We go down to breakfast at 7:30. Crowne Plaza has an excellent breakfast spread which maybe the reason why Mike's appetite seems to have perked back up. 
I enjoy curry rice, fish katsu, and ramen. 
Franc was sitting in front of the cafeteria . He had eaten at 6:30 and was ready to go. His leg is still swollen. I decide to see if we can contact his Kaiser doctor. I have a laptop so it will be easier for me to log into KP.org to send photos to his MD. Since Franc is on a different floor we decide to meet downstairs but fortunately as I step into the elevator on my floor Franc is in it so we step out to go to my room. I take photos and send a message to his doc with photos attached. We meet up with the group at the pre-arranged heart mail drop, the most delightful mail box I have ever encountered. 
The bottom slot says "for children" in Japanese. 
The entrance to the Hakata station is being readied for the Christmas season. 
"How's your hotel?" Janet asks the Ngs and Wongs who are staying at the Comfort Hotel Hakata. "When we saw our rooms we thought the photos we saw posted online were wrong. Everything looked old and dingy. Then we pulled up the photos and they were exactly as posted. We just hadn't looked carefully and we hadn't read the reviews" Teddy tells us. The draw for the hotel was its location right across the street from the station and the lower price. "Our rooms are very small and dated too, the carpet is so old and bathroom look like it's from the 60's. 
I was expecting a lot more from a Crowne Plaza" says Janet. "But our breakfast is great, there is so much variety" she continues. The Comfort Hotel group counter that they have free breakfast too; granola and yogurt. "But we like that 7-Eleven is right next door!" says Teddy. We head to the ticket counter inside the Hakata station and grab train tickets for going to Yufuin in a few days.
We book the 7:43 am train to Yufuin on Sunday. The mini croissant cafe, il Forno de Mignon is right across the ways and I check out the flavors available. During our previous stay and our current stay in the hotel we always enjoy our great complimentary breakfast buffet and haven't had the opportunity to try the little croissants.
Some of us add yen to our Japanese money card, Pasmo; while other go to a machine to load money before going on the trains for today. 
As we are waiting for the train to Daizaifu, the Chikugo Kitchen train is sitting on the track. This is a 3 car, 52 seat sightseeing train with a fully equipped kitchen that serves up gourmet meals sourced from the Chikugo area. It travels to Dazaifu, Yanagawa and Omuta. 
Given more time in Fukuoka we would certainly check out the Kitchen Train, but this morning, we take a regular train to Daizaifu to visit the Daizaifu Shrine. The regular trains are beautifully decorated with flowers from the four seasons of Daizaifu. 
As soon as we are out of the Daizaifu station Janet sees a vending machine with enticing ice cream. "When I come back I'll try one" she says. 
A very lively pedestrian street leads to the shrine. 
The shoppers in our group are eager to shop and have to be coaxed to continue walking. 
The Gees assure them we will be returning this way so we continue walking, passing under two large Torii gates. The most dazzling and architecturally unique Starbucks is here in Dazaifu. 
The exterior and interior is decorated with slender sticks of crisscrossing cedar. 
Just past the torii gate is a bronze oxen. 
We join the queue take a photo with the ox. Students make a pilgrimage here to rub the ox in the hopes of academic success.
We cross over 3 bridges representing future, present, and past. The first bridge is arched so you can look back and see the entrance (the past). 
The middle bridge is flat and you can’t see ahead (the present). 
The last bridge is arched and you can see the shrine ahead (the future). I hear DeAnne exclaim “It’s so beautiful” as we cross the bridges and admire the scenery.
I hear a woman saying “Hao leng” which is Cantonese for very beautiful. 
A statue with a very glossy patina is a kirin, a mythical character from Chinese folklore. 
You cleanse your hands and mouth for purification of the body before entering the shrine.
There is a temporary shrine that was erected in 2023. 
It is in front of the shrine that is being renovated in time for a special ceremony held every 25 years. The next ceremony will be in 2027. The temporary shrine is an elegant black hall topped with a lush garden.
Today there is a shrine ceremony about to take place and we watch as priests in white robes stride towards the shrine.
Back at the shopping street I buy a bean filled rice cake and enjoy it before I start browsing at the shops.
Five of us dine at Ichiran Ramen, joining the queue. You can only queue if everyone in your party is there.
This is my third time dining at an Ichiran Ramen which originated in Fukuoka and has evolved into a chain. It has a unique concept of solo dining and there is no interaction with the serving staff. 
You fill out your tonkatsu ramen order on paper.
You sit at a solo booth that has a bamboo curtain. 
It has dependably flavorful broth for a very affordable price. And their bathrooms are well equipped. 
Others in our group dined at an udon restaurant and are waiting for us when we came out. 
We have a tight schedule. In order to go on the canal ride in Yanagawa, known as the "Venice of Japan", we needed to catch a train by 1:00 as the canal ride ends at 2:30. 
We arrived in time to buy tickets at 2:00. 
Conical bamboo hats are a prerequisite for our group! 
The boatman who steers the boat is called a punter, just like in England. Our punter is named Rine. 
As we get on the boat he asks where we are from. The Gees ahead of me tell him California.
When he sees me he guesses “Hong Kong?” Well that would be right if he was asking place of birth. The boat starts to rock as each person boards. When everyone is finally on board the bow of the boat had more weight than the stern. 
Rine told everyone to scoot towards him to distribute the weight. 
The punters don’t speaks English so the majority of the ride we do not understand his explanations. When it came to safety precautions Rine made sure we understood. “California girl, no hand in water!” he sternly admonished Lisa. 
Later he and a bunch of passengers near Rine got Eugene’s attention and got him to understand that he shouldn’t even place his hand on the edge of the boat. 
The boat goes under numerous low bridges and Rine has to crouch down to get through.
At one particularly wide bridge he used the acoustic under the bridge to break into song. After that he continues to sing songs from time to time.
There is a quick snack stop for strawberry ice cream which cost 4000 yen. It’s yummy and refreshing. 
The canal ride is a relaxing way to spend an hour. 
We pass by traditional Japanese residences.
The waterway is lined with willow trees swaying in the breeze.
We greet fellow boaters. 
Fall plants and foliage, aquatic animals, sculptures and statues come into view. 
A canal cleanup boat passes by and we see men scooping up the "weeds" in the waterway. 
As we near the end of the ride, Rine shows us directions on where to go for a shuttle pickup to the Yamagata train station. On our previous visit, the shuttle pickup was a longer walk into town, so I was glad this one was much closer and the directions on how to get there was easier to understand. 
For dinner we go to our favorite Gyukatsu restaurant. It’s in Tenjin near luxury shopping stores. 
Our timing is great, the queue is not too long. 
If you are a light eater like myself, order the one cutlet set. If you like your beef, order the two cutlet set. 
For the quality of the wagyu meat, the price is excellent.
After dinner the Ngs stay to shop and the rest of us head to Hakata station to go back to our hotels.
This featured blog entry was written by Helen K. from the blog South Korea and Japan.
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