October 2014

Inochino Tabi Hakubutsukan (Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History)　#2

I have always wanted to visit Inochino Tabi Hakubutsukan and finally made the trip recently. I left JR Hakata Station at about noon assuming that the visit would take an hour or so, but the museum was much larger than I had expected and there were a number of fascinating exhibits I wanted to see. In addition to fossil exhibits, the museum had displays of Fukuoka history and nature. It had so many interesting things to do that I ended up staying for 3 hours. This museum also allows you to “touch and feel” items, bringing the cultural history to life for visitors. You can touch fossils, watch movies, and enjoy various attractions based on the history of dinosaurs. It is easy to get to the museum from Ogori City and it is close to Space World and Aeon Mall, a large shopping center. I recommend it as a fun spot to go with family and friends.


Hours:
9:00 to 17:00 (You must enter by 16:30)

Admissions:
Adult 500 yen, Students (high school and above) 300 yen, Younger students 200 yen, Preschool and younger children enter for free.

Access:
From JR Hakata, it takes about an hour, get off at the Space World Station. The museum is a five-minute walk from the Space World Station.


Motsu Nabe (Beef or Pork Offal Cooked in Stock)

It is starting to get cold in Fukuoka, particularly in the early morning and evening. Cold weather, however, is not all bad, as it means hot pot cooking! Fukuoka is famous for a variety of delicacies, but Motsu Nabe (beef or pork offal cooked in stock) is particularly notable. Some assume this dish is smelly or too chewy because it has beef or pork offal, but in reality the dish is entirely innocuous. The meats are very tender and melt in your mouth. Full of collagen, Motsu Nabe is very good for the skin.



Inochino Tabi Hakubutsukan (Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History)　#1

I recently visited Inochino Tabi Kakubutsukan. The exhibitions of dinosaur models and stuffed animals are so real that they look as if they are about to start moving. To think these animals lived on our earth hundreds of million of years ago, I cannot help feeling excited. This museum also has an exhibition area designed to recreate a scene from a dinosaur bone. According to a serious contingency of repeat visitors (visits bi-monthly), the museum changes the content and display of exhibitions on a regular basis, allowing for increased variety and originality.



Cosmos

This is the season to enjoy cosmos. Let me introduce you to two spots conveniently located from Ogori Station.

(1) Cosmos Park Kitano
Kitano is a small park located adjacent to a river. It has a grass field and is equipped with playground equipment. You can also relax in the shade by the trees. Every October, the park plays host to a Cosmos Festival with events ranging from Japanese Taiko drums concerts to a cosmos wedding. The northern part of the park along the river levee has a four-km path where you can enjoy about 500,000 cosmos shrubs.

Access: About a ten-minute walk from Nishitetsu Railways Amagi Line, Kitano Station

(2) Kirin Beer, Fukuoka Plant, Kirin Gardens
This garden is right in front of the Kirin Beer, Fukuoka plant. In October, more than ten million red, white and pink cosmos bloom and the plant hosts events accordingly. The garden also has “Restaurant Kirin Beer Farm” where you can taste different types of beer such as the Genghis Khan. You can even take a tour of the Kirin Beer Fukuoka Plant where beer tasting is available.

Access:
About 15 minute walk from Tachiarai Station on Amagi Line

Hours:
9:30 to 15:00 (Closes at 15:00. You must enter at least 70 minutes before the closing hour since the tour takes 70 minutes.)

Admissions:
Free

Holiday:
Every Monday. If Monday is a holiday, Tuesday will be closed as well.