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As with all Japanese cites, Fukuoka has many shrines and temples. Pictured above is Gokoku shrine. Fukuoka is famous for its Hakata Dolls (examples at right). Hakata dolls are said to date to the early seventeenth century, when a roof-tile maker, Soshichi Masaki, presented the feudal lord of the Kuroda Clan with unglazed dolls that he had made. For more Hakata Doll examples use this Link. |
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At left is Yusentei, Kuroda Villa. The villa was established by the feudal lords of the Kuroda clan. |
I'm sure for many of us who were stationed at Hakata, Fukuoka and the surrounding area was an exotic adventure. Sometimes perhaps scary, sometimes perhaps fascinating, it was an adventure that we will all long remember.
My first venture into Fukuoka was made alone, in February 1965. I caught the bus in Saitozaki, and holding out my hand filled with Japanese coins, I simply said, "Fukuoka." The conductor took some coins and I was on my way. I had no idea where to get off. When I got to a section of large buildings, I got off. It just happened to be the Nikkatsu area.
I just walked around the streets for some time, taking in the feel of this exotic city, and watching the people and traffic pass by. Being from Kansas City, I was used to crowd, but Kansas City was nothing like Fukuoka. The traffic was unbelievable and so disorganized. Taxi's, three-wheeled trucks, and even buses seemed to pay no attention to traffic lanes. They just zipped about in a seemingly haphazard fashion. Pedestrians and bicycle riders were narrowly missed by motor vehicles, but were never hit.
I had just come to Japan after having been trained at the Army Finance School at Fort Benjamin Harrison, near Indianapolis, Indiana. Indianapolis was the dirtiest city I had ever seen, that was until I saw Fukuoka. However, although Fukuoka was dirty, with many unpaved streets and walkways, it still had a charm to it that I liked, and I still hold Indianapolis as the dirtiest city I've ever visited. In Fukuoka, it seemed to fit in, making it part of its allure.
The people were dressed in a mixture of traditional Japanese attire and western dress. Many wore getas, a wooden sandal, that looked like a torture to wear. Street vendors sold strange looking food: eels,squid, fish, strange rice and noodle concoctions, and other things I couldn't even guess at the time. Some also pushed carts filled with pots and pans or items that they sold from door to door or from a street corner. I also found Japanese restaurants fascinating. In their windows were elaborate displays of the dishes they prepared. Some looked quite appetizing, but some down right disgusting.
Eventually I went into a restaurant and ordered cheese and crackers, and a coke, not knowing and a little afraid of trying anything else. Afterwards I found an American movie playing at a theater and went in to see it, not knowing if it would be in Japanese or have Japanese subtitles. I don't remember the movie, but it was in English with Japanese subtitles and I enjoyed it.
When it was time to go back to base, I again held out my money to the conductor on the bus and made my way back to the camp, very pleased with myself that I had made my first excursion into Fukuoka alone. From then on I went into Fukuoka often.
One of my strongest memories of Fukuoka, however, was on a later trip. It was the first time I went to the main train station. From a block or more away, you could smell the odor coming from its public restrooms. It was so strong that it almost knocked you over. I always hated having to go through the station after that and avoided it whenever I could.