Dazaifu Tenmangu — The Shrine of the God of Learning
Eight million people visit this shrine every year. Most of them are students. They come with the same desperate hope […]
Kitakyushu — The City the Shinkansen Skips
Most people skip Kitakyushu. They fly into Fukuoka, take the Shinkansen through Kokura Station without stopping, and continue to Hiroshima
Dejima — Japan’s Window to the West for 200 Years
For 200 years, this was the only window between Japan and the Western world. A fan-shaped artificial island about the
Kokura Gion Daiko — The Drum Festival That Shakes Kitakyushu
I heard it before I saw it. A deep, rolling thunder coming from somewhere behind the covered shopping arcades of
Nagahama Ramen — The Original Fukuoka Ramen and Where to Eat It
The bowl arrived in under two minutes. I had barely sat down and the woman behind the counter was already
Karatsu Kunchi — Giant Floats, Beach Pulls, and 400 Years of Festival Chaos
The dragon was 5 metres tall and it was coming straight at me. Fifty men in white happi coats were
Kitsuki Castle and the Sandwich Town — Japan’s Smallest Castle and Best-Preserved Samurai District
Most people who visit Beppu never make it to Kitsuki. It is only 25 kilometres up the coast, but the
Unzen Jigoku — Walking Through Hell in Nagasaki
The ground was warm under my feet. Not metaphorically — actually warm. I was standing on a boardwalk at Unzen
Kyokusui-no-en at Dazaifu Tenmangu — A Thousand-Year-Old Poetry Ceremony in Kyushu
I had no idea what was happening. Thirteen people in silk robes were sitting on red felt mats beside a
Noh Theatre in Kyushu — An Ancient Art Form You Can Still See Today
The first time I watched a Noh performance, I did not understand a single word. The language was archaic Japanese,