Chikugo

Our group consisted of 8 people. The travel agency arranged a 15-seater minibus. The driver and guide was Brother Wang (Wang Huaimin), who was very polite and answered all our questions enthusiastically. The minibus seats couldn't be adjusted, so anyone prone to motion sickness should definitely take medication. I thought the itinerary was quite good; even traveling alone wouldn't have been a problem! Strawberry picking cost ¥2500 per person for an hour. The day we went, three greenhouses were open, offering nine varieties, all of which I found delicious. Most importantly, I didn't encounter any sour ones. I probably ate about 30 strawberries. It was easy to see some enormous strawberries there, even bigger than Taiwan's No. 1 strawberry! The strawberries on the field could be eaten directly without washing, which was quite amazing. Even if it rained, it wasn't a problem because the strawberries grew indoors, so there was no need to worry about mud. Next, we visited Koimoku Shrine. This shrine was relatively small, so we didn't stay long. Afterwards, we went to Yanagawa. The group went on a boat trip, while I went straight to eat eel rice (at my own expense), which was delicious and had almost no thorns. Yanagawa's main attraction seems to be the boat tours; if you don't want to take a boat, sunbathing by the roadside is quite pleasant. After about an hour's drive, we arrived at Dazaifuku Tenmangu Shrine around 3 PM. Our guide gave us a brief explanation at the entrance, then we were free to visit the shrine and the shopping street. After shopping at the main hall, there's a place selling amulets on the right. Walking through the alley next to the amulet shop, you can find the restrooms uphill; they were very clean. We ate ume-mochi from Teradaya and mentaiko French bread from Yamaya, both quite good. Then, at 4:30 PM, everyone gathered on time for the return trip to Hakata. Overall, I highly recommend this trip!