the introduction of street-level trains will not worsen traffic problems. There are no indications about the size or location of potential LRT lines, although they will likely replace heavily used bus routes as well as former streetcar routes, and they will almost surely connect with Tenjin Station and Hakata Station, with possible stops near Canal City or other parts of Nakasu, and along Watanabe-dori, Sumiyoshi-dori and/or Kokutai-doro boulevards. The following is an educated guess concerning a potential loop line, put forward by blogger てつどう図鑑＋α (in Japanese):

Possible (unofficial) LRT in Fukuoka (see description below)

The dark blue line is the Kuko Subway Line, the light blue line is the Hakozaki Subway Line, the green line is the Nanakuma Subway Line (not including the planned extension to Hakata Station), the orange line is the Nishitetsu Omuta Line, the red line is the city-center 100-yen loop bus, and the yellow line is the author’s predicted LRT route. The large box on the right is Hakata Station (on the JR lines), and the two boxes on the left (from top to bottom) are Tenjin and Yakuin Stations. I agree that, if an LRT system is constructed, it will most likely feature a loop line following this approximate route: it connects to Tenjin, Yakuin and Hakata Stations (all major terminals), it stops near Canal City (the red blog near the middle), and it provides coverage for some of the most crowded streets including Sumiyoshi-dori (where it is desperately needed). It is likely that another line would connect to the Port of Hakata, which is the entry and departure point for many overseas tourists, and that another line may continue down Kokuta-doro (south side of Nishitetsu Tenjin Station) toward Ohori Park (off the left side of the map).

Closing Thoughts

Concerning the Nanakuma Line extension, I think the best route was chosen both in terms of cost and creating a logical subway network. A subway extension down Sumiyoshi-dori is needed, but having the subway branch off toward either Tenjin or Hakata from Yakuin station would make access between Hakata and Tenjin no more convenient than it is now, despite the ease on traffic it would provide along the crowded boulevard. The WF route is not ideal, as a subway connecting to the seaport is illogical in a city where international travelers arrive by airplane, and also because the so-called “waterfront” in this part of town is essentially a run-down, industrial area. An LRT line, on the other hand, would be good for the seaport, and it could be designed to better serve residential neighborhoods along the way.

A combination of LRT and subway is ideal for Fukuoka, where increased public transit is greatly needed but difficult to obtain due to high costs and the lack of a sufficient funding. Also, Fukuoka’s population is still moderate enough that LRT would provide enough transport capacity in places where a subway might be overkill. The main challenge would be figuring out where to run the trains in an LRT system–Fukuoka is made mostly of small streets that are already packed to the limit in the city center, and some boulevards may not have room for a dedicated light rail lane. If trains could be made to run on the streets at a smooth pace without interrupting traffic, many of the city’s traffic problems could be solved in an inexpensive manner.

Aside from Sumiyoshi-dori, there are several other routes that I think deserve consideration. A connection from Yakuin or Tenjin to Yahoo! Dome and the Momochihama district (an upscale business and beachfront district, and home to Fukuoka Tower) would be extremely useful, as buses following these routes are slow and inefficient, especially on baseball game days. This route could also provide a north-south link between the Nanakuma and Kuko Subway Lines (currently Tenjin is the only area where transferring between the two lines is possible), as well as an additional access point to Ohori Park from the south and west if they followed existing bus routes that connect Ropponmatsu with Yahoo! Dome and Momochihama. An LRT route running along Keyaki-dori and Befubashi-dori boulevards from Tenjin past Maizuru and Ohori Parks down to Ropponmatsu would also be of use, as this narrow boulevard cannot handle heavy traffic. Finally, some sort of connection to east Fukuoka City and the eastern suburbs would be of use for those who are forced commute to the airport station by bus then ride the subway into town because of insufficient rail access.

* Note: The top image (Nanakuma Subway Line) is linked from Wikimedia Commons. The map of proposed subway extensions image is linked from the Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau’s website. The predicted LRT route map image is linked from the てつどう図鑑＋α blog. The photograph of the MAX was taken by the author.

Tonkotsu Ramen
Hakata Ramen is the one thing, food or otherwise, Fukuoka is most famous for. This local style of creamy, pork-bone-based soup has become so popular that it is sold in shops throughout Japan and even abroad. Although other styles of ramen (shio, shoyu, miso, etc.) are under-represented in Fukuoka, its tonkotsu is commonly considered to be the best in the country.

Mentaiko
Mentaiko is pollack roe that is salted and flavored with chili pepper. This red-colored, spicy snack may sound a bit odd to those unfamiliar with it, but it goes great in onigiri and is a perfect side dish when drinking sake. Mentaiko has its origins in Korean cuisine, and it was introduced in Japan in the early 20th century.

Motsunabe
This is a type of nabemono, or one-pot dish cooked on the dining table and served directly from the pot. Motsunabe is made using beef or pork offal, and the soup base is either soy sauce with garlic and chili pepper or else miso. Motsunabe gained popularity as fad for a time, and even though this has died down, it remains popular in Fukuoka, especially in the cold winter months or when accompanied with beer.

Mizutaki
Mizutaki is another type of nabemono, in which chopped chicken on the bone is simmered in a hot pot with tofu, bean sprouts and various other ingredients, which are then dipped in a ponzu citrus-based sauce and eaten.

Hakata-Style Udon
Udon noodles (thick, wheat noodles) are a common and popular dish throughout Japan, and the noodles themselves vary greatly from region to region. Sanuki Udon from northeastern Shikoku is perhaps the most famous variety in Japan–these noodles are known for being extra firm. Hakata-style udon, however, is the complete opposite, featuring incredibly soft noodles for a completely different texture and eating sensation. Both Sanuki and Hakata have claimed to be the birthplace of udon noodles, and whichever may be true, both places were instrumental in popularizing the dish to Japan.

Sweets
Various local sweets have gained popularity in and around Fukuoka. These include Hakata Torimon and Hakata no Hito cakes.

Note: All images except that for mizutaki are from Wikimedia Commons. The mizutaki image is from Hakata Iroha.

Pepsi Pink

Continuing my tradition of reviewing unusual limited-time flavors put out by Pepsi Japan, I present to you one of this year’s new flavors: Pepsi Pink. In the past I have reviewed flavors such as Pepsi Baobab, Pepsi Mont Blanc, Pepsi Cucumber and even Pepsi Azuki (the last two are the leading contenders for champion of disgusting).

And this time it’s Pepsi Pink, an enigmatic name that doesn’t reveal much about what’s inside. Upon closer inspection, the bottle has the description “strawberry and milk flavor” (in English for some reason–perhaps to trick us into thinking that this was actually released in the United States?). The label is also designed to look like a strawberry, but then again, I have never seen a pink strawberry.

So….wait a second, that means strawberry, milk and Pepsi flavors mixed together??

Upon twisting off the cap, a pink mist slowly rose from the nearly glowing pink liquid inside–a liquid whose color reminded me strongly of Pepto-Bismol–and an overpoweringly sweet smell came up with it. And after taking my first sip, it hit me that it wasn’t just the odor…this was very sweet.

You know how you can use a tiny bouillon cube to make a giant bowl of soup? You would never pop a bouillon cube in your mouth and eat it, because that would be like pressure-injecting a giant pot of soup down your throat, right? Well, I feel like Pepsi Pink is the equivalent for sweetness, the bouillon cube that acts as the base for making a giant pot of SWEET.

As for the milk and strawberry, I can’t really comment. The SWEET was so overpowering that I could barely taste them. I’m not even sure if the Pepsi flavor is retained at all, or if the name “Pepsi” is just slapped on there for kicks–if the flavor does remained, it has been soundly defeated first by the SWEET, then by the milk and strawberry.

In conclusion, I think the name should be changed to ”Pepsi” Pepto-Bismol Pink, with the description changed from “strawberry and milk flavor” to “probably a strawberry and milkish flavor?” to let the customer know what they are really buying.