Ifly Tv - Discover fukuoka, Japan

Let me continue in English. My name is Nick Szasz from Toronto in Canada. I've lived in Fukuoka for the past 23 years. I am the publisher of Fukuoka Now Magazine and the fukuoka-now website. We provide a guide for Kyushu for people from here and from abroad. We help them get to know the island, so they can have a good time here. With 1.5 million inhabitants, Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan. It is the largest city on Kyushu and the main gateway to this island. Fukuoka is great for visitors. It doesn't just consist of a bunch of famous landmarks. In Fukuoka, you can experience real Japanese life. Fukuoka is smaller than Osaka or Tokyo. It's a modern city. It has great shopping and tasty food and drink. The atmosphere is more relaxed and the city is more spacious. Foreigners can get a glimpse of real Japan. Another advantage for tourists visiting Fukuoka... is easy access to wonderful beaches. And there are mountains just 20-30 minutes away. I'd like to take you to the Tochoji Temple now. Buddhism is the reason why I came to Japan. I think you'll find this interesting. Tochoji is a Buddhist temple. I came to Japan partly because of a personal interest in Buddhism. To me, Buddhism is not a religion, it's a philosophy. It's a chance for us to study ourselves. I like the peacefulness of it. One example of the influence of Buddhism on daily life in Japan... is the practice of bowing. The Japanese bow when saying hello or goodbye. Even when Japanese people are on the phone, you'll see them bowing all the time. Buddhism teaches you modesty through bowing. You make yourself vulnerable to the other person. We are now in the neighbourhood of Daimyo. There are many shops here. Especially clothing shops with Japanese and foreign brands. There are also many shops with goods from abroad. Restaurants, bars… This sweet shop has a long history in Fukuoka. They have my favourite sweet called Ohagi. If you’re looking for coffee with a treat, you should go to Cat Café. Mandarake is a very famous shop in Fukuoka. You can get everything to do with manga, anime or dolls here. Toys, games, software or Cosplay goods. It’s ideal for collectors. This is Nakasu, the largest nightlife district in western Japan. There are thousands of bars, restaurants, cabarets... all kinds of nightlife spots. This is one part of town where you’re guaranteed to see women in traditional kimono. It’s quite beautiful. Nakasu Dining is one of my favourite restaurants. This is a unique spot. It’s an old converted home. There is a garden here, we are in the dining room and there is also a bar. Upstairs is a lounge area with sofa seating and antiques. It’s a fabulous, unusual and unique place. Fukuoka is famous for inexpensive and delicious Japanese food. But it’s also known for international cuisine. Italian, French, Thai, Chinese, Korean, what have you. People like various types of cuisine. There is something here for everyone. After dinner here, we’ll have one more drink in a bar in Nakasu. Now off to the Yatai. Hakata ramen is a late-night snack consumed in a Yatai. This will be the last meal of the day. We will get up early in the morning to explore the surroundings of Fukuoka. We’ll visit Yanagawa. See you tomorrow! Good morning, we are at Hotel Ohana having a traditional Japanese breakfast. It consists of grilled fish, egg, rice, soup and salad... and local vegetables. After our breakfast in Hotel Ohana we will go sailing in the canal area. We can see some of the sights in Yanagawa from the boat. These are the famous canals of Yanagawa. A cruise like this gives you a good impression of the beautiful nature in this city. It’s tranquil and quiet. You hear the sounds of the water and birds chirping. The canals were built to protect the local castle. Then they were used for irrigation. Now tourists use them for cruises. The boatmen sing local folk songs. Especially when sailing under the bridges, the echo makes them sound very nice. We are in Nagasaki, in an area known as Dejima. Trade between Europe and Japan began in the mid-15th century. There were soon concerns about the spread of Christianity. The island of Dejima was set up to control trade and the spread of Christianity. First the Portuguese used it, and then the Dutch took over for 200 years. This is when certain goods and technologies were introduced for the first time. They included beer, chocolate, coffee and tomatoes. Japan’s very first piano arrived here at Dejima. During Napoleon’s takeover of Europe... Dejima was the only place in the world where the Dutch flag was still flown. After all this walking, it’s time for something more relaxing. Let’s go to Kurokawa Onsen in Kumamoto. I’ve been looking forward to this the most. Kurokawa Onsen is a very famous hot-water spa in Japan. It has separate accommodations for each guest. Most rooms have an inside and outside bath. This lets you enjoy the beautiful nature. Behind me are the public baths. One is for men and the other for women. Hot-spring spas like this are really popular with people from Fukuoka. They come here over the weekend to relax, and for their health. In the area around Kurokawa Onsen... there are 24 inns with indoor and outdoor baths. For a small fee, you can get a special pass... which will allow you to test the baths in the other inns. This way, you can experience different baths and types of water. It’s a good way to get the full hot-spring experience. I hope you enjoyed Fukuoka and Kyushu. I’m going to stay here and enjoy this beautiful hot-water source. Sayonara.