Joujima Sake Festival

Another prime example of the many cool things that can happen Japan: a sake festival. Awesome festival foods, fun people all around, and next-to-nothing cost of sake.

Tents handing out free sake samples^^

Sake Brewery

We stopped by a sake brewery, on the way to the main sake festival. Outside were tents selling food, or offering free sake sampling. Behind the tents, was a garage area with huge blue tanks of sake. They had a small bottling display where they were bottling sake on the spot, while also handing out free samples. So fresh!

Inside a sake brewery.

Cool sake bottling…thing.

Joujima Sake Festival

We took a free 20 minute shuttle ride to the Joujima Sake Festival. Upon entering the festival gates we quickly purchased a 500 yen (aka $5) “drink ticket”. This ticket to heaven was a standard-size sake cup with a listing, allowing two sample cups from each of three sake booths.

Drink listing

The atmosphere of the festival was so nice and friendly. People randomly chatting with each other, sharing sake, and surprise sake barrels randomly popping up offering free samples. There were also drink stalls that charged, but everything was pretty cheap. I was keen on getting this cool wooden cup as my take home souvenir, 200 yen ($2) only, and came with sake filled to the brim.

At Joujima Sake Festival

As the festival began to close finished around 4:30, we headed for the shuttle. It was a pretty long line but when you’re happy you don’t notice and will always find a means to pass time. Like sing-alongs, and when it happens in Japan people can always pin point the Gaijins straight away. Except me. I’m a ninja. I camouflage well into the crowds. Everyone thinks I’m Japanese with superb English until they actually hear me speak Japanese. Then they’re just confused…but that’s another story best saved for another day.

 

Higashida Shiten Dinner

Top the day off with a wonderful grilled pork dinner in Kurume. This tiny restaurant served the best grilled pork I’ve ever tasted in my life. They open at 5 and give a 90 minute eating time…it’s best to get there when it opens because a long line does line gather.

The grill inside.

mmm…ribs ^^

Nakasu Matsuri

Nakasu is located in the center by the Naka river, a river that divides Fukuoka creating twin cities of Hakata (East side) and Fukuoka (West side). It is also considered one of the most infamous red-light districts in Japan. There are a lot of host & hostess bars around, as well as regular bars and restaurants.

Nakasu Matsuri (Festival)
This festival is neat because it consists of only girls carrying portable shrines through the streets of Nakasu. Apparently you don’t have to be a local, but there is an advance sign up. Considering how heavy the shrine looks at other festivals, where majority of carriers ARE male, I don’t think I could really do it. Cheers to the ones who do!! 😀

Nakasu Matsuri (Festival)

 

Cotton Field Restaurant

For dinner, a friend booked us into the Cotton Field Restaurant. A cozy basement restaurant in Nakasu that offered foreign beer + dinner sets. Mexican food with Mexican beer, European food with European beer, etc. Ribs were fantastic! I mixed my European dish with a Mexican beer – just because it reminded me of someone back home. That beer was for you Graydon!

Cotton Field Restaurant

Hakozai Hojoya (Autumn Festival)

My very first festival here in Fukuoka. Over the weekend I made a trip down to Hakozaki in the morning to check out the Hojoya (aka. Autumn Festival).

It was a really nice shrine with a stage set up a little off to the side for performances. Inside they also had a ceremony going on, where the Shinto Priests were chanting and praying. There was another group of priests who were playing traditional Japanese music while the chants were happening.

Hakozai Hojoya (Autumn Festival)

Inside Hakozakigu Shrine
There was a lovely display of ikibana (flower arranging), and painted lanterns that were placed all around the walk way inside.

Ikebana (flower arrangement)

Cool painted lantern

Famous Hakozaki Hojoya Souvenirs…
There are a couple popular souvenirs that locals would wait in line for days leading up to the festival. There’s a limited number, and all made and decorated by hand:

Champon…is a glass noise maker when you blow into it. There are many cool and different designs. I really liked this one:

Famous Hakozai Hojoya Souvenir: the Champon

Ohajiki...are small decorated marble/rocks, and are really popular at this festival. They are usually sold out within the first few hours of the festival opening.

Famous Hakozai Hojoya Souvenir: Ohajiki

The rest of the festival extended down a good 6 or 7 blocks with carnival games and yummy food stalls. Little pathways would pop up in between that would then lead you to more stalls and games – mmm… food ^^

Food stalls can be found at every festival. Save your stomach room for this!

I found out that one of my teachers also played Taiko! When she found out I played too she invited me to go check out her group. It was interesting to see how other people play Taiko. Loved their costumes!

Taiko performance @Hakozai Hojoya