Visitors can enjoy fresh fruit at lower prices than supermarkets and a great selection of flowers and plants. In fact, during the right season you can get not only the freshest fruit and vegetables at the highest quality but also pricing that is so reasonable you will not be able to just buy 1.
Case in point is the Strawberry season in Japan from December to mid April. I can guarantee that you will not have any better than what you can get here in Fukuoka. Our special type of Strawberry that is specifically grown to be SWEET, is called the Amaou. I cannot tell you how many past clients have argued that the strawberries from their hometown region are the best they have ever tasted. In these cases 100% of them stopped arguing as soon as the strawberry touched their lips. The question that has to be asked, is can you stop a just one pack of strawberries, I think not!
The handmade corner features sausages and tofu, jams, sauces and more, as well as a plentiful selection of bento boxes and sushi. I use this option on sunny days and we have a picnic at a nearby park. Not only some of the most delicious sushi that you can have but get some Vitamin D and fresh air to boot!
Please check out Ito Sai Sai Farmers Market here on a map below:
Our popular WW2 History and Culture Tour of Nagasaki incorporates a long drive at the beginning of the day. I was looking for a location to visit in order to reduce the time spent between attractions. Low and behold this huge Torii (Gate Entrance of Shinto Shrines) came into view and instantly I knew that this was the place that I was looking for.
At first, I thought that the Cultural component of the tour would be boosted to meet up with the many historical locations already firmly in place. But little did I expect the Sohonzan Shrine to tick every box and literally surprise me to no end that this location in its own right is one of the highlight attraction of the whole day.
It has everything you need as a shore excursion stop. A chance to stretch your legs, a toilet break, nature and landscapes, a strong cultural component and in total a site that makes you glad it was included in the itinerary.
Of course, in my time here in Japan, I have been to a thousand shrines. Some are excellent, some are ho hum, some are preached as the most important or religiously significant shrines of the region. In this case, I won't do any of that but what I will tell you is that Sohonzan Shrine will leave a strong impression on you even if you have been to many in the past.
I am really please that many of our clients have felt exactly the same way about their visit and time here at Sohonzan Shrine as I did on my first time. It is now a mainstay attraction of this tour and I hope it will be for many years to come.
Please look below to see the Sohonzan Shrine on a map:
Please click on this link below to see a clients Google maps review:
There is this attraction in the middle of Saga Prefecture, away from any major highway and city center that is gathering a rather lot of attention these days. It is called Oouo Shrine and a site that I have visited many times because of its uniqueness and incredible scenery it possesses.
The Shrine has 3 Torii gates that are strategically placed from the shoreline out into the picturesque and highly productive seaweed producing Ariake Sea. At high tide all 3 gates are covered with water at various depths, whilst at low tide one can wander around and fully inspect each Torii Gate and get a feel of what a 6 meter tidal range really means from an environmental and nature point of view.
Although I have been here 3 or 4 times previously for some reason it is always at low tide. Not that I am complaining because low tide obviously allows for more exploring and a chance to stretch ones legs after a drive of some sorts from the previous attraction. However for comparison sake, I would love to have some high tide photos and videos because in reality one doesn`t know what kind of tide that they will get on the day so we just have to take the results in our stride.
Just in case you were wondering, even though this location is getting more and more popular, don`t worry, you will never feel crowded or unable to find a car park. As a result of its very rural location hardly more than a trickle of sightseers and or cameramen are here at any onetime.
Please look here to see the Oouo Shrine on a map:
Please click on the photos below to enlarge:
Plenty of shells to observe.
Offerings a plenty
A truly scenic spot
An instagrammers paradise
Wide open coastline
Impressive!
The 3 red gates.
At low tide!
Please click on the videos below to see more about this incredible attraction.
By the way, this is what Oouo Shrine looks like on a high tide visit. It is basically the luck of timing whether you get to walk out and explore the Torii Gates or whether you have to be satisfied with taking photos at the watewrs edge. All I can say, is that, no matter what tide you get this place is extremely special especially on a perfect weather day.
