Weekend in Fukuoka | Pro Baseball & Cherry Blossoms + Live Squid! 🇯🇵🌸⚾️🦑
[Music] [Music] [Music] Beautiful summer season. So, it is soccer season and this time we’re headed to Fukoka to see them. Actually, the reason that we are going to Fukoka is to see a baseball game and to hang out with our friends. It’s about a 4hour drive, so we just took our time enjoying it along the way. And for those who don’t know, I actually lived in Fukuoka for a year. I went to a language school there and met a bunch of friends there. And we used to always go to the baseball games. We would get free tickets with the school or they would sell them for cheap. Sometimes we’d just buy them. Um but this time is actually a 20th anniversary type game. So with the ticket, we get a free jersey uniform. And so we’re like, “Oh, this is a good time to come.” So that’s what we’re [Music] doing. So to get to the stadium, it’s actually quite a trip. We parked at our hotel and then we took uh the subway and the subway gets you to a certain point and then you still have to walk about 15 minutes to get to the dome. So, it’s quite a trick. Uh there actually buses that will take you right up to there, but just from where we were, it was easier to take the subway and then walk. Plus, you know, we all need exercise, so we should take the steps. The stadium’s pretty cool, too. They have a bunch of shops outside. You can buy the merchandise and stuff like that. A little bit of food. Uh, but most of the food is inside. So, just go through and you can pick between tons of different kinds of food. Grab what you want and then head to your seat and then enjoy. You can use paper. Heat. Hey, Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah. [Applause] [Music] All right. So, that was a Japanese baseball game. What did you think? They are a lot of fun. The crowd is fun. The food’s good. You know, like I said, they’re girls walking around with beer, draft beer. So, that’s awesome. And so this is what it’s like when you leave the game. It is packed full of people. Even though this was a 20th anniversary game, I still don’t think there was as many people as I’ve seen before. I’ve been here when it’s like crazy packed and you can’t move so many people. And as you can see here, everyone’s getting smashed into this train. What he’s saying? And this is the jersey I was talking about that we got with our ticket. Pretty cool. [Music] So this is Hakata station and it is always packed like this especially on holidays where everyone’s traveling. The bullet train leaves from here. So, there’s just people everywhere all the time. And you basically can’t walk in a straight line. You have to always be moving, always be on your toes. People don’t pay attention. And you have to like dip dive dodge around everybody, you know? It’s basically a nightmare. [Music] So, now it’s dinner time with our friends. And we went to this fish restaurant. And as you can see, there’s this squid and it’s still moving. A lot of people think it’s alive. It’s actually not alive. It’s just a reaction. And you don’t even eat that part anyway. You eat the part that’s on its back. So, it’s really not that bad. It’s just for show. But I think uh we can only eat this part. Yeah. This is the first time I’ve ever been here to this restaurant. And the fish here was amazing. I like fish, but I’m not a big fish guy. Like I’m okay. It’s not my first choice. But everything here was so good, so fresh. I highly recommend if you’re coming to Fukoka. It’s in Hakata area, so it’s pretty easy. I think we just walked from the station, maybe like 10 minutes. Yeah, not bad at [Music] all. And then this fish right here, you can actually eat it as is like this or you can eat it in this hot pot. And so once you get the hot pot going, you cook each fish piece individually. You just take your chopsticks. You’ll see in a second. They also had all you can drink for 2 hours. And I just kept getting this Chinese wine. I forget what it’s called, but it was super good. I don’t even know how many I had. I kept getting it. It’s just so good. Got about eight seconds. 10 seconds. Okay. 10 seconds. 10 seconds. If not, he’s going to lose him. I don’t know. How about now? Nice. Nice. So, I guess this is the expert way of doing it. And you only cook it for 10 seconds. And you do these little sweeping motions so you don’t overcook it. I guess I don’t know. But it’s still fun. [Music] I love a good hot pot. I mean, what is there to not like about it? You got a nice broth, you got vegetables, meat, whatever. Throw some noodles in it. It’s perfect. Especially if it’s a little cold outside. Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. And now finally, the cherry blossoms. We drove to this park before going to a baseball game. And we actually drove around trying to find a spot, waiting in line. There was actual lines of cars trying to get a spot to park. It was crazy. [Music] And if you didn’t know, the cherry blossom season is really popular in Japan. It’s really short, so it’s like two weekends almost and it’s gone. And so any park that has cherry blossoms is packed. You’ll see it’s like a big tourist attraction. So it’s best to not drive somewhere if you don’t have to. [Music] And this is what it’s like when someone is trying to have a photo shoot in the middle of the stairs. They blocking everybody trying to figure out a way to go around. I don’t know. They’re living in their own world. But hey, to each their own, right? It is fun though. Uh they have what’s called ohanami and it’s basically a cherry blossom viewing party and you go with your friends. You bring like a blanket or something to sit on kind of like a picnic. You have some food and drinks and you just hang out talking looking at the cherry blossoms. It’s a lot of fun. [Music] Oh, the tree. [Applause] [Music] [Music] That’s all [Applause] Do you want some? Yeah. [Music] It is [Music] [Music] Maybe we should go up to the end like the sea. There was actually a festival going on on the other side of the park. We didn’t have time to go see it because we had to make it to the baseball game, but I heard it was really cool. [Music] [Music] Don’t be awesome. So, that is this year’s cherry blossom viewing. It was a lot of fun. Wish we had a little more time, but it was still good. And even though there’s a ton of people, it’s actually a pretty relaxing environment, so it’s cool. [Music]
It’s sakura season in Japan, and we’re heading to Fukuoka for an unforgettable weekend packed with cherry blossoms, a Japanese baseball game, and fresh seafood with friends. 🇯🇵
We take you along the road trip from home to Fukuoka, revisit some memories from when I used to live there, and show what it’s like getting to the famous PayPay Dome for a special 20th anniversary game (yes, we got free jerseys!). We also dive into an epic dinner with dancing squid, hot pot, and nomihoudai (all-you-can-drink!). And of course, we couldn’t leave without seeing the iconic cherry blossoms—and dealing with the chaos that comes with it.
🍺 Baseball vibes
🦑 Squid that looks alive
🚇 Crowded trains
🌸 Hanami season
🍲 Food that surprised me
If you’re curious about what spring in Japan is really like, or what it’s like going to a baseball game here, this one’s for you.
📍Places featured:
PayPay Dome (Fukuoka Dome)
Hakata Station
Local fish restaurant near Hakata
Cherry blossom park (hanami)
👇 Drop a comment if you’ve ever been to a Japanese baseball game or want to! Don’t forget to like and subscribe for more life in Japan 🇯🇵✨
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