A short 45-minute trip south by train from Fukuoka City, Yanagawa City is best known for the waterway that crosses it in two directions. To fully appreciate the town's aquatic charm, take a trip on one of the small boats that float gently along waterway. As the boatman deftly swings his pole, propelling the vessel forward, passengers are given a moving view of the blossoming flowers and historical monuments that dot both banks. After a one-hour trip, passengers land near Ohana, home of Shoto Park, where 280 centuries-old pines stand majestically together. In the winter, Ohana becomes a bird-watching area, with over 500 wild birds flying overhead from tree to tree. Yanagawa is also the birthplace of great poet Hakushu Kitahara, whose accomplishments are marked by a memorial park and the many stone monuments bearing his works placed throughout the city. Finally, Yanagawa is renowned for its delicious unagi (eel) cuisine, which absolutely must be sampled by out-of-town visitors.
If you make the trip to nearby Okawa City, make sure to check out the Chikugo River Lift Bridge, which was Asia's largest moveable bridge at the time of construction. Today it is open to pedestrians, and is lit up beautifully at night.

Riverboat Boarding Area
* Five-minute walk from Nishitetsu Yanagawa Station


Ohana
* 0944-73-2189
* Fifteen-minute bus ride from Nishitetsu Yanagawa Station



Chikugo River Lift Bridge
* 0944-87-9919 (Chikugo River Lift Bridge Tourism Board)
* Thirty-minute bus ride from Nishitetsu Yanagawa Station

Akizuki, located in northern Amagi City, is a quiet, old-fashioned town often called the "Little Kyoto of Kyushu." In past centuries, Akizuki flourished as a castle town. Stone walls and temple gates recalling this past still survive today. Take a walk along Suginobaba Street, lined with restaurants and ateliers, and well-known for its lovely cherry blossoms in spring. Not far from Akizuki is the Asakura area, a charming spot for nature enthusiasts. Its three wooden water wheels have been turning for over 200 years, in the process becoming the symbol of this rural town of paddies and fields.



Suginobaba Street
* 0946-25-1335 (Akizuki Tourism Association)
* Ten-minute drive from Oita Highway Amagi IC


Asakura Three Water Wheels
* 0946-52-1111 (Asakura Town Industry Board)
* Ten-minute drive from Oita Highway Asakura IC

Yame is known throughout Japan as a tea-production area with verdant tea fields stretching out endlessly. At the many local teahouses (most notably at the Tea Culture Centre), visitors can sample local teas and learn about tea production and the art of tea preparation. Hoshino Village features tanada (literally "shelf-fields"), beautiful rural structures in which fields are stacked over one another diagonally using stones for support.
In this area of lush forests and clean air, the environment is ideal for the Japanese fireflies that congregate in summer at the lovely camping spots near the Yabe and Hoshino Rivers. At Somanosato Keiryu Park, a suspension bridge provides a stunning view, and visitors can try their hands at fishing or using natural dyes to color cloth. In the winter, visit Hoshino Village's Star Culture Center for an exquisite view of the night sky from a giant, state-of-the-art telescope. Then, to get a flavor of Yame's traditional crafts, such as Japanese-paper and lantern making, be sure to visit the Yame Traditional Art and Crafts Center.

Tea Culture Center (Hoshino Village)
* 0943-52-3003

Star Culture Center (Hoshino Village)
* 0943-52-3000
* Fifty-minute drive from Kyushu Highway Yame IC



Somanosato Keiryu Park (Yabe Village)
* 0943-47-3000
* Seventy-minute drive from Kyushu Highway Yame IC


Yame Traditional Art and Crafts Center (Yame City)
* 0943-22-3131
* Ten-minute drive from Kyushu Highway Yame IC

No more than 20 km (12 miles) west of downtown Fukuoka City lies scenic Itoshima Peninsula, surrounded by a great expanse of the blue sea. The beautiful coastal road is worth the trip alone. In the evening, the sky above surfing Mecca Futamigaura and the natural rock formation at Keya no Oto reveals an unforgettable sunset. Itoshima is an important production area for sake rice, with many breweries of the very highest quality located nearby.
* 092-327-4048 (Shima Tourism Association)

Futamigaura (Shima Town)
* Twenty-minute drive from Nishi-Kyushu Highway Imajuku IC


Keya no Oto (Shima Town)
* Forty-minute drive from Nishi-Kyushu Highway Imajuku IC

The Ukiha region makes up southeastern Fukuoka Prefecture, following the southern bank of the Chikugo River. Its economy is powered by a great variety of fruit cultivation, and the area is known for the fresh water and onsen (hot springs) that originated there. Yoshii Town features Shirakabedozo no Machinami, a street lined by old-style houses with white walls, and this charming area is home to frequent special events that turn the entire street into a museum. Among these is the famous Chikugo Yoshii Ohinasama Meguri, held in mid-February. At the Tanushimaru Town Kyoho Winery, visitors can observe the process by which local grapes are turned into wine, and sample some of the best spirits it has to offer.

Yoshii Town, Shirakabedozo no Machinami
* 0943-76-3980 (Yoshii Town Tourism Association)
* Ten-minute drive from Oita Highway Asakura IC


Kyoho Winery
* 09437-2-2382
* Twenty-minute drive from Oita Highway Amagi IC

Koishiwarayaki and Aganoyaki are Fukuoka's two most reputed styles of pottery. At the Koishiwarayaki Ceramics Museum, beautiful samples of Koishiwara's earthy, simple style are on display for sale. To get a good look at Aganoyaki's light, thin and elegant pottery, visit one of the many pottery shops in Akaike Town
Koishiwarayaki Ceramics Museum (Asakura County Koishiwara Village)
* 0946-74-2266
* Twenty-minute drive from Oita Highway Haki IC


Aganoyaki Cooperative (Tagawa County Akaike Town)
* 0947-28-5864
* Thirty-minute drive from Kyushu Highway Wakamiya IC

A magnificently steep 1200-meter (4000 ft) mountain straddling Fukuoka and Oita Prefectures, over the centuries Hikosan is home to an impressive variety of flora and fauna. Long considered a divine mountain, Hikosan has served as a place of meditation and self-discovery for countless ascetic mountain priests.
* 0947-82-1231 (Soeda Town Local Industry Department)
* Fifty-minute drive from Oita Highway Haki IC

Surrounded by mountains on three sides, the Chikuho area makes up central Fukuoka Prefecture. In an earlier era, it became known throughout Japan for its coalfields. The history of these coalfields has left many relics and buildings. An even earlier history can be discovered at Gyorakuen, an ancient garden said to have been created by famous monk Sesshu. Kaho Theater recalls the charm of the Meiji and Taisho Eras. The area is blessed with a beautiful natural environment that changes with every season, including Hikosan Mountain and Kawara Mountain, where wild monkeys still roam together in bands.
Kaho Theater (Iizuka City)
* 0948-22-0266
* Fifteen-minute walk from JR Iizuka Station



Gyorakuen (Tagawa County Kawasaki Town)
* 0947-72-3932
* Fifteen-minute drive from JR Buzen Kawasaki Station

Munakata is located between Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu City in northern Kyushu, with a beautiful shoreline facing the Genkai Sea. Blessed with the sea, Munakata is also home to countless historical wonders, including ancient sepulchral mounds and over 100,000 culturally significant sites and objects. Munakata Taisha, the oldest of Japan's 6000 shrines, and Miyajidake Shrine, which contains Japan's most important shimenawa (straw festoon), are just two of Munakata's many historically important Shinto shrines.

Munakata Taisha (Munakata City)
* 0940-62-1311
* Twenty-minute drive from Kyushu Highway Wakamiya IC



Miyajidake Shrine (Tsuyazaki Town)
* 0940-52-0016
* Ten-minute walk from Nishitetsu Miyajidake Station