See what fun things there are to do in Fukuoka Japan as we explore Fukuoka Tower, Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, Ohori Park, and the Nine Hours Capsule Hotel at Hakata Station.
Seinan Gakuin University
www.seinan-gu.ac.jp/eng/
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
www.dazaifutenmangu.or.jp/en/
Fukuoka Tower
www.fukuokatower.co.jp
Ep 5 – Visiting Famous Towers in Japan
Ohori Park
www.ohorikouen.jp/en/
Capsule Hotel Nine Hours Hakata Station
www.booking.com/searchresults.en-gb.html?ss=Fukuoka&ssne=Fukuoka&ssne_untouched=Fukuoka&highlighted_hotels=6565772&labe
Ep 1 – Visiting a Capsule Hotel in Fukuoka Japan
Video Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:12 Opening Titles
0:24 Getting settled in Fukuoka
0:50 Getting to Dazaifu
1:24 Exploring Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
2:30 Getting to Fukuoka Tower
2:59 Brief History
3:12 Observation Deck
4:01 Exiting Fukuoka Tower
4:20 Momochi Beach
4:49 Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla
5:02 Exploring Ohori Park
5:56 Getting to the Capsule Hotel
6;38 Checking-In (Lobby)
7:33 Capsule Hall (4th Floor)
8:43 Capsule Hall (6th Floor)
9:21 Shopping at Hakata Station
9:49 Sleeping in Capsule
10:20 Rude Awakening
10:34 Peaceful Awakening
10:57 Lockers and Bathroom (7th Floor)
11:41 Departing
12:06 Outro
hi my name is Beth recently my family and I spent some time discovering what to do in Fukuoka Japan and I thought that you might like to tag [Music] along after landing in Tokyo we changed planes for a short flight over to Fukuoka the country’s fifth largest city located in southwestern Japan we made our way over to baggage claim for a preview of what Fukuoka has to offer and our son who was studying abroad there helped us catch a train to drop off our luggage at the alphabet Inn near ohori Park then we caught another train to the first place our son wanted to show us [Music] the city of Desu with its countless little shops and restaurants and the Desu Tim mongu Shrine whose entrance is marked with large Stone Tori Gates our daughter tried her hand at a claw machine and we inched our way through the jibli studio store before stepping into this 1100 year-old Shinto Shrine we crossed three arched Bridges connecting small Islands in a pond shaped like the Japanese kanji for heart this temporary Hall with its elliptical planted roof sits in front of the main Shrine we enjoyed the colorful quiet and simplistic Beauty all around especially this dock where vibrant plant Liv surround you as you walk out over the aame ikip pond they’ve even managed to preserve a couple of phone booths and this monkey is jumping for joy and also for Applause and Yen one of the things I love about Japan are the plastic samur menus on display at the restaurants this one has views of the ayame iki Pond this Shrine was one of the few places we saw washiki squat toilet we really enjoyed experiencing the unique Japanese culture here [Music] next on our list was one of the area’s more modern structures Fukuoka [Music] Tower our feet were aching so we decided to take a cab to more comfortably make our way through the streets of Fukuoka to what we discovered is the tallest Seaside Tower in the country climbing 767 ft above the shore constructed of a triangular cross-section fukoka tower opened in the spring of 1989 for the Asia Pacific Expo to commemorate the city’s 100th anniversary it offers panoramic views of the [Music] city with the saury mountains to the South and K Bay to the north most people visit around sunsets but the clouds kept us from seeing that on this trip while here you can also take refuge in the lovers Sanctuary where you each touch the arch and join hands to find illumination a we noticed in the elevator that the structure is actually mostly Hollow between the observation deck and the base when you exit through the gift shop you can buy a miniature cityscape like this one and take a picture with futa the tower’s official [Music] mascot this Tower only cost 800 Yen per adult for the entire [Music] visit across the street you’ll find momoi Beach where you can catch some fresh air [Music] watch or play beach volleyball or simply take a quiet walk along the shore and after dark don’t miss the art illuminations lighting up the night unique for each season and select holidays did I mention that Godzilla destroyed this tower on film when he fought space Godzilla back in 1994 I’m so glad they rebuilt it [Music] the next morning my husband and I walked to the center of Fukuoka to visit ohori Park which means large moat because this Lake was originally part of a moat around Fukuoka Castle the park opened in 1929 and features three artificial islands in the middle of the lake connected by Four Bridges and a walking trail with views like this and local musicians setting the mood it’s easy to see why it’s a popular spot for couples the koish seem to enjoy it as well and as local Runners will attest the 1.25 mile path along the lakes’s perimeter is a great place to get some [Music] exercise during our last day in Fukuoka we stayed at the 9 hours capsu hotel which had good reviews and we had booked two months in advance on booking.com for around $31 each for a Sunday night just a short walk from Hakata station it only took us about 5 minutes to get to the 9 hours hotel which honestly felt so much longer parading our rolling suitcases down the sidewalks in the humid 90° weather you can check in as early as 2 p.m. down but since our train arrived earlier than expected they graciously allowed us to check our bags before then to check in you need your government ID or passport to use one of their automated kiosk on the ninth floor and then you’ll receive a personal key card like this one once inside you are free to explore the lounge complete with Greenery relaxing music desktops and seating free Wi-Fi and even a balcony with views of the city in the lobby opposite the lounge you’ll see two elevators one for women and one for [Music] men you will need your key card to enter the ladies elevator will only take you to pod floors 5 and six and the lockers and showers for women on floor 8 and the gentlemen’s will only take you to pod floors 3 and four and the lockers and showers for men on floor 7 my husband Josh made his way to the fourth floor where he discovered trash and recycling bins and a couple of private restrooms hello he then slid open an oversized industrial door and saw what we learned was the standard setup of two layers of capsules stacked on top of each other Josh said the concrete floors and the drab colors gave things a dystopian future feel like he was a about to be put to sleep on a spaceship leaving Earth in search of a new home planet I’m sure okay the design was pretty cool there were places to store your personal items but one of our only complaints was that the air vents inside didn’t work very well so the pot itself was actually kind of warm we were also surprised that the Pod didn’t have a door to close [Music] instead it had a window type shade to pull down for privacy it was perfect however for him to have a much needed moment alone that afternoon to take a nap stepping into the Pod Hall up on the fifth floor I was amazed at how early quiet it was my daughter and I had reserved one on the top and one on the bottom bottom she quickly claimed the upper pod and made herself comfortable we couldn’t resist sharing a Brady Bunch moment then she slowly drifted off to sleep just kidding it was only 3 in the afternoon so we let Josh sleep and we went back to shop at haata station which has 10 floors 12 if you count the basement and rooftop levels containing 230 shops places to eat and claw [Music] machines we sadly didn’t have time to visit them all but we sure had fun trying later that night the moment that I had been avoiding finally arrived I was nervous that it was going to feel small but there’s actually surprisingly plenty of room and the best feature of [Music] all was an amazingly comfortable crescent-shaped pillow which I am still trying to find to purchase online I plugged in my phone into the conveniently placed Outlet turned out the lights and actually slept great until let’s just say the pods aren’t soundproof and people who hit snooze before Sunrise don’t make any new friends meanwhile back in the silent Serenity of the fourth floor daylight peacefully shined in from the window at the end of the hall I wish I could have slept that late disappointed that he was in fact still on planet Earth Josh gathered his belongings and slipped off to the elevator he ventured up to the seventh floor which was filled with wall toall storage lockers each activated by a personal key [Music] card he said it was kind of strange how other guests avoided each other especially in the public bathroom areas hardly making eye contact even if you did see someone but their private shower suits helped minimize any awkwardness he really enjoyed wearing the complimentary slippers and trying on the jumpsuit like pajamas that were provided feeling very futuristic while still hinting at tradition we regrouped in the lounge dropped our slippers and PJs into the mark bins in the lobby and checked out well before the necessary 10:00 a.m. then we returned to Hakata station to find the bullet train to our next destination but that’s another story we hope you enjoyed traveling with us that you’ll take a minute to give this video a thumbs up and that you’ll go ahead and subscribe you won’t want to miss future trips where you can tag along for those of you who have already been to Fukuoka let us know your top things to do in the comment section below and for those of you who haven’t been yet let us know what most interested you in today’s video and see the links to the attraction websites in the description below for more information until next time this is Beth encouraging you to have an adventure all your own