Local News

A Chinese cruise ship taking wealthy Chinese on overseas tours made its first call on the Port of Hakata last week. The Rhapsody of the Seas, a 7,500 ton vessel based in Shanghai, brought about 2,000 passengers to the city. After docking in the morning, the tourists visited the Tenman-gu shrine in Dazaifu and then went shopping in Tenjin. That night, the ship weighed anchor for Busan, South Korea. Local merchants were disappointed in their purchases, however. They blamed the small number of people who brought Japanese currency and the lack of adequate explanations in the city for how to change money.