Fukuoka, Japan

I’m a few days late on blogging about my trip to Fukuoka, Japan, I know. But, I have a good excuse. When I got back from my trip, the backlight to my computer screen was dead. Therefore, I was without Internet access for a few days, at least until I bought a monitor for $15 from a friend.

I wanted to write about my experience, but sadly, the moment had passed. It was an agonizing two days, waiting on a monitor.

How was my trip? It was one of the most fascinating trips I’ve ever been on. Sure, I only spent two days in Japan, but you can get a lot done in two days. I got a visa to work in South Korea for the next year, explored some ruins, took a “swan boat” ride on a lake, went to the top of the Fukuoka Tower, sang karaoke with a live band, and met a beautiful Japanese woman that almost convinced me to simply stay in Japan.

See? That’s a lot.

What’s that you say about a beautiful Japanese woman? My lips are sealed shut on this one, except to say that after only one night, I’m pretty sure my next vacation spot will be in Fukuoka, Japan.

I loved Japan and almost didn’t want to leave—for reasons other than the woman I met. The city is beautiful. It is nestled in between mountains, trees, and beaches. The people actually seemed surprisingly friendly too. Even though I like where I’m at in South Korea, I haven’t experienced this type of welcoming from Koreans. The city is clean. And, you must watch out for bicyclists! I’ve never seen so many bicycles in my life.

The driving on the left side of the road, walking on the left side of the sidewalk, and riding on the left side of the escalator felt odd though. Everything was expensive too. Subway rides were way overpriced. I quickly learned to get the all-day pass.

I almost felt a little at home. Everything was so Westernized, yet the city seemed to hold onto its Eastern roots. It felt like a good mix of different cultures.

Speaking of different cultures, I saw way more white people than I’ve seen in a while too. I can also definitely notice the difference between Korean and Japanese people. Before I moved to this side of the world, I couldn’t tell one Asian person apart from the other, as far as their nationality was concerned. I noticed a much more “exotic” look to the Japanese. People dress much differently too. Women wear way more revealing clothing from what I noticed. That’s probably due in large part to the Westernization of the culture.

The only thing I regret about the trip was that it lasted less than two days. I just want to explore Japan even more. There’s so much more that I haven’t seen. I hope I get a chance to go back there at some point.

Note: I’ve added a flickr photostream to my sidebar for the time being. Until I can come up with a more permanent solution for allowing users to view photos, this will have to do.