Kitakyushu

Our tour guide, Mr. Wang, took us to Moji Port, Kokura Castle, and Miyajidake Shrine. On the bus, he provided detailed explanations of each attraction's features and gave a brief introduction to Kyushu's geography and local delicacies. Today's chartered tour was truly excellent value for money.

Kokura Castle is beautiful on the outside, but unfortunately the interior is too new and lacks the feel of an old castle. It would be even better if the courtyard of Kokura Castle could be opened for tea and relaxation.

As instructed, we met early at the Hakata Oriental Hotel. Our guide, Tomas, was fluent in Chinese, English, and Japanese. For our group of about 15 people, he provided explanations and introductions in both Chinese and English. He was very attentive, and there were ample time and opportunities to rest and use the restroom during our travels. It's a perfect trip for families with elderly members to relax and enjoy. During the trip, my mother suddenly felt unwell and experienced slight panic at the entrance to the limestone cave. Thank you, Tomas, for understanding my mother's fear and arranging for the tour bus driver to pick her up and accompany her to the exit. I was truly sorry and grateful. He ensured I could successfully see the magnificent karst formations and caves. Our walk took about 40-50 minutes. The exit leads to a shopping street, which, although somewhat dilapidated, is a truly remarkable sight. He explained the Tsunoshima Bridge, the Kanmon Strait, the historical anecdote of Li Hongzhang related to the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Moji Port, and the story of Motonosumi Shrine in a very interesting way. Thank you so much for making our trip so enjoyable!

The driver was very nice and would also help take pictures and gave us advice to walk less roads and arrived early to wait, the vehicle was very comfortable. Each custom location will be confirmed again. And will remind the current road situation will be congested, there is a chance to affect the trip arrangement, the driver is very good, will give the local trip route and recommended time, the allocation is very flexible, get on and off points can be arranged according to their requirements, the overall experience is full.

People rarely mention the Kanmon Strait Museum when visiting Moji Port, so I didn't have high expectations at first, but it turned out to be surprisingly fun! First, the interactive experience machines are diverse. Upstairs, the large screen shows a historical animated series (super well-made!) and ocean-themed music animations every half hour. Different themed time slots correspond to different games. My favorite was the head-swapping game in the historical series 😂 I never got tired of just drawing characters! While the museum's collection isn't huge, it provides a good understanding of the area's history. Downstairs, there are also ocean-related interactive games, more geared towards family-friendly experiences. In short, I highly recommend it; an afternoon is definitely not enough to see everything! 😖

Thanks to Jimmy Liu for leading the way; the trip went very smoothly. We started the day with a visit to Kanmon Bridge, Karato Market for seafood, and Motonosumi Shrine. Finally, we took the cable car at Sanbarayama and enjoyed the sunset and night views while sipping hot corn chowder. It was a wonderful trip! Highly recommended!