Day 6: Exploring Fukuoka

At the end of the week, our team had the pleasure of touring Fukuoka with Sara, our missionary's daughter, and local teens that we had become friends with over the week. Sara planned an itinerary which allowed us to explore various sections of downtown, and our new friends took charge leading each group so that we would not get lost throughout the day. It was drizzling, so the walk was very scenic.

Album Cover: 'Sanborn and the Fare Adjusters' 

We rode the Japanese subway and learned to keep very quiet on public transportation. Sometimes we had to ride different subway cars, so we were very grateful for our local teen guides!

Our first stop was Nakasu-kawabata station, where we walked through a traditional Japanese marketplace and enjoyed some mochi desserts.

We then visited Canal City Hakata, a sprawling shopping and entertainment center, where we were able to browse Japanese merchandise and eat lunch. 

We had planned to visit Fukuoka tower, but it was raining and overcast so the tower was not recommended by our host family since we wouldn't be able to see anything. Probably our most exciting authentic Japanese experience was taking the subway home during rush hour. We were packed tightly into each car with no wiggle room. It was incredible. Again, we are grateful for our responsible students and Japanese student leaders who managed to get us on and off each station without losing anyone. 

Tico in rush hour subway barely looks over :)

Our students ended the day with an all-you-can-eat fast-food-type sushi dinner. It was a fun and memorable day!