Despite being so close to Fukuoka City, I’ve rarely visited Kurume. But I should, because it’s famous for its tonkotsu ramen, yakitori, and rubber – yes, as in car tires. The Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd was established in Kurume in 1931 and became one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world. In 1935 they also began manufacturing golf balls – but that’s another story and unrelated to my walk through the city’s backstreets! I’ll walk along Ikemachi-gawa from Nishitetsu Station to Mutsumon, then onto Tera-machi, and maybe poke into Bunkagai. See how it goes!
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FAQ
Who are you?
Nick Szasz, a Canadian who has lived in Japan for about 35 years. Thirty-one years in Fukuoka, three in Tokyo and one in Osaka. I’m the founder and publisher of Fukuoka Now magazine, a monthly printed bilingual magazine about Fukuoka and Kyushu for international residents and visitors from overseas. Fukuoka Now magazine: https://issuu.com/fukuokanow and Fukuoka Now website https://www.fukuoka-now.com/ – I live in Itoshima – and post about that here: http://www.itoshima-now.com/
Why are you doing this?
I love Kyushu, walking, and cameras, so this seemed like a perfect combination and fun. I hope that even in this small way, I can show off and connect Kyushu to the world. Sit back, relax, and let me do the walking and talking.
Support appreciated!
Since January 1, 2021 I’ve posted 73 episodes. I’d like to continue but it takes time, so if you can afford to support this please visit my Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/kyushulive and help me to keep this going. Super chats and Super stickers appreciated too!
I reply to all the comments, so leave one and let me know what you like or don’t. Please “like” the videos, as that makes them appear elsewhere on YouTube and “ring” the bell to get notified of upcoming episodes.
Contact
Kyushu Live is a project by Nick Szasz and Fukuoka Now Ltd. Inquiries welcome at live@fukuoka-now.com
主宰者について
日本在住35年、カナダ出身のニック・サーズ。大阪、東京での生活を経て、福岡に居を構えて31年。国際人向け多言語メディア『Fukuoka Now』を1998年に創業し、現在に至る。
この企画の動機
20年以上にわたって印刷媒体を月刊誌として発行してきたが、ビデオも媒体の一つとして取り組みことにした。大好きな九州をカメラ片手に散策することは楽しそうだしね。福岡・九州はまだ、海外での認知度は低いけれど、規模は小さくても世界への発信ができればと考えてる。作り込んだビデオではないから、ゆっくりリラックスして楽しんで。
Kyushu Liveでの計画は？
そろそろ福岡市内を飛び出して九州一円に広げていきたいと思っている。PATREON（ファンがクリエイターを直接支援できるサービス）でも登録しているので応援してね！https://www.patreon.com/kyushulive
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現時点では、YouTubeでコメントしたり、チャットメッセージを送信できます。行き先などののリクエストやフィードバックは励みになるので、ぜひお願いします。まずは、このチャンネルを登録して、コメント残してくれるとすごく嬉しい！
連絡先
Kyushu Live（九州ライブ）は有限会社フクオカ・ナウ 代表のニック・サーズが行うメディアを使ったプロジェクトです。お仕事の話も大歓迎です。
メール宛先：live@fukuoka-now.com
3 Comments
How was that? I think we just scratched the surface and I'm looking forward to seeing more of this town. I'll add some time stamps (chapters) in a few days from now. But tomorrow, we go live again, and this time from Kuchinotsu, Minami-shimabara, Nagasaki Prefecture – from 11:00 am – see ya!
Thank you for touring Kurume. My Japanese home town Ogori was slightly north of Kurume. I spent a lot of time eating, shopping and socialising in Kurume. Yes Chickugo river is very important in the area for farming. And it takes 40/45 minutes into Tenjin. And before the pandemic Ichibangai would have been very lively and busy in the evening. 🤩
That camera on your iPhone is a marvel at night. Just unimaginable. And what a nice tour of Kurume. We have relatives there and they describe the living as very comfortable. Like you said, you would have had more difficulty filming if the streets had been full of revelers. So it worked out nicely. Looking forward to the next one. We've never been to that part of Nagasaki.