Let’s Go! Go! to Chikugo! #2
Special Bus Tour for Fukuoka Now Readers! (just 15 seats – book soon!)
Jan. 20, 2018
English Speaking Guide – for the entire trip!
Only ¥3,600 per person! – details below.
Chikugo is an area blessed with not only beautiful nature and scenery, but many tasty treats! On this tour we’ll enjoy local wines in Tanushimaru Town and strawberries in Ukiha City, one of the country’s leading producers of fruit. Then we’ll visit two Instagram-worthy shrines, one with a long row of red torii gates and another filled with frog figurines!
Strawberry Picking at Yamandon
This farm grows ten varieties of strawberries using fresh spring water from the surrounding area. We’ll enjoy picking and eating as many of those juicy berries as we can for 30 minutes!
Ukiha Inari Shrine
After climbing 180 steps and passing through 91 red torii gates, we’ll arrive at this picturesque shrine with a fantastic view of the surrounding area.
Yoshii District
An area steeped in history, the town of Chikugo-Yoshii once prospered as a stop-over town for travellers during the Edo period. Amidst the whitewall townscape we’ll visit Kura, a former sake brewery that is now a tourist information center to learn about locally made products including traditional soy sauce, Japanese confectionery, antiques, and more.
Kyoho Winery (Restaurant Heurige)
After touring the wine cellars of this impressive estate and vineyard, we’ll enjoy a tasty omelette-rice lunch. Then we’ll enjoy some wine tasting, souvenir shopping and everyone will receive a 180 ml bottle of their wine as souvenir!
Imamura Catholic Church
Next, our guide will explain the fascinating history of this church and its connection to the kakure kirishitan (hidden Christians) of the 1600s. The beauty of the Romanesque church’s altar and stained glass windows await.
Nyoirinji Temple (Frog temple)
With over 5,000 frog figurines and stone statues dotting the temple grounds, frog lovers and photographers looking for quirky contents will love it. Frog-themed charms and amulets are on sale and make great souvenirs!
Shop for sweets (Reve de Bebe)
Locals love the handmade sweets of this French-style patisserie. We’ll stop to not only see the cute store but to shop for sweets, especially for their bite-sized chou à la crème (¥120).
Itinerary
8:15 Meeting time
8:30 Depart by chartered bus from Tenjin (in front of the Bank of Japan) *meeting subject to change
10:05~10:45 Strawberry picking (at Yamandon)
11:05~11:20 Ukiha Inari Shrine visit
11:35~11:55 Yoshii District town visit
12:20~13:50 Wine tasting and lunch at Restaurant Heurige
14:30~15:10 Imamura Catholic Church tour
15:35~16:15 Nyoirinji Temple (frog temple)
16:15~16:35 Shopping at dessert shop (Rave de Bebe)
17:30 Return to Tenjin (in front of Bank of Japan)
Participation fee: ¥3,600/person and includes lunch, entry to all venues and travel insurance.
Why so inexpensive?
The cost of this tour has been drastically reduced, in return for cooperation by tour participants with a short written survey to be conducted on the bus on the way back to Tenjin. Information gathered will be used by tourism related offices to promote the areas visited on this tour in the future. The surveys are anonymous. Note: photos from the tour may appear on the Fukuoka Now website, SNS and elsewhere. The ¥3,600 participation fee only covers the cost of the lunch and the canal cruising. Transportation, the guide and other parts are included in the participation fee, so this is a great value.
SOLD OUT
This tour has been sold out. However, we still have a few seats available for our Kurume Kasuri Discovery Tour 2018 on Feb. 3, 2018. Read more about it here and if you are interested, use the form on the same page to register.
Check out the photos from our bus tour to Chikugo last November 26, 2017 – click here!
