That is the most magnificent view anyone could ask for on a Friday morning. :) This is the Saga International Balloon Fiesta 2007.

Saga (佐賀市, Saga-shi?) is the capital of Saga Prefecture, located on the island of Kyūshū, Japan.

Every fall Saga holds the “Saga International Balloon Fiesta” in the dry riverbed of the Kase River. A quarter of the visitors are from Saga. The number of all visitors was about 15 million in 2005. Balloonists from many countries enter this event.

On October 1, 2005, the city merged with the towns of Morodomi, Yamato and Fuji (all from Saga District) and the village of Mitsuse from Kanzaki District to form the new city of Saga. With this creation, the city became neighbors with the city of Fukuoka in Fukuoka Prefecture. On October 1, 2007 the towns of Higashiyoka, Kawasoe, and Kubota were incorporated into Saga, further expanding its borders. Although it is the capital of Saga Prefecture, it can be said to be within the Fukuoka metropolitan

Some interesting points to note while visiting the city would be the Saga Castle. A rare ancient architecture where the castle was built on plains instead of a hilltop and is surrounded by walls instead.

Also, the Saga International Balloon festival is an internationally garnered event where balloonist from all over the world gathered to showcase various caricatures and creative hot air floaters to grace the sky. It is one of the most interesting events in the world. It is usually held between Oct 30 to Nov 5 every year.

Saga City’s website (Japanese)

Komyozenji Temple is a Japanese zen temple that is famous for it’s Japanese stone garden. In fact, this is the birth place for Japanese stone gardens around the world. The swirling design on the sand stone paths have been the inspiration for many interior designers. This temple was build during the time of the Kamakura period.

How to get there?

From Tenjin Station in central Fukuoka (also known as Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station), take a Nishitetsu limited express to Futsukaichi Station (12 minutes) and transfer to the Dazaifu Line to Dazaifu Station (5 minutes). Limited express trains leave Tenjin Station every 30 minutes. The one way trip costs 390 Yen.

Komyozenji is just a few steps from the entrance of Dazaifu Tenmangu, a 5 minute walk from Dazaifu Station.

Japan-Guide.

Shinchi Chinatown in Nagasaki is the oldest Chinatown in the world. It started during the 17th century when it was the only port open to China during the era of isolation. Needless to say, this part of Nagasaki feels like China. Everything is in Chinese and not a hint of Japanese can be traced here, which makes it really cool. Like a world within another world.

You can find lots of Asian ingredients in Chinatown. Like all Chinatowns in the world, everything stocked are not only from china but from various other asian countries as well. This is why, going to Shinchi Chinatown would be a great experience for those of you who wants to experience true Chinese culture without forking out a fortune to go to China.

Nagasaki Chinatown

How to get there?

Nagasaki’s Chinatown is a short walk from the “Tsukimachi” tram stop on the tram lines number 1 and 5. Check out the map at Japan-Guide.

Kagoshima (鹿児島市, Kagoshima-shi?) is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the southwest tip of the Kyūshū island of Japan, and the largest city in the prefrecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the ‘Naples of Eastern world’, for its bay location (Aira Caldera), hot climate and impressive stratovolcano, Sakurajima.

The nickname Naples was used because the scenery and climate in Kagoshima is similar to Naples in Italy. There is also another reason why Kagoshima is liked to Naples, the fact that its inhabitants are as relatively hot tempered as the Italians. LOL. Actually, Italians are not hot tempered people, they’re just very passionate. So i think I might like Kagoshima as I LOVE passionate people…people who will tell you if they think you’re full of sh*t. Yes, I like that.

Kagoshima is approximately 40 minutes from Kagoshima Airport, and the city features large shopping districts and malls, is served by trams, and has many restaurants featuring Satsuma regional cuisine: kibi (a kind of tiny fish), tonkatsu (caramelised pork, as opposed to the breaded version encountered elsewhere in Japan), smoked eel, and karukan (sweet cakes made from steamed sweet potatoes and rice flour). A large, modern aquarium has been installed on the old docks overlooking the volcano. The Senganen (Isoteien) Japanese garden is just outside the city.

The St. Xavier church is a reminder of the first Christian who came to Japan.

One of the best places to see the city (and the active volcano across the bay),Sakurajima, is from the ferris wheel on top of ‘Amu Plaza’ - the new shopping centre attached to Kagoshima Central Train Station. The wheel has two completely transparent gondola which give a 360 degree view from 91m above the ground.

After the mercury poisoning disaster in Minamata, Kumamoto between 50’s and 60’s, the region has cleaned up it’s region and building it into an environmentally friendly region. The mercury poisoning devastation costs so many lives and those who were poisoned suffered from horrible effects, which coined the term the Minamata Disease.

Today however, Minamata accepts its negative past and is currently working on providing a model town for the world by being the most environmentally friendly one. The city is home to 30,000 people, small in comparison to other cities in Japan but that’s because after the mercury disaster people are generally afraid to live there for the fear of succumbing to the Minamata Disease. Baseless fear because the city has cleaned itself up.

Anyway, a choice visit to the place is the Minamata Museum which documents the times and history of the Minamata Disease since the mercury poisoning. You should also visit the Eco city, to see the Eco friendly city, Minamata is building. You can also visit their onsen at Yunotsuru and Yunoko. Picturesque and a minimalist modern city. Something different from the shrouded, bustling city you get in Tokyo, Kyoto and the likes.

I don’t think that hot spring is good for baths.

Mount Aso (阿蘇山, Aso-san?) is the largest active volcano in Japan, and is among the largest in the world. It stands in Kumamoto Prefecture, on the island of Kyūshū. Its peak is 1592 m above sea level. Its caldera is 25 km across north to south and 18 km across east to west. The caldera has a circumference of around 120 km (75 miles), although sources vary on the exact distance.

The central cone group of Aso consists of five peaks: Mt. Neko, Mt. Taka, Mt. Naka, Mt. Eboshi, and Mt. Kishima. The highest point is the 1592 m of Mt. Taka. The crater of Mt. Naka, the west side of which is accessible by road, contains an active volcano which continuously emits smoke and has occasional eruptions.

The present Aso caldera formed as a result of four huge caldera eruptions occurring over a range of 90,000–300,000 years ago. The caldera, one of the largest in the world, contains the city of Aso as well as Aso Takamori-cho and South Aso-mura. The somma enclosing the caldera extends about 18 km east to west and about 25 km north to south. Viewpoints from the somma overlooking the caldera are perched upon lava formed before the volcanic activity which created the present caldera.

Ejecta from the huge caldera eruption 90,000 years ago covers more than 600 km³ and roughly equals the volume of Mt. Fuji; it is presumed that the pyroclastic flow plateau covered half of Kyūshū.

If you want to see a REAL volcano that is still active and may erupt at any day, this is the place to go. A little excitement and false adrenalin that your life is in danger from a near erupting volcano can be quite fun :)

Kumamoto (熊本市, Kumamoto-shi?) is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū, Japan. Kato Kiyomasa, a powerful feudal lord at the time, was made daimyo of half of the (old) administrative region of Higo in 1588. After that, Kiyomasa built Kumamoto Castle. Due to its many innovative defensive designs, Kumamoto Castle was considered impregnable, and Kiyomasa enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest castle-builders in Japanese history. After Kiyomasa died in 1611, his son, Tadahiro, succeeded him, but Tadahiro was removed by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1633, replacing him with the Hosokawa clan. Former Prime Minister of Japan Hosokawa Morihiro is a direct descendant of the Hosokawa clan of Kumamoto. Another famous politician, former president of Peru Alberto Fujimori, also has roots in Kumamoto; Fujimori’s ancestors emigrated from Kumamoto early in the 20th century.

The city’s most famous landmark is Kumamoto Castle, a large and, in its day, extremely well-fortified Japanese castle. The donjon (castle central keep) is a concrete reconstruction built in the 1970s, but several ancillary wooden buildings remain of the original castle, which was assaulted during the Satsuma Rebellion and sacked and burned after a 53-day siege. It was during this time that the tradition of eating basashi (raw horse meat) originated. Basashi remains popular in Kumamoto and, to a lesser extent, elsewhere in Japan, though these days it is usually considered a delicacy.

Within the outer walls of Kumamoto Castle is the Hosokawa Gyobu-tei, the former residence of the Higo daimyo. This traditional wooden mansion has a fine Japanese garden located on its grounds.

Miyamoto Musashi lived the last part of his life in Kumamoto.

Kumamoto is also home to Suizenji-Jōjuen, a formal garden neighboring Suizenji Temple approximately 3 kilometers southeast of Kumamoto Castle. Suizenji Park is considered to be one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan, together with Kenroku-en in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, and the gardens Kairaku-en and Koraku-en.

How to get there?
Check out this page.

Nagasaki (Japanese: 長崎市, Nagasaki-shi) is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan. It was formerly part of Nishisonogi District. Nagasaki was a center of European influence in feudal Japan from first contact through the isolationist era until the opening of Japan and the resultant modernization of Japan during the Meiji Restoration. It became a major Imperial Japanese Navy base during the First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War.

Also, the city became the second and last city in the world to be bombed by a nuclear weapon (plutonium bomb), following Hiroshima.

There are many interesting travel spots around Nagasaki and among them are the Nagasaki Peace Park that commemorates the loss of lives due to the horrible times when the A bomb dropped. There is another Peace Park of the likes in Hiroshima as well. It is our duty as human beings to visit these parks because today, more than ever, we need to know how devastating war is and remember so that history shall not repeat itself again.

ANother place of visit would be Sofukuji, an Obaku Zen temple with a Chinese appearance. The temple is really a beautiful sight to behold that and is a school to Japanese Zen Buddhism.

Other places of interests are:

Confucian Shrine, Chinatown, Meganebashi, Glover Garden, Oura Church, Dutch Slope.

Fukuoka is in the Top 10 largest city in Japan and the largest city in Kyushu. This city is bustling with people and one of its major attraction is the food stalls or Yatai. The open stalls in Fukuoka is possibly the city’s best known symbol! There are over 150 yatai across the city, with the highest concentration in the centrally located Nakagawa and Tenjin districts. Fukuoka is also known for many other touristy attractions such as:-

Canal City Hakata: A large shopping and entertainment complex.
Shofukuji Temple: Japan’s first Zen temple.
Ohori Park: Public park with pond.
Fukuoka Castle Ruins: Ruins of the city’s former castle.
Momochi Seaside Park: Futuristic district along the waterfront.
Dazaifu: Historic town 30 minutes outside of Fukuoka.

But we’re gonna focus on the street food in Fukuoka - th Yatai’s!

Typical fares you can expect from these street food vendors are yakitoris, hot pot(oden), and the famous Hakata Ramen, a local noodle dish featuring relatively thin ramen noodles in a pork bone based soup (tonkotsu).

Various types of alcoholic drinks can also be found at the yatai. You know, what this means? It means a whole bunch of tipsy people are co-mingling in the same area. It’s definitely a great place to know more Japanese people cos everyone’s so uninhibited from the alcohol!

The Yatai is open from 6pm to 2am, 6 days a week - the off days varies from stall to stall but it’s usually sunday that’s their off day.

Source: Japan-Guide