Nishitetsu Inn Fukuoka

My first impression of Fukuoka was neon. Though my body knew it was the middle of the night it was used to, I was able to get yen from an ATM, buy a subway ticket, and get to the 100 year old inn where I had reservations. Enjoyed the hot communal (gender separated) bath, but not as much the ********** and buckwheat pillow.
Fukuoka, Kyushu-Okinawa, Japan travlingal

Here we go again, off to lands unknown (to us, anyway) with our lives stuffed into luggage. The last time we do this will not be too soon! I suppose it's the price of an adventurous lifestyle.

Speaking of which, we are currently in Nogata, Fukuoka which is probably the *least* adventurous town ever. It consists of rice fields and... rice fields. My grandparents live here though, and it's also where we ...

... environments for advanced robotic technology.
3) Refining the growth of robotics related industries.
"

It also aims to:

- "exhibit the latest robotics and AI technology to the public and contribute to the future researchers and ventures in this field"
- "keep a focused eye on market developments of the robotics-industry, offering support where possible to new venture companies"
- "cultivate the ground work for the robotics industry in Fukuoka City by ...

... has one of the more posh unit bathrooms--a ceramic tile interior, separate faucets for sink and tub/shower (instead of the usual faucet that swings), and a relatively low step into the room. By the way, adjacent to the train station, there is a bus station which has got to be the narrowest bus station in any major city, and there is a supersize Daiso 100-yen store above the bus station.

*Apologies to Lipps, Inc.

KARATSU

There is next to nothing in Saga, but it's a convenient rail connection to the pottery towns I want to visit. There is also a recently-built Comfort Hotel right next to the train station, and the rooms are very pleasant and an excellent value. I took the train from Saga to Karatsu and back this afternoon. Karatsu is an old town with a long tradition of making rough, non-symmetrical pottery, some of which looks like it was burned ...

... and experience was worth it!

The next day we boarded the Beetle - a high speed Jet Foil Boat which lifts out of the water and skims on ski-like foils. It took less than 3 hours to do 120 miles across the sea to South Korea which is pretty quick. It felt like you were on a place or a train but was even smoother, so no sea sickness, even after having an early morning beer - well, it was free!!

... anyway, which was welcome. Canal city is referred to by the marketing hype spat out by the Fukuoka officials as a "City within a city". I'd say that is being generous, at best. At most it is a nice multi level shopping centre, with an interesting fountain display. Other than that there is not much about canal city to report. One thing worth mentioning though is they had the ...

... es que, a pesar de no entendernos, la gente es realmente encantadora e hiper educada. Las dos o tres veces que hemos preguntado por alguna dirección, nos soltaban una parrafada en japonés, a lo que nosotros contestábamos en inglés, e incluso en español (total, ya puestos, qué más daba), y, dejándonos flipados, ¡nos llevaban hasta la puerta del sitio al que queríamos ir! Por no hablar de la manera de saludar aquí. Es muy gracioso ver cuando se saludan o se despiden ...

... to know if there was an earlier bus to kagocity. futile efforts. my life as teh ubiquitous asian. upon arriving in japan, the customs agent asks me if i speak japanese. i said no and he tells me i look japanese. within a transit of a few hours i'm in a new world with the same identity crisis. i'm thinking of home. in canada.

... The full roof of the store, probably about 150 meter in length was asphalted and covered two lanes, where buses were flying across at a good speed, before coming to a stop at the doors, where hundreds of people would have an opportunity to enter into dozens of different buses. But now comes the big question. How did the Japanese solve the problem of getting the bus down to the street level 20 metres below. Well, probably Harry ...