Fukuoka Solo Trip Day 3 Morning

Since I was staying in Minoshima, I headed to Takamiya Station to catch a train to Dazaifu. On the way, I had to transfer at Platform 4 (if I remember correctly) at Futsukaichi Station. The entire journey took about half an hour. As a popular tourist destination, the Omotesando leading to Dazaifu was bustling with tourists, mostly from Korea and China, with a fair number of Taiwanese visitors as well. Along the way, there were many shops selling Umegae-mochi, as well as other local delicacies made from Fukuoka's famous ingredients like strawberries and mentaiko. However, I only bought three items: Umegae-mochi from Teradaya (¥150), Mentaiko Gyutan Don from Hakata Mentai (¥800), and Matcha Latte from KOSelig JAPAN CAFE (¥700/highly recommended). The freshly made Umegae-mochi was really good, with a chewy rice-flavored crust. While passing through Dazaifu, I happened to catch the annual Plum Blossom Festival, which is said to commemorate Sugawara no Michizane, who was extremely fond of plum blossoms and created many famous poems about them. The festival featured ancient Shinto music and traditional dances. Traveling always brings unexpected rewards! After exploring Dazaifu, I queued up at the entrance to touch the sacred cow statue that is said to bless academic success. I passed by the station and saw many people lining up for the famous ramen at Nankinmura. I also bought some souvenirs at the Fuku Taro gift shop before bidding a grateful farewell to Dazaifu.