Скачать или смотреть First Day in Japan’s Street Food Capital 🇯🇵

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I flew to Fukuoka, which is known as the ramen capital of Japan. Having already visited the main tourist hotspots of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto on previous trips, I was glad to find a direct flight to Fukuoka International Airport and skip those busy areas on this trip.

I keep hearing reports of over-tourism in Japan, but in Fukuoka that doesn't seem to be the case. When I arrived in Fukuoka, it seemed like everyone in the airport were local Japanese people.

Since I arrived 4 hours before my hotel check-in time, I took the public transport from the airport. A free shuttle bus to the domestic terminal and then a $2 ride on the subway to Hakata station, the main railway hub of the city.

A nice lady helped me buy a Hayakaken card, which is a stored value card for using public transport and paying in konbinis (convenience stores). I was familiar with a the SUICA card in Tokyo, and this is the Fukuoka equivalent, but it can be used on public transport in any region of Japan.

When I arrived early at my hotel I was able to use their self-service locker system to store my luggage, then I was homeless for a few hours until I could go back and check in.

I used that time to go for a wander, getting familiar with this clean and peaceful city, then a visit to Kushida-jinja, a Shinto shrine that's existed since the year 757 AD. It's a popular tourist spot in the city, but I couldn't find any signs in English that would explain about the Shrine or the Shinto religion.

I was able to get my fortune told in exchange for a 100 yen ($0.70 USD) donation, and I think the predictions and advice were worth about what I paid for it.

The shrine is right next to Canal City, which is a big mall with a lot of cool stuff. I bought so many interesting Japanese snacks from the Muji shop there, then visited the 'Ramen Stadium' on the top floor which has about a dozen different ramen restaurants.

Some of those ramen restaurants had a long queue, and I wasn't in the mood for that, so I just chose the restaurant that seemed the quietest. Not usually a good idea if you are looking for the best food, but after a long travel day that included and overnight flight, I just wasn't up for queuing.

The grilled pork ramen I had was a miso ramen, rather than the tonkotsu ramen that Hakata is famous for, but it was intensely flavourful and delicious, so I made a good choice to get that one.

I was finally able to check in to my hotel after 1 PM. $90 USD per night got me a 15sqm shoebox single room. Space is at a premium in Japan so that's about as good as it gets in that price range. Despite being small, the room is very clean and comfortable and the location of the hotel, right next to Hakata station, makes it easy to get around and explore.

As I walked from my hotel back to Canal City, I found a shop called 'Book Off' that sells second hand electronics and collectables. They had so much interesting stuff, but what caught my eye were the Mario Kart toys and I bought a couple of them as souvenirs. I have a feeling my suitcase is going to be pretty full by the time I leave Japan.

I ended the day with some kushiyaki (grilled meat sticks) by the riverside at a yatai. Yatais are small street food huts that are popular in Fukuoka and are even seen as a symbol of the city.

0:00 Fukuoka Airport
5:35 Buying an IC Card
9:36 Riding the Subway
14:04 Arriving in Hakata
19:28 Family Mart Snacks
33:42 Matcha Tea Latte
36:22 Kushida Shrine
41:39 Shopping Arcade
48:17 Fortune Telling
51:09 Shinto Prayer
53:48 Muji Japanese Snacks
1:01:08 Ramen Stadium
1:10:21 Hotel Room Tour
1:24:31 Mario Kart Collectables
1:31:23 Canal City Fountain Show
1:33:24 Trading Card Vending Machine
1:38:10 Yatai Street Food


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