Fukuoka and Nakasaki Memorial Day Omiyage Weekender Tour 2021 Shop, Sightsee, Eat, Fun- A perfect way to spend the Memorial Day holiday weekend! May 25th-31st, 2021 5nts/7days from: $1949 double/triple $2149 single Cancel for any reason up to 60 days prior-FULL REFUND! Maximum Tour size is 24 tour members!
Welcome to Fukuoka, on the northern tip of Kyushu Island, it is western Japan’s most happening city and gateway to the country. Set amid splendid natural diversity – bordered by mountains, flanked by sea, and dotted with hot springs – the metropolis is an exciting hub of modern city life. Rich with tradition and modern cultural attraction, contemporary art, architecture, shopping, and cuisine complement centuries’-old temples and shrines.
And then there is Nagasaki, forever marked as a distinct destination, Today, it is vibrant and full of diverse charm, offering a modern energy that embraces the past while looking toward the future.
On this Omiyage Weekender, there is so much more, the legendary pottery center, Okawauchiyama Village, Kokura Castle, an opportunity to get up and close with kangaroos and wallabies at Green Park, 2 hands-on experiences, and Mifuneyama Raken, an Edo Period garden with more than 500 Buddha statues.
Itinerary/Details
Day 1 – May 25th, Tuesday – Depart from Honolulu
Hawaiian Airlines #827 Departs Honolulu 1:25 pm – Arrive Fukuoka 6:40 pm +1
Please meet your Panda Travel representative at the Hawaiian Airlines international check-in counters, located in Terminal 2, Lobby 4, a minimum of 3 hours prior to the flight departure time.
Day 2 – May 26th, Wednesday – Fukuoka-Hakata
After clearing customs, we will be met by our local guide and then the short bus ride to our hotel for our three-night stay, Hotel Clio Court Hakata, adjacent to the JR Hakata Station.
Location, hard to find a more convenient spot, just steps from so many dining and shopping options. After checking in, the remainder of the evening is free.
Welcome to Fukuoka, Kyushu’s largest city and Japan’s sixth largest. It is made up of two former towns, the Fukuoka castle town on the west bank of the Naka-gawa and Hakata on the east. The two towns merged in 1889 as Fukuoka, though the name Hakata is still widely in use. As an example, it is Fukuoka Airport but Hakata Station.
Whatever you call it; this youthful, user-friendly metropolis has a cosmopolitan charm, peppered with the flavors of its Asian neighbors. Hakata traces its trading history back some 2000 years, which continues today with visitors from Seoul and Shanghai. Among Japanese, the city is famed for its 'Hakata bijin' (beautiful women), SoftBank Hawks’ baseball team and hearty Hakata ramen.
If Fukuoka does not burst with sights like Tokyo or Kyoto, its friendly atmosphere, warm weather, and contemporary attractions – art, architecture, shopping, and cuisine – make up for it
Hotel Clio Court Hakata Hakata JR Station
Accommodations: Hotel Clio Court Hakata free
Day 3 – May 27th, Thursday – Hakata (B)
After breakfast at our hotel, please meet up with your guide by 9:15am as we venture out on a full day of touring.
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Fukuoka, where more than 2 million people visit during the first three days of New Year. In this shrine, Sugawara-no Michizane, an excellent poet, particularly in Chinese poetry in the late 9th century, is enshrined as the god of academic achievements. During the entrance exam season, young people from all parts of Japan preparing for these examinations and their parents come to the shrine to pray for success and academic achievement.
Michizane died in Dazaifu in 903, just a few years after being sent into exile. Shortly after his death the country was ravaged by natural disasters, and people came to believe that the calamities were caused by the wrathful spirit of Michizane, still angered by his unjust treatment. Offerings were made to the spirit of Michizane and the tradition of Tenmangu Shrines was begun. The Tenmangu Shrine in Dazaifu was built on the site of his grave.
The entire length of the approach is lined with shops that cater to the shrine's visitors. The shrine is rather large, stretching about 250 meters from one end to the other. After passing through the torii gate at the entrance, visitors will come across a pond that was built in the shape of the Japanese character for "heart". A path leads across two arched bridges and islands which represent the past, present and future.
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine and approached lined with shops on both sides
From here we are off to Canal City Shopping Complex for free time to enjoy lunch on own and have a bit of shopping time. With 250 stores, restaurants, movie theatres, it is among the largest and most elaborate shopping malls in Japan.
While Fukuoka ramen can be sampled at hundreds of vendors throughout the city, the best place to experience this local specialty is here at Canal City’s Ramen Stadium. It is an entire floor loaded with ramen kitchens selling regional variations, including the local favorite, Hakata Ramen.
Canal City Mall Ramen Stadium at Canal City
Now, off to enjoy a hands-on doll-coloring experience at the Hakata Doll Hall Shogetsudo, with over 600 items on display, ranging from works by young artists to master craftsmen. Hakata Doll is one of most beautiful and famous arts and crafts in Japan, well-known throughout the world. If you are looking for a unique souvenir from Fukuoka, look no further than the daintiness of a Hakata Doll. Nothing can beat the beauty and fine tenderness formed from techniques that have been handed down for over 500 years.
Dolls for sale at the shop hands-on doll coloring experience
From here, back to our hotel, arrival by 4:15pm and the remainder of the afternoon and evening is free.
Accommodations: Hotel Clio Court Hakata free
Day 4 – May 28th, Friday – Hakata-Kokura-Hakata (B)
After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:15am as we are off on a full day of touring.
Our morning begins with a visit to After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:15am as we are off to visit Kokura, an ancient castle town and perhaps the luckiest Japanese city during WWII. Clouds and poor visibility on the morning of August 9th, 1945 saved the city from the atomic bomb, only to strike nearby Nagasaki.
The drive time is approximately one-hour and once here we will be visiting Kokura Castle, the only castle left standing in Fukuoka Prefecture. First built in 1602, destroyed by fire, damaged, and rebuilt several times to its present state, a more modern version to make it more visually appealing.
The castle tower of Kokura Castle has an architectural style called “Karazukuri” and was said to be the only castle using this style in the country when it was built, making it rare. Karazukuri refers to the structure where the upper floor is made larger than the lower floor and is overhanging. In Kokura Castle, the 5th floor is larger than the 4th floor.
Once inside, learn a little more about its history, the story of Kokura during the Edo Period. Climb inside a palanquin (an Eastern-style sedan chair) and pretend to be Japanese royalty, enjoy the two beautiful gold-leaf tiger painting that adorn the walls and at the top of the castle, incredible views overlooking Kokura Castle Garden.
We will also enjoy our first hands-on experience, a tea ceremony.
From here, off to Gintengai Shopping Street, a covered shopping arcade that is connected to the JR Kokura Station. This is the first shopping street in Japan to add a covered arcade, in 1951. At 400-meters long, it is a favorite with locals. Among the many shops are a variety of bakeries and restaurants that feature yaki-udon, a Japanese stir fry dish consisting of thick, smooth, white udon noodles mixed with a soy-based sauce, meat, and vegetables.
The street is home to Tsujiri Teahouse, a famous long-running teahouse that is known for its popular matcha green tea desserts. Enjoy free time to explore, shop, and have lunch on your own.
This afternoon, a visit to Hibikinada Green Park. Known also as Green Park, it is considered one of the most beautiful parks near the seaside of Kitakyushu.
The park’s theme is of “encountering water, greenery, and animals”. At the centerpiece, a rose garden with 320 different kinds of roses and 2500 rose plants for a total of one million roses blooming everywhere. The garden flourishes with many visitors in spring and in fall.
Within the park, Hibiki Animal World is known as a leading facility in Japan for raising marsupials. Here you can see and interact with the approximate 250 kangaroos. There is a separate enclosure to view wallabies and wallaroo.
Rose Garden Butterflies before hatching & after birds & ecology Garden
In addition, there are places where you can get up close and personal with water dragons, chameleons, and other tropical reptiles, as well as channel-billed toucans and other birds, in the tropical house, Tropical Ecology Garden. The rice paper butterflies here are the largest in Japan.
Kangaroo Square and wallabies
We now make our way back to Hakata, arrival by 5: 15pm.The remainder of the evening is free.
Accommodations: Hotel Clio Court Hakata free
Day 5 – May 29th, Saturday – Hakata (B)
After breakfast, enjoy a complete free day to shop and explore on your own.
Day 6 – May 30th, Sunday – Hakata-Saga- Nagasaki (B/L)
After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we make our way to Nagasaki.
The morning begins with a drive to Okawauchiyama Village, a secluded village just outside of Imari. Often referred to as the “Village of Secret Kilns”, it was once an exclusive pottery hub producing porcelain ware for Japan’s elite.
Enjoy free time here in this rustic little village with its shops, kilns, narrow streets, flowing river and mountainous backdrop. One thing that stands out as you walk around is the many porcelain pieces embedded in spots throughout the village, from streets to walls, to bridges and signs.
From here, lunch at a local restaurant and then off to Nagasaki. Once there, a visit to Nagasaki Peace Park, built on a low hill to the north of the hypocenter of the atomic bomb blast. It was created to represent the wish for world peace and a vow that such a tragic war would never be repeated. The park features the 9.7-meter-high Peace Statue symbolizing the Nagasaki citizens' wish for peace. Sculptor Seibou Kitamura, a Nagasaki native, created this statue as a symbol of the divine love and mercy of Buddha. The raised right-hand points to the heavens to signify the threat of atomic weapons while the left arm is raised horizontally to represent the wish for peace. The figure's eyes are lightly closed in prayer for the souls of the atomic bomb victims. Every year on August 9, the anniversary of the atomic bombing, a peace memorial ceremony is conducted in front of this statue and a peace declaration is made to the people of the world. The park also features the Fountain of Peace, which was built in remembrance of a little girl who wandered in search of water. You can also view a row of monuments contributed by various nations that form the zone of symbols of world peace.
Nagasaki Peace Park
Now, off to our hotel for the evening, Hotel New Nagasaki, ideally located, just a 3-minute walk from the JR Nagasaki Station. Arrival will be by 4:15pm and the remainder of the evening is free. A wide variety of dining and shopping options are steps away.
What should you eat in Nagasaki? One dish that you should try would be Champon noodles. This is a noodle dish representative of Nagasaki and was made famous by the owner of a Chinese restaurant in the Meiji period who created it for Chinese exchange students. These soft noodles have a distinct flavor provided by lye water, an ingredient from China. The soup is made from pork bone or chicken stock. The toppings used are pork, littleneck clams, shrimp, cabbage, carrots, and many others. Another dish made famous by the Champon noodles are sara udon. The udon noodles have two types. One would be the chewier version with thicker noodles and stir-fried toppings, while the other one is thinner and fried with a thicker soup. What is charming about this dish is that you may enjoy fresh seafood at an affordable price as the area is surrounded by the sea.
Our hotel is just steps away from Hamanmachi Shopping Street, 400-meters long and home to over 180 shops. Another option that you may want to consider, join our local guide in the lobby at 6:00pm as we take a local tram down to Nagasaki Port. The area is lively with local folks walking around in the evening, waterside restaurants, and nice views of the city.
Accommodations: Hotel New Nagasaki free
Day 6 – May 31st, Monday – Nagasaki-Fukuoka (B)
After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 9:00am. It is our last day on tour, but still much to see and enjoy before our flight home later this evening.
The morning begins with a visit to Glover Garden, a famous sightseeing spot, and an open-air museum, exhibiting mansions of former Western residents of Nagasaki. This is where English tradesmen who came to the trading port of Nagasaki settled. The garden offers an enjoyable ambiance as you may visit important cultural properties such as the homes of these tradesmen, reconstructed western-style buildings, seasonal flowers, and the view of the port and mountains from the higher points of the city.
Glover Garden
Close-by, a visit to Oura Church, the oldest wooden church of Gothic architecture existing in Japan. It was built in 1864 by a French missionary and was thus known by the people of Nagasaki at the time as the “French Temple”.
Oura Catholic Church honors the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan, who were rounded up in Kyoto and crucified on Nishizaka Hill, in 1597 on the orders of warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The bronze statues in Oura Cathedral and on Nishizaka were built to face each other. The church is designated a national treasure and was visited by Pope Paul II in 1981.
Enjoy free time to explore and have lunch on your own in the area.
From here, a truly fun stop at the Kasutera (Honey Cake) Factory in Isahaya. Now a specialty of Nagasaki, the cake was brought by way of Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. The name is derived from Portuguese Pao de Castela, meaning “bread from Castile”.
This popular Japanese sponge cake is made from 4 basic ingredients-sugar, eggs, bread flour and honey.
It has assumed a distinctly light Japanese flavor and texture over the centuries. They are available several flavors such as honey, chestnut, and green tea. Enjoy tasting and as well, a great omiyage gift giving item.
Kasutera (Honey Cake) Factory
Our last visit of the day will be at Mifuneyama Rakuen, a colorful Edo Period Garden. In summer, the whole garden becomes a lush green. Enjoy free time to walk around and take in the beauty. The garden has a beautiful pond, a tea house, more than 500 Buddha statues, and especially the charming mountain ‘Mifune-Yama’ in the background, a charismatic mountain of 200 meters!
We now make our way to the Fukuoka Airport, arriving by 5:30pm to begin the check-in for our flight home.
Hawaiian Airlines #828 Departs Fukuoka 8:40 pm – Arrive Honolulu 10:15 am (same day)