Wed, May 9, 2012
Hakozaki Shrine, Hakozaki Fishing Harbor, Asian Highway Ceremony, Genkai Island
On this day we first visited Hakozaki Shrine and the nearby Hakozaki Fishing Harbor.  Hakozaki Shrine, with its beautiful shrine path that stretches all the way from Hakata bay to its inner sanctuary.  The shrine`s god is believed to be the god of protection abroad and sea travels, and the beach at the end of the shrine path is also the location of the “Oshio Idori,” a  ritual of Hakata’s well-known Yamakasa.
Next, we went to the bay.  I am sure you know of the Asian Highway Route 1, which stretches from Tokyo/Nihonbashi to Turkey.  Since it is said that the path from Fukuoka to Busan is regarded as the only sea-route along that highway, a ceremony was being held.  Surely, when we looked, there was a sign put up on the Fukuoka City Expressway for “AH” (abbreviation for Asian Highway).  There is a romantic feeling when I think about how this road crosses the ocean and continues until Turkey.
Then, with YoungDoo’s request to ride a boat from the harbor, we boarded a municipal ferry and went to Genkai island.  It is about 30 minutes from Hakata port.  This island had a lot of damage from the earthquake that occurred here in 2005, but now the houses were new and being maintained.   
 Usually one can walk around the whole island in one hour, but since we walked slowly while taking in the sights, it took 2 hours.  Pet bottles and aluminum cans with Korean written on them had drifted onto the shore.