Tokyo Weekender - October 2017
A day in the life of a geisha. Find your perfect Kyushu. Plus Q&A with anime director Keiichi Hara, are robots taking our jobs?, Explore Japanese cuisine at GINZA SIX, and Tsukuda guide
A day in the life of a geisha. Find your perfect Kyushu. Plus Q&A with anime director Keiichi Hara, are robots taking our jobs?, Explore Japanese cuisine at GINZA SIX, and Tsukuda guide
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[ PROMOTION ]<br />
FIND YOUR<br />
Trip 1:<br />
FOR CITY FOODIES & ONSEN LOVERS<br />
Fukuoka and Oita Prefectures<br />
PERFECT<br />
KYUSHU<br />
Four trips, four types – pick your<br />
favorite or combine them all into<br />
one big Kyushu adventure<br />
Words by Annemarie Luck & Matt Schley<br />
HOW TO GET THERE Flights from <strong>Tokyo</strong> take<br />
approximately two hours, while the Tokaido or<br />
Sanyo Shinkansen can get you from <strong>Tokyo</strong> to<br />
Hakata Station in about five hours.<br />
WHERE TO STAY Urbanites will love the<br />
modern rooms at First Cabin Hakata. Think of it<br />
as a luxury capsule hotel, and book the Premium<br />
Class Cabin for a comfy double bed and wooden<br />
finishings. www.first-cabin.jp<br />
FUKUOKA’S NIGHTLIFE AND RAMEN<br />
Kyushu’s largest city, Fukuoka has skyscraper energy but is friendlier than <strong>Tokyo</strong> and<br />
offers escape in the form of green spaces and even beaches. It’s known for nightlife<br />
and ramen, but it also has plenty for shoppers, art lovers and culture hunters.<br />
Hipsters should head straight for the Daimyo district, where you’ll find vintage stores<br />
and streetside cafés. When we visited, we only had eyes for Hakata ramen – which<br />
is often cited as the best tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen in Japan – so we made a<br />
beeline for the city’s yatai (street-side food stalls) that come alive at night just next to<br />
the river in Nakasu. Packed with casual diners every evening, this is the ideal spot to<br />
chat to locals while slurping up noodles and sipping on sake or shochu. Also try the<br />
udon, which has its origins in Fukuoka, and motsu nabe if you're feeling adventurous<br />
(motsu means "innards") .<br />
DAY 1<br />
DAY 2<br />
OITA’S BEPPU ONSEN<br />
After a night on the town in Hakata,<br />
best thing for you is a day spent<br />
dipping in and out of onsen. Oita Prefecture<br />
is home to Beppu, the famous<br />
onsen town where the springs are so<br />
hot that the city itself looks like it’s<br />
perpetually steaming. There are eight<br />
onsen areas in the city, but the most<br />
exciting hot springs are grouped together<br />
in the Kannawa area under the<br />
name The 7 Hells of Beppu. These are<br />
for viewing, not soaking, and include<br />
the cobalt-blue Umi-jigoku (sea hell)<br />
and the red clay-colored Chi-no-ikejigoku<br />
(blood pond hell). To see them<br />
all, take the Beppu Jigoku Meguri (Hell<br />
Tour) from Beppu Station (¥3,650, 2.5<br />
hours). For bathing, visit Takegawara<br />
Onsen, which opened in 1879 and is<br />
the oldest onsen in Beppu. Also be<br />
sure to try a beach sand bath at Beppu<br />
Kaihin Suna-yu, which is a five-minute<br />
walk from Beppu Daigaku Station.<br />
HOW<br />
TO GET<br />
THERE<br />
From Hakata<br />
to Beppu<br />
Station, it<br />
takes approximately 2 hours on JR<br />
Kyushu’s Limited Express Sonic.<br />
WHERE TO STAY Balance out<br />
your Fukuoka capsule confinement<br />
with a luxurious stay at<br />
Beppu Sennari Ryokan.<br />
beppu-sennari.com