What do you look for when picking a holiday destination? Is it a thriving food scene with a mouth-watering selection of local specialties? An abundance of cultural sites and activities to satisfy your mind and spirit? A spotlight on all things nature-related and amazing scenery and views? Whether you answered “yes” to one or all of the above questions, Fukuoka has got you covered.
And, there’s no better time to make your way to Fukuoka than during the glorious springtime. At this time of the year, the weather is pleasantly crisp without being too harsh, the flowers are springing into full bloom (like the impossibly gorgeous display of wisterias you see on these two pages) and the fruits – strawberries, anyone? – are plump, juicy and ripe for the picking. Facing the sea on three sides, Fukuoka is also famous for its bountiful seafood. Beyond that, each city has its own unique specialties, depending on its location. Fukuoka city is renowned for ramen (Ippudo hails from here) and yatais (food stalls); while Kurume city is blessed with a variety of blooming flowers and fruits all year round.
When it comes to tradition and folklore, Fukuoka prefecture is a treasure chest of Japanese culture. Take a boat ride through the moats around Yanagawa and gawk at Ohana, the villa of the then-ruling Tachibana family. Pay a visit to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, where plum blossoms thrive, and the other shrines and temples dotted around the prefecture. In Fukuoka city, you’ll find a fascinating balance of edgy contemporary art at Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, as well as a focus on ancient craft and culture at Hakata Machiya Folk Museum, which is spread across three traditional townhouses. It also hosts festivals like the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival, which attracts up to three million spectators.
Once you have landed in Fukuoka, it’s easy to see why it was recently rated No. 12 in Monocle magazine’s Top 25 Liveable Cities in 2015 – there is so much to see and do, the people are warm and welcoming, and the energy of the city strikes the perfect balance … it’s not as frenzied as Tokyo, yet not as slow as Kyoto. With a population of 1.5 million in the city, and a population rate that is growing faster than that of any other city in Japan, it’s high time you checked out for yourself exactly why people are flocking to Fukuoka – the next few pages will show you what to eat, see and do when you get there.
(Text Tan Lili • Photography ryohei ito)
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Sweet meets Salty
With dishes that boast a complex, nuanced profile, spanning – and combining – the spectrum from sweet to salty, Fukuoka’s flavours will satisfy the best of both worlds.
With its proximity to both the coastline and the mountains, Kyushu is renowned for its abundant resources. Be it fresh seafood from the surrounding seas, or mineral-rich water from the mountains, the prefectures in the region are blessed with plenty of ingredients to work with when it comes to their signature dishes.
Situated at the northern tip of the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands, Fukuoka leads the way when it comes to the prefecture’s culinary prowess. The list of food that comes to mind when you think of Fukuoka is never-ending (and drool-inducing) – mentaiko, ramen, mizutaki, the list goes on. Of course, there’s no leaving out yatais, the street stalls that dot the city at night, which have since become a rare occurrence in all other parts of Japan. The dishes available vary from one yatai to another, but whether they serve up yakitori, ramen or oden, a lively, convivial atmosphere is the one constant.
Similarly, whether you choose to dine on seafood, poultry or red meats when in Fukuoka, you’ll find most of the dishes have a sweet and salty flavour profile – from the shoyu you dip your sashimi into, to the glaze coating your grilled meats, and the Worcestershire sauce served alongside yaki-ramen (fried ramen).
The city of Yanagawa’s famed specialty dish, unagi no seiro-mushi (basket-steamed eel) perfectly illustrates all the highlights of Fukuoka’s culinary profile. In contrast with the rest of Japan, where grilled eel is simply placed atop steamed rice, the story goes that a chef who learned how to cook unagi no kabayaki in Honshu (the Mainland) returned to Yanagawa and, inspired by Kyushu people’s love for sweet and salty flavours, came up with this twist on cooking the popular dish.
At Shukeitei Japanese Restaurant on the grounds of Ohana, for example, this dish is made using eel fresh from the neighbouring Ariake Sea, which is grilled then placed atop a bed of rice mixed with tare (stewed sweetened shoyu), topped with finely chopped fried egg, and steamed in a bamboo container. This allows the taste of the eel to soak deep into the tare-cooked rice, making for a dish that is equal parts sweet and salty, and completely tasty. It celebrates all the best parts of Fukuoka’s culinary heritage, as well as perfectly represents the meticulous, yet warm and well-rounded, character of its people.
(TEXT Tan Lili • PHOTOGRAPHY ryohei ito)
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Faces of Fukuoka
Shuichi Hirakawa
Salt is key to many dishes in Fukuoka – and Shinsaburo Shoten supplies restaurants in Itoshima city and beyond with Mataichi no Shio, natural salt, which has become a local specialty.
What made you decide to start your own salt factory?
Since we are next to the coast, people in the Itoshima region traditionally produced natural salt from seawater. However, there aren’t many people doing it now. I asked people about the process, read up on the techniques used, and did some research and development. The salt field structure on my land at Kobo Tottan (see page 27) is my own creation; developed after trial and error, and was set up 15 years ago.
How does your salt field structure, and natural salt farming, work?
For 7 to 10 days, water from the sea goes directly into black pipes, and disseminates through the bamboo poles, travelling up and down the structure. From the solution that is collected, we use recycled material for burning timber – which gives the salt a better flavour as compared to gas or electricity – in an iron oven at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius for two days, to separate the salt from the water. We only take what’s on the top, sifting out the best layer for salt that is neither too bitter nor too salty. We only want people to have the best quality salt, which is why we do not have that much in terms of quantity.
How can we enjoy your salt?
We supply our salt to department stores and high-end restaurants, including The Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, and sell it through the Internet. When you’re here at the factory, a must-try is our custard pudding with salt – 80 percent of our customers come here just for it.
Hiromi Nagasawa
Under the label “Hakata Mizuhiki”, she has turned an ancient Japanese art form for special occasions into colourful, modern gifts for everyday.
Have you always been interested in mizuhiki – a traditional Japanese paper cord used for gift wrapping?
Mizuhiki has been in my family for two generations, starting with my father, who is self-taught. I used to play around with my father’s leftover materials when I was young, and that’s how my interest in it started.
I used to be a graphic designer, but I started helping out with my father’s business seven years ago. He was going to close down the shop as he had no successor, so I took over three years after doing this full-time.
What inspired you to come up with this idea of continuing a Japanese tradition in a modern way?
Mizuhiki has always been given away during traditional celebrations such as engagements, but I started making them to be used as decoration for sake bottles. I love drinking sake, and thought it would be fun to make mizuhiki for a bottle I was bringing to a friend’s place – and everyone ended up loving it!
Using it as a bow tied around a bottle of sake still carries the meaning of mizuhiki; combined with the choice of ume, which represents happiness since it blooms at the start of spring, it means you are drinking happiness. You don’t need an occasion; this form of mizuhiki can be part of everyday life.
What other plans do you have for reinterpreting mizuhiki?
It’s still in the research and development process, as mizuhiki is very delicate, but I am experimenting with it in the form of brooches. I’m also working on collaborations with other artisans; as well as with companies on corporate gifts, where they use mizuhiki instead of ribbons. It’s a symbol of making the relationship with their client stronger, and it can be re-used as well.
(TEXT Tan Lili • PHOTOGRAPHY ryohei ito)
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