They say you never really see your town until someone comes to visit. Now, Nana and I get around Fukuoka quite a bit - but somehow we'd never managed to get up
Fukuoka Tower, despite the fact that we ride our bikes right past it about a billion times a week.
(Yes, that's
yesterday. And pretty much every other day.)
This weekend, we had a couple sunny days and some friends from Korea in town on a visa run. The tower was on the top of their list, so we were more than happy to oblige. Perfect timing, too: we got to the top just in time for sunset.
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Looking up from the base. As you can see, the thing's actually empty -
just a run-of-the-mill radio tower sheathed in reflective glass. |
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| Looking north, over "our" beach. |
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| Looking east, over Hakata Bay. |
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| Looking south, towards the mountains. |
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Hey, I can see my house from here!
It's down by the confluence of those little rivers. |
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| Looking west, towards Itoshima. |
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| That mountain is Gofuji, which is Japanese for "little Fuji." |
Of course, the views aren't the only attraction on the observation decks - the tower is also home to the obligatory kitsch. Take, for example, this, um, sculpture?
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| "Something will happen when the lovers touch the wings." |
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| Nothing happened. |
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| Seems me and Nana were the only ones without the spark. |
Apparently, serious lovers could buy a heart-shaped lock, write a love note on it, and latch it to the observation deck railing. According to my sources, this is a thing.
Also a thing? Tiny Shinto shrines, 123 meters up in the air.
Anyway, the whole experience left us feeling very enthusiastic.
Bonus: Some cool night shots, as we made our way from the tower to Nishijin.
