Following our first peak into the Chikugo area back in November, round two of the popular tour showcased a new range of attractions in the south-central of Fukuoka Prefecture. With some 10 different nationalities on board and lead by our knowledgeable guide and support team, we started off another day of exploration in the misty morning sun of January. (By the way, there’s still room on Fukuoka Now’s next tour – click here.)
Named after the Chikugo River, the southernmost region of Fukuoka Prefecture enjoys a fertile land, making agriculture one of its main industries. Our first stop was at the city of Ukiha, sometimes said to be the ”Kingdom of Fruits”. The nickname did not appear out of thin air: virtually all fruits except banana and pineapple can be produced here, with farms growing up to 47 varieties of grapes, 16 kinds of persimmon, 37 types of peaches, 11 different types of pears and 6 varieties of strawberries.
Winter is the best season for strawberries, so we had an opportunity to pick them fresh at a local farm. After a brief introduction of how to pick and eat strawberries correctly, that is starting from the stem and gradually biting into the tip, we began hunting for the ripe fruits. Besides the fresh taste and a joy of discovery, another big benefit of visiting a farm was being able to try out several strawberry types with varying textures, shapes and levels of sweetness.
After an extremely filling ”strawberry buffet”, we burned some calories by climbing up approximately 250 steps through 90 torii gates at the Ukiha Inari Shrine. Put in place by local businesses, the torii gates of Shinto are believed to separate the sacred from the earthly. The top of the steps also opened to a beautiful view of the neighbouring town. Later, we took a walk along the preserved Yoshii street with houses painted using the traditional white-wash method. We heard that the tourist information center, converted from an old sake brewery, will soon provide bicycles for rent, so that visitors can explore the surrounding countryside at their own pace.
Our next destination was an outer lying area of Kurume City, the birthplace of Kyushu’s famous tonkotsu ramen. However, this time we came to learn about another local delicacy, wine, by visiting a 45-year-old wine brewery. The founding father of the winery believed that Kyoho, a Japanese grape variety, could add a unique twist to this otherwise Western-seeming drink. Despite being world famous for its sweetness and plumpness, Kyoho grapes were rather new in the field of winemaking that typically uses grapes that are small in size. After learning about the process and history behind winemaking, we also got to try out a range of fruit wines and other drinks sold at the store.
Following the visit to the wine cellar, we also had lunch at a cozy restaurant by the vineyards. Like their wine, the menu also seemed to draw influences from both Japanese and Western cuisines. We had traditional omurice (omelette rice) with salad for starters and blueberry ice cream for dessert. Even though it was still too early to see any grapevines or blooming roses in the garden, I could already sense a leisurely atmosphere in the air. Many of us ended up having a nap on the bus after we left the winery.
Proceeding our journey to the town of Tachiarai, a red bricked Romanesque building stood out from the scene. It is the Imamura Catholic Church, built in 1913 with the support from churches in Germany. It seems to be a physical reminder of the hidden Christians residing in the region in late 19th century. Viewing the church, it was interesting to spot the local influence on the architecture, including the Japanese style roof, round windows and practice of taking off shoes when entering the building.
Final stop of the day was at the Nyoirinji Temple in Ogori City. With over 5,000 stone frog statues located in the temple grounds, it is sometimes better known as the ”frog temple”. This rather special theme originated from wishing people a safe journey, as the Japanese word kaeru means both frog and “a journey back home”. Another wordplay we spotted in the gardens is goen. Many statues are covered with ¥5 (goen) coins, because the same pronunciation is shared by a word that refers to the invisible connection between people. Walking around the temple, it was indeed easy to spot frogs of different sizes and shapes, representing various good wishes. These occasionally cartoon-like frog designs formed an interesting contrast to the otherwise traditional looking architecture.
Tea was served to our group as a special favor. It is not a regular service for the public.
While in the temple, we were also served some freshly ground matcha with Japanese sweets. First time participating, I was rather unaware of the many etiquettes that go along with this special ceremony-like moment. It turned out that the correct way of appreciating the tea with sweets include rotating the cup in your hands, cutting the sweet with a toothpick and drinking tea in three sips after eating your sweets.
Finishing off our day of treats, we also dropped by a nearby pâtisserie to grab some cakes and pastries for the way home. Overall, the day gave us a varied look into farming and places of worship in Chikugo area. We were encouraged several times to come back for a more detailed visit, particularly during seasonal events like the sake festival in Kurume next month, cherry blossom viewing in Ukiha in the spring or the star festival celebration in Ogori in the summer. I enjoyed spending a day in the countryside and learning about agriculture that is a key source of livelihood for the local people. The land, in all its fruitfulness and beauty, is indeed a great blessing to Chikugo.
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- Tea was served to our group as a special favor. It is not a regular service for the public.
Report by Ludi Wang
January 20, 2018
Chikugo Area Tourist Information
http://kankou.chikugolife.jp/tagengo/english/
Join our next tour to Chikugo! (Feb. 24, 2018)
In this tour we’ll introduce you to many of Chikugo’s specialty products such as Kurume kasuri (woven textile), Yame tea, and Buddhist altars. We’ll visit a beautiful temple with a picturesque garden and a factory producing hanten, a traditional Japanese garment. For lunch, we’ll enjoy dishes made with Yame’s seasonal ingredients! Click here.
