Nagasaki

Nagasaki is only a little more than two hours away from Fukuoka by train, so we went there for a day trip. We had a full day of siteseeing and our only regret is that we planned it as a day trip. There was so much to see -- and we didn't manage to see everything we would have liked to have seen. It would have definitely been worth a two-day visit.

We started the day with a visit to Sofukuji Temple. There was an enormous caldron dating from the late 1600s on the grounds of the temple. The signs next the caldron explained that it was used to make porridge for 3,000 - 5,000 persons per day after a famine struck the area.







After leaving the temple, we walked through the streets of the city and over to Spectacles Bridge.





Our next stop was Kofukuji Temple.



We also visited the new Dejima Dutch Factory Museum ...



... and headed to the waterfront for a quick lunch. What a great view!



After lunch we took the street car and headed across town to visit the Atomic Bomb Museum and the Peace Park.






Ground Zero


A portion of Urakami Cathedral remained standing after Nagasaki was bombed. It was later moved to the grounds of the Peace Park.



Our last stop of the day was Mt. Inasa. We took a cable car up to the top of the mountain shortly before sunset and enjoyed the spectacular views.

Fukuoka

We then headed south on the train and spent a few days in the Fukuoka area. In the city of Fukuoka we visited the Sumiyoshi Shrine.





We also went up to Fukuoka Tower's observation floor and then enjoyed a little time along the water.









We also visited Jotenji Shrine, ...



... Shofukuji Temple, ...





... and Kushida Shrine.









We also had some great meals at Canal City Mall. This one included Okonomiyaki and fried noodles.





Finally, I was shocked to see these signs throughout the city!

Kanazawa

We left Tokyo and headed to the west coast of Japan -- to Kanazawa.

While there we visited the Oyami Shrine, ...



... the Nagamachi District, ...



... the Hagashi Chaya District, ...





... the Kenrokuen Garden, ...









... Kanazawa Castle, ...



... and the amazing Ninja Temple. Unfortunately, we couldn't take photos in the temple, but check out the temple website for a glimpse of what we saw.

Tokyo

So, it has been awhile since I have blogged. Summer flew by and now fall is here (but it feels more like winter). At the end of September we went on a lovely vacation to Japan and visited some cities in the south and east of the country. However, we started our trip with two days in Tokyo.

On our first day we had a relaxing visit to the Rikugien Garden.







Our second day in Tokyo we headed over to the Fish Market only to realize it was a public holiday. So, we opted to head across the bay and walk around the surrounding neighborhoods.



We then had lunch in the Tsukishima neighborhood, which is well-known for monja, a dish that resembles a runny omlette. We had our own grill and after having the waitress show us how to make my dish, we were on our own to make Doc's. Here are some pictures, which really don't do justice to this great dish.





After lunch we visited Shiba Rikyu gardens.





And we ended our day by attending a sumo match!