We went to the sea and got on the boat in the Hakata Bay.

We watched one of the biggest festivals in Fukuoka city called Hakata Yamakasa. This is very powerful event which all generation can enjoy.

Here are some comments from our students;

“The festival was remarkable, I never saw anything like that before (the strength of the people + the speed in which they carried the yamakasa), the kids who took part in it were also amazing.”

“I enjoyed the Yamakasa festival.  It was really interesting to experience. i was surprised by the amount of people in attendance.”

We visited one of the traditional park in Fukuopka area and had an experience the Tea Ceremony in front of the beutiful garden.

One of our students gave us his impression;

“I enjoyed the trip to the park.  It was fun and interesting to see wedding pictures for a Japanese marriage.”  

Our students had a unique experience making Ramen & Gyoza (Dunplings) here in Fukuoka.

Here is a comment from one of them; “The ramen activity has been my favorite activity so far of my stay.  I really enjoyed cooking, therefore I had a lot of fun.  It was my first time making ramen from scratch and I would love to do it again.”

We went to a shop where Japanese traditional dolls are sold. You can have an experience to paint any kinds dolls.

This is a comment from our students; ”  The Hakata Doll painting was very fun.  It was a new experience for me and I enjoyed the whole thing.  I am looking forward to the next activity.”

We went to a town called Yame to have an experence for making some traditional paper products.

Here is a comment from our student; “We went to a Japanese paper making workshop, where we learned how to make paper and decorate it using dried plants, leaves and flowers. I made two post cards and four bookmarks, which are great for souvenirs and gifts. There was a small museum to explore. Afterwards, we were able to enjoy a delicious, seasonal, traditional Japanese lunch, and some green tea ice cream. Yum! It was a really fun day.”

We visited Hakata Station area. There are a lot of traditional sightseeing area in this town although this is very close to the capital city of Fukuoka.

Here are comments from our school;

“We participated in a walking tour around Fukuoka, specifically around the Hakata Station. It was my first time in Hakata, hence, I was really excited for the tour. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, telling us about the history of Fukuoka as she was leading us around. We went to various temples and shrines, and learnt the difference between shintoism and buddhism, temples and shrines.”

“Fukuoka walking tour was very interesting and enjoyable. We visited the most famous shrines and temples in Hakata City and learned a lot about the history of Hakata and Fukuoka. In Hakata Folk Museum we saw a textile weaving demonstration. We walked through Kawabata Shopping avenue. There you can find cheaper clothing items, shoes, bags and many more accessories. In the area there are hundreds of shops, cafes, and restaurants to choose from. It is literally 1 min walk to Hakata Canal City shopping mall. Canal City has a lot to offer and is a very lively place with so much to see and do. Transportation around the city is very convenient with frequent trains and buses. I had a lovely day exploring!”

We visited a place where you can make your own ramen and gyoza (dunplings). You begin with wheet to make outside of dumpling and noodle.

Here are the comments from our students; ” I eat ramen and gyoza all the time but I’ve never taken the time to make them from scratch. During the activity, I was able to experience how intricate the process to create the noodles were.  From now on when I eat ramen, I will have a deeper appreciation to the chef for the time they put into making the dish. “   “On Wednesday we went to a Ramen and Gyoza making workshop at a popular Ramen restaurant. The workshop went for around 3 hours, and in that time we made, cooked and then ate our own Ramen noodles and Gyoza dumplings. We learned how to knead and roll the Ramen dough, and then how to cut the dough into noodles using a pasta making machine. We also learned how to roll the Gyoza dough into thin circles, and then fold the dough to make the Gyoza dumpling shape. It was a little tricky at times, but we had lots of help and the end result was absolutely delicious. It was a really fun day.”

This is late information, but it is one of the Japanese customs in April. Hanai is an activity which Japanese people go out to watch cherry blossoms. They bloom only a couple of weeks. So Many Japanese people enjoy eating, drinking, singing, and talking under the tree.

Here is a comment from our student; “We went to the Fukuoka Castle Ruins at Maizuru Park, to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom. The flowers were simply stunning, as I knew they would be. We had a picnic and a chat under the Sakura, before heading for a pleasant stroll through the park under the cherry blossoms, and through the castle ruins. We climbed to what was said to be the highest point of Fukuoka Castle, which provided a magnificent view of the cherry blossoms, as well as a clear view of the surrounding Fukuoka city. We also saw many traditional Japanese weddings, and children playing traditional Japanese drums. It was amazing to experience such a traditional Japanese Hanami, and very culturally educational.”

He have some more photos and comments here,

“For not having done arts and crafts in several years it was refreshing painting clay Hakata Ningyo(dolls). Wednesday morning started with an early test which was then followed by a quick 10-minute train ride to Hakata Station. Once we arrived we took a short 10 minute walk through Hakata until we arrived at the shop. I was extremely impressed as we walked in as there were hundreds of extremely well crafted and beautifully painted dolls. We began by choosing our own Doll, with options ranging from little clay girls, to ninjas, to large kimono wearing dolls. It took around 5 minutes to decide what paint we should use. If you’re bad at colour coordination like myself do not worry they still look decent at the end ?. After a solid hour of painting we managed to learn several new colours and had our very own Hakata doll to take home. As for something I gained from this experience, it takes time and practice to become skilled.”