OVERVIEW

Learn some of the rituals involved in an authentic tea ceremony while being served a green tea and behold the natural wonders in a garden that captures the essence of classical Japanese beauty. The tea ceremony is a time-honored cultural tradition that embodies grace, mindfulness and hospitality. A tea master will conduct the ritual in a traditional tearoom with tatami flooring, a serene setting that is as iconic as the Way of the Tea, the way the matcha – a finely ground green tea – is prepared and presented. The landscape within the Ohori Park Japanese Garden is equally tranquil as it features rolling hills, a central lake and thick clusters of trees. While enjoying a meandering walk through this urban oasis, you may encounter a Zen garden, a rock garden and native vegetation such as Japanese black pine and Satuski azalea. Another highlight is a teahouse modeled after a tea ceremony pavilion.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Experience a Japanese tea ceremony, a ritual with deep cultural connections.
• Watch as a tea master prepares and presents the matcha tea by following certain etiquette.
• Walk at your leisure through a meticulously manicured Japanese garden.
• Enjoy the serenity of the garden setting, especially around the central pond.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Learn to make super-realistic plastic food samples like the ones displayed in restaurant windows and visit a shrine dedicated to the god of learning. A master artisan will teach you the basics of making plastic foods, which serve as visual menus of sorts in restaurants throughout Japan. You will likely make a parfait with your choice of plastic ice cream and textured toppings, all incredibly lifelike. Following this entertaining experience, you will explore Dazaifu Tenmangu, a venerated Shinto shrine where worshippers often come to pray for academic success, especially during exams. The shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, a legendary 9th-century scholar who has been deified and buried there. On the approach to the shrine, you will find an abundance of shops selling umegae mochi, a tasty grilled rice cake filled with sweet red bean paste. They also offer ice cream, perhaps ones that look as realistic as your plastic parfait.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Follow a master artisan’s direction and learn to make realistic plastic foods.
• Browse a revered Shinto shrine dedicated to Tenjin, the god of learning.
• Stop at a sweet shop near the shrine for a treat, if you wish.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Watch an authentic Noh performance after touring the theater’s backstage and browse a Shinto shrine that was founded in the 8th century. The venue for the show will be the Morimoto Noh Theater, which has been purpose-built for Noh, a form of song and dance that is so essential to Japan that UNESCO has designated it an Intangible Cultural Heritage. As an introduction to this art form, you will receive a behind-the-scenes look at the stage, the dressing rooms and other elements essential to Noh. To further your cultural immersion, a master will teach you Noh movements in a workshop before the actual performance begins. Watching the show will be a mesmerizing and profound experience. Visiting the Kushida Shrine will be moving in more spiritual way as it is the oldest and most venerated shrine in Fukuoka. Be sure to notice the collection of Tengu masks and a 1,000-year-old ginko tree that symbolizes longevity of life.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy an insider’s tour of a Noh theater before watching an authentic Noh performance.
• Gain insight into why UNESCO added Noh to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
• Browse a Shinto shrine that has been revered since its founding in the 8th century.
• Spend a bit of free time shopping in Canal City Hakata mall.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

A scenic drive takes you inland to Dazaifu Tenmangu, a shrine built over the grave of Michizane Sugawara, a deified 10th-century scholar. As you stroll the grounds, you might pause to reflect in the main shrine, browse the shrine museum, and cross the Taiko bridge, which is Buddhist in conception. The nearly 6,000 plum trees around the property were planted to honor the Sugawara’s high regard for the trees.

You will also visit Kushida, a shrine built even earlier in the 8th century. Because the shrine is located in the heart of the city, its grounds are rather limited. Still, there is plenty to see, including the collection of Tengu masks and a 1,000-year-old ginko tree.

The Fukuoka Tower is another stop on your tour. It soars more than 750 feet above the harbor, making it the highest seaside tower in Japan. From its observation deck, you will enjoy a spectacular, 360-degree view of the city and Hakata Bay.

Delve into Fukuoka’s rich history and culture by visiting a Shinto shrine, browsing a folk museum and strolling through a serene urban park built in the 18th century.

Visit Kushida, a Shinto shrine built in the 8th century. Because Kushida is located in the heart of the city, its grounds are rather limited. Still, there is plenty to see, including the collection of Tengu masks and a 1,000-year-old ginko tree that symbolizes longevity of life. You might also spot people deep in prayer, some of whom come because praying at this shrine supposedly ensures prosperity.

A short walk will bring you to the Hakata Machiya folk museum. Its collections include artwork and crafts from the Meiji and Taisho periods, paintings that depict the legendary samurai life, and a 150-year-old house, reassembled to show a traditional architectural style.

Stroll the serene paths of Yusentei Park, an urban oasis built in 1754 for the lord of the Kuroda clan. The park’s name derives from a classical Japanese poem: “Away from the heat of summer, water sprung from a fountain (sen) nurtures friendships (yu) at this house (tei).”

Water is a prominent feature, as Yusenti contains fountains, waterfalls and a central pond. Although the park was 10 times larger when originally built, it remains immensely peaceful, leaving you in a relaxed state of mind for the return to the pier.

Explore the Edo-period homes and storehouses in Hita’s preservation district, which have been restored to their original condition, giving the area a feudal look and feel.

Is a relaxing 1-hour drive inland to Hita, a castle town that Japan’s feudal military government controlled during the Edo period that ranged from the 16th to mid-18th centuries.

It is quite a compact area, and its streets are lined with row after row of the area’s oldest merchant residences and storehouses, which have been painstakingly restored to their original conditions. Even the utility lines have been buried underground to retain the authentic feudal atmosphere.

Your guide will introduce you to the district before arrival, and then you will have approximately 1 ½ hrs of free time to explore many of those historical buildings, which now contain shops, art galleries and restaurants. You might browse stores with collectible Hina dolls, traditional Japanese clothing and exquisite handicrafts made of wicker and bamboo.

Admire Fukuoka’s landmarks on an introductory driving tour that presents an excellent overall picture of the city, especially from atop soaring Fukuoka Tower.

Enjoy a panoramic drive through Fukuoka, a sprawling metropolis on Kyushu Island that merged with the city of Hakata in the 19th century. As you might imagine, Fukuoka is wonderfully modern yet still reveres its past.

While driving through the heart of the city, you will pass historical landmarks such as the walls and scattered turrets of Fukuoka Castle, which was once the largest fortification on the island. The even older Kushida Shrine was built in the 8th century and features a towering 1,000-year-old ginko tree.

Other highlights on this panoramic tour may include a glimpse of the Hakata bullet train station, Japan’s first baseball stadium with a domed roof, and Canal City, a shopping and entertainment complex so enormous that it’s often referred to as “the city within the city”, and the Tenjin shopping district.

Stop at Fukuoka Tower, which soars more than 750 feet above the harbor, making it the highest seaside tower in Japan. From its observation deck, you will enjoy a spectacular, 360-degree view of the city and Hakata Bay.