Where to start. It rained, then rained some more and it is still raining. The weather didn’t stop me though. I went on a tour to learn about two of the Shinto shrines here in Fukuoka.
The first shrine that we went to was Kushida Shrine followed by Sumiyoshi Shrine. I learned how to pray at the shrines and the different purposes and gods at the different shrines. In Shinto the belief is that ever thing has a god such rocks, trees, animals and so on. Kushida Shrine has a float that is on display and I was amazed when I saw the amount of detail on it, it weighs 1 ton. Sumiyoshi Shrine has a sumo statue and they say if you touch his hand you will gain strength. Both shrines were for more than one god.
After going to the shrines we went to a Japanese garden, Rakusuien. There was a cherry tree that was in bloom there, unfortunately due to the rain it was a bit difficult getting picture. We had the chance to feed the koi, but the ducks and pigeons wanted in on the action. One pigeon wanted food bad enough that he landed on my arm to take the food out of my hand. I guess there is a first time for everything. After the garden we had matcha and Japanese sweets in the teahouse on site.
I definitely recommend checking out the above locations if you get the chance to visit Fukuoka.
My evening wasn’t that exciting. There is a mall close by called Canal City. The only cool thing about it is the canal running through it and the water show. It isn’t the easiest mall to get around. It is located in four different buildings. After a quick walk-through and a couple of pictures I left. Give me West Edmonton Mall any day.
Tomorrow will be a full day, two more tours lined up. Looking forward to learning more about Fukuoka.
Adairmoon 