fukuoka
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Setsubun Festival in Japan
On 3 February every year, people across Japan go to Shinto temples to participate in the Japanese Setsubun Festival or Bean-Throwing Festival. It marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring; it is one of the most important traditional events in Japan. The festival has been celebrated for centuries and has roots in…
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Otter Café in Fukuoka – Kotsumate Fukuoka Daimyo
UPDATE: Kotsumate Fukuoka Daimyo has closed its doors. After my first experience at an animal café (Owl Café Tenjin), I was interested in visiting another animal café. After having a look around, I was able to find Kotsumate Fukuoka Daimyo, an otter café in Fukuoka’s Daimyo area (next to Tenjin). Not only do they have…
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Owl Café Tenjin – Fukuoka, Japan
Japan is famous for many things: anime, kawaii culture, samurai, ninjas, temples, tea, etc. Another concept that Japan popularised (but did not create) is animal cafés (Taiwan opened the first cat café in 1988). Today there are many animal cafés across Japan, such as the Owl Café Tenjin in downtown Fukuoka. At first, I was…
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Fukuoka Botanical Garden – Roses Galore
While May may be the month best known for Peonies in Japan, we mustn’t forget the roses that are also out in bloom at this time. One of the best places to see roses in their full glory is the Fukuoka City Zoo and Botanical Garden, located in the heart of Fukuoka. The Fukuoka Botanical…
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Peony Garden in Fukuoka’s Ohori Park – Japan
Just like the bees that pollinate them, the residents of Fukuoka flock to the peony garden in Ohori Park in early May. Like the nearby Wisteria Garden, you will find many Japanese people coming here to photograph the peonies. Peonies, or 芍薬 (しゃくやく, shyakuyaku) in Japan (some species are also called ボタン (botan)), represent symbolise…
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A Garden After Blooming – Wisteria Garden, Ohori Park, Fukuoka
We see the effects of flowering plants year-round: sniffling and sneezing because of pollen, bees and insects invading picnics, and a sweet smell in the air. What many of us fail to realise is how fast flowers come and go. Nowhere is this more evident than in a single-species garden – also called a monoculture…
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Wisteria in Fukuoka – Purple cascades
If you are a fan of purple flowers, wisteria (フジの花) may be just the thing for you. Wisteria typically blooms in Japan in late April and early May. Because it is further south in Japan, the wisteria in Fukuoka usually blooms before the wisteria on the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. One of the best…
