Tag: dream destinations

Braving the Waters of Itoshima, Fukuoka (Itoshima Summer Guide Part 2)

One of the most famous views from Itoshima’s Totoro Forest.

Continuing from Part 1, this is Part 2 of my Itoshima Summer Guide. This part will feature scenic hikes and more recommended cafes and restaurants. The best hikes are Shiraito Waterfall and the Totoro Forest of Itoshima, which I had no idea existed until I was kindly shown by a local. It’s surreal how there are still so many people in Japan who are unfamiliar with Itoshima, because its beauty is truly unmatched. After spending three days here, I would rank it as one of my top destinations in Kyushu. I can see why locals would rather live here than in the city because you can enjoy the beach from anywhere in Itoshima.

Shiraito Waterfall

Shiraito Waterfall is one of the top attractions in Itoshima due to its natural beauty and festive surrounding atmosphere. If you come by car, the waterfall is only a short walk from the parking lot, but you can choose to hike here too. Depending on the season, you can try nagashi somen (the “flowing” soba noodles you can catch with chopsticks) in the Summer, and also see the large maple tree’s leaves here change colors in the Fall. I always appreciate seeing waterfalls in Japan because they have such brilliant colors. The best time to come here is early in the morning when no one else is around.

Address: 460-6 Shiraito, Itoshima, Fukuoka 819-1154
Admission: Free

Totoro Forest

The true name of this place is “Itoshima’s Genkai-Quasi National Park”, but it is referred to “Totoro’s Forest” by locals. Why? According to Japan Travel:

Because this portion of Shima town protrudes out of the main island and the forest’s location at the very end of this protrusion, the sea breeze hits the forest on all sides, constantly forcing the leaves of all trees found in the forest to grow into the dome shape that resembles the forest found in the famous ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ film by Studio Ghibli.

This park is great because it has a lot of beginner to intermediate level hikes that you can conquer in a short amount of time. It also has the best aerial views of Itoshima; you can see all of the way to Fukuoka Tower on a clear day. If you visit, definitely allow 1-2 hours to climb Mt. Tateishi and take the trail down to Keya Beach. Totoro’s Forest can be seen in a short amount of time and is a great place to catch some shade. Just be sure to pay attention to the signs, or better yet, find a local that will guide you!

Address: Shimakeya, Itoshima, Fukuoka 819-1335
Admission: Free

Recommended Cafes and Restaurants

My top cafe pick in Itoshima was Koko’s Cafe, which is a bakery and sweets cafe ran by a Taiwanese woman who has been living in Japan for a long time. She also has a ceramic art studio and sells pottery and glasses in her cafe shop. The menu at Koko’s changes seasonally based on what ingredients are available, but this time we were lucky to try the strawberry crepe (which was the fanciest crepe I have ever eaten in my life) and the savory peach pastry. These sweets were extremely high quality and artfully decorated so they made me quite happy.

Here are some other recommendations that are also top caliber:

For bakeries, I highly recommend Cafe de Poupee because they have delicious tiramisu croissants, soft pretzels, and affogato. Fore seasonal cakes and morning plates, Cafe Lily is one of the best breakfast places we discovered that is usually open early. If you’re going to Fukae Beach, SALUT is also a great place to stop by and eat toast and basque cheesecake. Last but not least, if you are looking for one of the best authentic Italian restaurants in Fukuoka, then please visit Time @ Ito Highland. This restaurant has the famous Napoli star-shaped pizza and other delicacies. I wished that I could try more of the menu items, but by far the margherita pizzas here were the best.

Thank you for reading my Itoshima Guide! If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments. I may write a music review later this week detailing an event I went to in Fukuoka. This trip was very refreshing and I hope to visit more of Kyushu next summer.

A Roadtrip to Aomori: Visiting Ashino Park, Seibi-en, and Takayama Inari Shrine

The sun fades into the clouds on the main path to Takayama Inari Shrine.

After an amazing day of eating delicious food and seeing the sakura in Hirosaki Park, we started out extremely early on our next day of sightseeing in Aomori. Our first destination was Ashino Park, which is Aomori’s other famous sakura park that is roughly 2 hours away from the main part of the city. The illuminated sakura we saw by Hirosaki Castle the previous night were absolutely gorgeous, so we wanted to try seeing them during the day too! We also found out about Seibi-en through a friend, which is the real life location of Studio Ghibli’s The Secret World of Arietty so we decided to head there after. Our final destination for the day was Takayama Inari Shrine, which is a beautiful shrine near the Sea of Japan. This day was long but we were fortunately able to accomplish everything on our itinerary.

Ashino Park

Ashino Park is located south of the central part of Aomori City and is famous for its 1500 cherry blossom trees and “sakura tunnel” that a retro train frequently runs through. Like Hirosaki Park, Ashino was voted as one of the best places in Japan to see the cherry blossoms so we absolutely had to come here even though it was a bit of a trip. The park has a river that snakes through it and you can rent boats from a boathouse to spend time out on the water. There is also a famous suspension bridge that connects the park to a popular camping area in Aomori. Though many of the sakura petals had fallen into the water from the previous harsh weather that week, the park was still stunning to walk through. Fortunately many of the weeping sakura trees were still in bloom and I managed to get a few good shots here!

Entrance Fee: Free
Address: Goshogawara, Aomori 037-0202

Seibi-en

Our next stop was Seibi-en, which is a beautiful house that combines Western and Japanese architecture and has a zen garden, similar to the Umineko Manor I visited last year in Tokyo. The first floor of the house is completely Japanese styled and contains several tatami rooms and a bath. There is a framed picture from The Secret World of Arietty on one of the tables so you can recall the resemblance. The 2nd floor is completely Western styled and was unfortunately closed when we visited, but you can clearly see its distinctive style from outside. The staff will also take you on a tour to a chamber called Gohoden that is completely made out of gold lacquer works of art. As you walk on the stone steps in the garden that lead to a small island, you will also see a small shrine called Seibi Shrine that is connected. The composition of both the house and garden is unlike anything I’ve ever seen and really make me want to watch the movie again so I can see more! This was my favorite place that I saw in Aomori and I would happily recommend to to everyone visiting because it is close to Hirosaki Park and also accessible by train.

Entrance Fee: 430 yen
Address: Ishibayashi-1 Saruka, Hirakawa, Aomori 036-0242

Takayama Inari Shrine

Our last stop of the day was Takayama Inari Shrine, which was located in a pretty remote area next to the Sea of Japan, but it is definitely worth seeing! This shrine is said to represent good harvests and safety at sea. It was also the most beautiful shrine we saw in Aomori due to the bright red tori being surrounded by coastal scenery. It is similar to Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto but not nearly as big or steep of a hike. I enjoyed seeing the ponds, bridges, and beautiful trees that lead to the scenic view on the top of a hill. We arrived at the perfect time because the sun was starting to set and it gave the shrine a beautiful glow. I was awestruck by how aesthetic this shrine was so I also recommend seeing this if you are up for the drive.

Entrance Fee: Free
Address: Washinosawa-147-1 Ushigatacho, Tsugaru, Aomori 038-3305

Food Picks

For lunch we decided to stop at a curry place that had a lot of vegan options called Michiru. I ordered a 5 curry set with rice, vegetables, and a giant egg and it tasted amazing! The pink fish curry was hands down the best because it packed the most flavor. The other vegetable curries had more of a bland taste but they were healthier than regular curry at least. I appreciated how they used fresh vegetables and organic ingredients here. For dessert I ordered ice cream topped with Aomori’s famous apple jam and my friend ordered organic cheesecake. Both were made with tender care and were the perfect way to end the meal. I’d definitely come back here in the future if I could so I could try more of the seasonal dishes! We also saw the A to Z Memorial Dog on the way to the restaurant because he was located nearby inside of the Former Yoshii Shuzō Brick Warehouse. I will be talking more about his symbolism in my next article.

For dinner we stopped at a teishoku place called Yayori nearby our hotels in the central city of Aomori. As we entered we found out that they normally only sell bento boxes during Golden Week while we were traveling, but since we had came all the way there the chefs made a special menu just for us! I enjoyed the fresh fish and vegetables because they were extremely nourishing. And it was very inexpensive too. I really appreciate how kind the staff was to us here.

Thank you for reading the second article of my Aomori series! The next article will cover various museums and be the final one. Please look forward to hearing about all of the creative modern art we discovered in this rural prefecture!