Top Things to do

• Shogetsu Punting Station (Yanagawa Kanko Kaihatsu K.K.)

  Fukuoka Pref. Yanagawashi Mitsuhashimachitakahatake 329

  The sightseeing boats that ply the river in Yanagawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture start from the Shogetsu Punting Station. They follow a 4.5-kilometer course to either Ohana or Okinohata and take about 70 minutes. There are several sites along the way like monuments carved with tanka poems and the flood gate will help you enjoy a relaxed trip down the river. The building beside the Shogetsu Punting Station was once home to Kaigetsuro, written about in the poem Risshu by Hakushu Kitahara. Today, it's the Shogetsu Literati Hall with a variety of literary documents on display.

• Akizuki Castle Ruins (Prefectural Historic Site)

  Fukuoka Pref. Asakurashi Akidukinotori

  "Located around 20 minutes' drive from the Amagi Interchange of the Oita Expressway, Akizuki Castle was constructed during the Sengoku (Warring States) period (1467-1615) as a Hirajiro site (a castle built on flat ground, rather than on a hill) to serve as the residence of the Akizuki family. Only part of the original castle remains today; the site of the demolished castle was used to build Suiyo Shrine, dedicated to Kuroda Nagaoki, the first lord of the Akizuki-Kuroda domain. Kuromon (""Black Gate"") that served as the main gateway to the Castle was relocated to a site on the processional pathway leading up to Suiyo Shrine; the area near the gate is famous for its beautiful autumn foliage. The area in front of the Nagaya-mon Gate-the only part of the castle that survives in its original position-is the venue for Akizuki Nochi no Hina event, held on the day of Chrysanthemum Festival (the 9th day of the 9th lunar month), when around 250 Hina dolls are put on display. Sugi no Baba Street, the road that leads up to the Castle site, features a 500 meter-long avenue of cherry trees."

• Daihonzan Naritasan Kurume Temple

  Fukuoka Pref. Kurumeshi Kamitsumachi 1386-22

  "Daihonzan Naritasan Kurume Temple can be reached by coming off the Kyushu Expressway at the Hirokawa Interchange and then driving along National Route 3 in the direction of Kurume for about 10 minutes. It is a Buddhist temple belonging to the Chizan school of the Shingon sect, which was founded by being separated from Naritasan Shinshoji Temple in Chiba Prefecture; its official name is Naritasan Kurume Bunin (""Bunin"" means ""branch temple""). Within the temple precincts there is a 62 meter-high statue of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, which is said to be the largest of its kind in Japan. Inside the statue there is a spiral staircase leading up to an observation window positioned in the shoulder, from which there are views of the Chikugo Plain and the Ariake Sea; Unzen can be seen in the distance. There is also a museum in the temple called the ""Hell and Paradise Museum,"" which recreates the sights and sounds of hell using dioramas and sound effects, enabling visitors to experience a ""tour of hell."""

• Daizenji Tamataregu Shrine

  Fukuoka Pref. Kurumeshi Daizenjimachi Miyamoto 1463-1

  Located around five minutes' walk from Daizenji Station on the Nishitetsu Railway Tenjin Omuta Line, Daizenji Tamataregu Shrine is an ancient Shinto shrine dedicated to Tamatare-no-mikoto, Hachiman Okami and Sumiyoshi Okami. The Shrine originally combined Shinto and Buddhist worship, but during the anti-Buddhist movement in the Meiji period (1868-1912) the Buddhist Daizen-ji Temple was dis-established, leaving the shrine as it is today; there are still some vestiges of the old temple, including the Bell Tower and Amida-do Hall. Oniyo Fire Festival is a spectacular fire festival which takes place on January 7th every year, and which is one of the three biggest fire festivals in Japan; it involves a procession of six huge Taimatsu torches, and has been designated as National Important Intangible Cultural Heritage.

• Ohana

  Fukuoka Pref. Yanagawashi Shinhokamachi 1

  A historic site located in Yanagawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Originally used as a palatial residence by the Tachibana clan, which ruled the ancient Yanagawa Domain. Today the facility operates as a traditional ryotei restaurant and ryokan inn. Here customers can enjoy seiromushi bamboo basket steamed eel, a Yanagawa specialty, along with traditional kaiseki course cuisine in the ryotei area. The facility also offers wedding plans. Visitors can also take in the beauty of the Shotoen Japanese garden and savor history dating back to the Edo period.

• Omuta Coal Industry and Science Museum

  Fukuoka Pref. Omutashi Misakimachi 6-23

  Coal helped support the modernization of Japan. And the Miike Coal Mine was the largest such mine in the nation. The Omuta Coal Industry and Science Museum was opened to share the history of the Miike Coal Mine with future generations and contains detailed exhibits which make use photos, videos, and tools actually used in the mine. Particularly noteworthy is the museum’s Dynamic Tunnel. Recreating a mining tunnel 400 meters below the surface, here visitors can view equipment such as a mining cutter and electric mining train to get a feel for the incredible work which once was conducted here. Designed as a facility enjoyable by both adults and children, there is also an area where visitors can play and experiment with various forms of energy.

• Yanagawa Boat Tour

  Yanagawa-shi, Fukuoka prefecture

  A leisurely ride in a shallow donkobune boat down a canal passing through Yanagawa, a city renowned for the beauty of its waterways. Dug as part of the construction of Yanagawa Castle, the canal twists its way through sluice gates and under bridges, revealing the elegant scenery of a former castle town during its one hour and 10-minute journey. One of the tour’s key attractions is that it provides riders with the chance to enjoy a slightly different side of Japan, such as the red brick warehouses and white namako-kabe tile and plaster walls in the late Meiji period preservation district. The stirring songs and performance provided by the boat pilot are also highlights. Nishitetsu Yanagawa Station is the closest station to the boarding dock.

• Ganso Motoyoshiya

  Fukuoka Pref. Yanagawashi Asahimachi 69

  This specialty eel restaurant was opened in 1681, and even now, continues to serve its specialty menu item, “Unagi Seiromushi,” which is said to have been invented here. The restaurant carefully chargrills high-quality eels with a secret sauce which has been passed down for over three hundred years. The “Unagi Seiromushi,” is cooked with steaming twice, slowly, so that the sauce soaks well into it, giving it its delicious flavor. The restaurant is inside an elegant Japanese-style house, and visitors can enjoy their meal while looking upon the garden. The nearest station is Nishitetsu Yanagawa Station.

• Kitahara Hakushi Birthplace/Memorial Hall

  Fukuoka Pref. Yanagawashi Okinohatamachi 55-1