J+L in Transit

Arriving at Our Hotel – Sky Court Hakata

We arrived at our hotel in Fukuoka to find that our room had a rather spooky view.

Spooky View... Is it Drafty in Here?

Fukuoka Ramen

Fukuoka has a unique style of ramen: pork fat is boiled into the broth creating a milky appearance. One shop near our hotel stood out with some of the best ramen we’ve had in Japan. A huge beer, 2 bowls of ramen, and 2 noodle refills: $15.

Delicious Ramen

Kagoshima & Sakurajima Volcano

We took a day trip from Fukuoka to the southernmost tip of the Japanese island of Kyushu to visit Kagoshima and the Sakurajima Volcano. The ride on the shinkansen train took about an hour and a half. Kagoshima was a stronghold of the Satsuma Rebellion (loosely portrayed in The Last Samurai) and the birthplace of the rebellion’s leader, Saigo Takamori. After arriving in Kagoshima, it was a short ferry ride to Sakurajima Volcano. The area around the volcano had a public geothermal foot spa, beautiful walking trails, and an abnormal number of stray cats. The ground is covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash, spewed out over the years by the active volcano.

Ferry from Kagoshima to Sakurajima

Sakurajima Volcano

The Ground is Covered in a Thick Layer of Volcanic Ash

Sheltered Cove in Sakurajima