Fukuoka – Japan

Our second stop was in Fukuoka – Japan. It’s the city where Jennifer & Shinji got married.

The trip between Tokyo and Fukuoka was an experience by itself. First, I saw my first Japanese style restroom. It’s a hole in the floor. (See the cell phone picture HERE). I haven’t seen that type of restroom since a trip in Turkey and I had no idea that it was common in Japan! I don’t need to say that I used the Western style that they had… lol!

Jennifer & Shinji picked us up at the airport and helped us check-in in our hotel. Shinji is Japanese and grew up close to Fukuoka. Once again it was really helpful to have a translator J

We spent the evening eating delicious noodle soups by the river in really small open shops. I am not sure how to describe them. It’s an outside kitchen with few benches in front. It was delicious! Jennifer’s family was there too and it was nice to get to know each other.

The next day we started with a visit of a temple dedicated to students. You should have seen how many of them where there praying for good results for their exams! We also saw a wedding and I couldn’t resist to take a picture, as I know the bride had the typical white dress (Jennifer had the kimono and a western style gown).

After visiting the temple we went to some Hot Springs. We had a delicious lunch with multiple plates. I can’t really describe because we had so many!! I forgot to mention that before the lunch we all change our clothes for a yukata (summer kimono). It was so comfortable that I decided to buy one for my house!  The lunch was in a big room with tatamis as floor. After lunch, we all went to the hot springs. As usual in Japan, there are lots of rituals to follow. You take your clothes off and put them in a wooden basket. You enter the bath entirely nude with only a very small towel. But first, you take a shower and wash your hair. You have a shower with a seat and a small recipient where you put the water. When you are clean you can go in the water. When you are done with the hot water, you take a new shower (better to take it cold because the bath was really hot!). When you are ready you can go back in the room where you eat and rest on the tatamis.

We spent the evening in a delicious restaurant with Jennifer extended family that arrived for the next day wedding.

I will write a post about their wedding in a few weeks when the pictures are ready!!!

As you can see below I took some pictures during our trips. I also took a lot of cellphones but I didn’t want to put them in the same post. You can see them HERE.

Photographs by Severine Photography, 100 North Laura Street, Suite 803, Jacksonville, FL, 32202