Tokyo Weekender - October 2017

[ PROMOTION ]
FIND YOUR
Trip 1:
FOR CITY FOODIES & ONSEN LOVERS
Fukuoka and Oita Prefectures
PERFECT
KYUSHU
Four trips, four types – pick your
favorite or combine them all into
one big Kyushu adventure
Words by Annemarie Luck & Matt Schley
HOW TO GET THERE Flights from Tokyo take
approximately two hours, while the Tokaido or
Sanyo Shinkansen can get you from Tokyo to
Hakata Station in about five hours.
WHERE TO STAY Urbanites will love the
modern rooms at First Cabin Hakata. Think of it
as a luxury capsule hotel, and book the Premium
Class Cabin for a comfy double bed and wooden
finishings. www.first-cabin.jp
FUKUOKA’S NIGHTLIFE AND RAMEN
Kyushu’s largest city, Fukuoka has skyscraper energy but is friendlier than Tokyo and
offers escape in the form of green spaces and even beaches. It’s known for nightlife
and ramen, but it also has plenty for shoppers, art lovers and culture hunters.
Hipsters should head straight for the Daimyo district, where you’ll find vintage stores
and streetside cafés. When we visited, we only had eyes for Hakata ramen – which
is often cited as the best tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen in Japan – so we made a
beeline for the city’s yatai (street-side food stalls) that come alive at night just next to
the river in Nakasu. Packed with casual diners every evening, this is the ideal spot to
chat to locals while slurping up noodles and sipping on sake or shochu. Also try the
udon, which has its origins in Fukuoka, and motsu nabe if you're feeling adventurous
(motsu means "innards") .
DAY 1
DAY 2
OITA’S BEPPU ONSEN
After a night on the town in Hakata,
best thing for you is a day spent
dipping in and out of onsen. Oita Prefecture
is home to Beppu, the famous
onsen town where the springs are so
hot that the city itself looks like it’s
perpetually steaming. There are eight
onsen areas in the city, but the most
exciting hot springs are grouped together
in the Kannawa area under the
name The 7 Hells of Beppu. These are
for viewing, not soaking, and include
the cobalt-blue Umi-jigoku (sea hell)
and the red clay-colored Chi-no-ikejigoku
(blood pond hell). To see them
all, take the Beppu Jigoku Meguri (Hell
Tour) from Beppu Station (¥3,650, 2.5
hours). For bathing, visit Takegawara
Onsen, which opened in 1879 and is
the oldest onsen in Beppu. Also be
sure to try a beach sand bath at Beppu
Kaihin Suna-yu, which is a five-minute
walk from Beppu Daigaku Station.
HOW
TO GET
THERE
From Hakata
to Beppu
Station, it
takes approximately 2 hours on JR
Kyushu’s Limited Express Sonic.
WHERE TO STAY Balance out
your Fukuoka capsule confinement
with a luxurious stay at
Beppu Sennari Ryokan.
beppu-sennari.com