Seven floats, each carried on the shoulders of 26 men, compete over a 5km (3 miles) course. The spectators cheer them on and (this is the point) sprinkle refreshing water over them, a tradition that is said to have originated in the plague year of 1241, when the founder of Joten Temple saved the city by sprinkling sweet water everywhere. The racing floats (Kaki Yamagasa) are a male preserve, while the women have even more ornate fixed floats called Kazari Yamagasa. These feature the famous Hakata dolls and are on show throughout the festival. The Kaki Yamagasa are paraded for the last five days of the festival and raced in the climactic Oiyama contest on the final day

Date: 01 Jul 2007 - 15 Jul 2007

Date: June 10, 2007| Comment (0) | Trackback (0)

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No1 icon Nishitetsu Yakuin Station No2 icon Nishitetsu Yanagawa Station Nishitetsu Yakuin - Nishitetsu Yanagawa -- about 45 minutes 830 yen. It doesn't have to be Yakuin staion, The train departs from Nishitetsu Tenjin Station. If you go to Yanagawa from Tachiarai, go back to Ogori station, then you can take Nishitetsu line. Then cost is 500 yen. Get a local train to Kurume first, then take a express from kurume to Yanagawa. It is just 2 stops from Kurume station by express train.
Yanagawa is really beautiful and quiet place. When you get off the train station, the canal boat cruise staff can give you a ride to stating place. You might want to see around the town before canal crusing, but there are just souvenir shops on the way to the statring point. So you can walk back to the station after boat cruise.
The boat cruise costs you 1500 yen per person for 50-70 minutes. They have a few english cruise which is just explore with cassette tape player. They usually cruise with 4-5 people on 1 boat. So you might need to wait for other people. Yanagawa is famous about bbq eel which is called unajuu. You should try it, if you like eel. More photos by google picasa

Date: June 2, 2007| Comment (0) | Trackback (0)

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No1 icon JR Hakata Station No2 icon JR Kiyama Station No3 icon Amagi Tetsudou Tachiarai Station JR Hakata Station - JR Kiyama station -- Rapid bound for Tosu, 28 mins 450yen JR Kiyama Station - Amagi Tetsudou Tachiarai Station -- 21 mins 330 yen
From Lonely planet wrote; Even the locals don't know about Tachiarai Heiwa Kinenkan, a tiny memorial museum established by ex-aviators and residents ofTachiarai, a small village set in farmland 40 minutes from Fukuoka. yeah, lonelyplanet maybe right. The locals don't know this little place
The amagi tetsudo is not JR, so you need to pay the fee when you get off the train, because the little train operated by 1 guy. You need to pick a ticket when you get on, the number is on the ticket, so you can figure out how much you need to pay. But From kiyama to Tachiarai is 330 yen anyway(June, 2007).
This little museum has an aircraft. The cost is 500 yen. You can also get there by Nishitetsu line from Tenjin or Yakuin station. But JR is cheaper, if you have JR pass.
	There is also KIRIN BEER FARM, it takes about 20 minutes walk from the museum. But it is nice walk before the lunch. They have a brewery tour (except monday and new year's days), need to make a reservation in advance.(0946（23）2132). So, After lunch, what are you going to do? Going to Yanagawa? or Going to Dazaifu? Both place are on the Nishitetsu line. So you need to back to Ogori station by Amagi tetsudou. Which is about 16 minutes for 280yen. More photos by google picasa

Date: June 2, 2007| Comment (0) | Trackback (0)