Japan 2023: Day 11 - Beppu to Fukuoka

 Another day, another train. Or six. Hard to say. 

We woke up early to pack our personal item bags then headed downstairs for another *shudder* Traditional Japanese Kaiseki Breakfast. Today's was a bit more palatable (eggs and ham, rice, miso soup, various pickled veggies, miso-boiled mackerel, and some other stuff that I've forgotten). Afterwards, we headed back up to the room and did the traditional panicking about possibly forgetting stuff. 

We walked back up to Beppu Station, found some tickets for our friendly neighborhood Chili Dog Enthusiast train, the Sonic Express. It was a relatively unexciting and utilitarian ride, which is exactly what I want out of public transit. We headed to the hotel to drop off our luggage, then back to the station. 

Upon our arrival to Hakata station, we decided to head out to the temple town of Dazaifu. Known for having several of temples, it is definitely the kind of place that Western Tourists do no go to. We counted a total of nine tourists of obvious European or African decent. Out of probably 10,000 people. Angie and I stuck out a bit, we'll say. 

You don't see Kirin statues too often

You do see Komainu at shrine entrances a lot though. One with mouth open, one with mouth closed.

Before getting to the shrine you go over three bridges representing your past, present, and future

The main temple, Dazaifu Tenmangu, was very pretty. We walked around, enjoying the scenery (and not enjoying the heat or the sun). After buying a Traffic Safety charm (as Angie's has long since expired), we saw a man and a trained monkey. The weather was not kind to the poor man or the poor monkey, but the crowd was engaged. 

Lots of people there today since it was a Sunday

Lots and LOTS of people lined up to make their donations and pray (probably for academic success since that's Sugawara's thing)

Apparently an ox carried the cart with Sugawara's body on it and when the ox stopped and refused to move, Sugawara's disciple decided it was his master's wish to be buried there. Thus the location of the shrine today! Also, rubbing the ox's head you will expand your knowledge and become smarter!

On our way out of Dazaifu, we grabbed a bag of Baby Castella Cakes and enjoyed a very rapid train back to Fukuoka. Neither of us were especially hungry, so we went out to Melonbooks and another Lashinbang and yet another Animate. Angie found a couple of Rare Figures, I found out that Melonbooks's categorization system is a nightmare snarl (rather than just, ya know, organizing by source material or something). I've been coming up mostly empty, as (apparently) the anime I watch aren't well represented in the merch categories and those that are I've apparently chosen Wrong Waifu. Both of the card game shops I've come across on this trip focused on Yu Gi Oh and Pokemon, so I've been feeling a bit left out on both of those fronts. But, the good news is, I did pull a sick Empire Strike Back poster standee thing from a gashapon machine. So I've got that going for me, which is nice. 

We hit up a Macca's for the first time on this trip, which is a new record for us. Usually, we give in within the first few days after landing. Yay us! 

And now, here's Angie with the traffic. 

I got to finally eat kakigori since the last time I was in Japan in May, so since 2008-ish. Melon flavored with sweetened milk on top? Just as delicious as I remember it. And a very welcome cold treat because today the sun was at full intensity, not a cloud in the sky, but probably only about 81 degrees or so.

I was able to make a connection to a manga I really enjoy, Noragami, and the temple we went to today. Dazaifu Tenmangu is a temple to the god Tenjin (which is the name of the part of Fukuoka we're staying in as well) who was a human named Sugawara Michizane who became deified after death (and then like 5 of the people who had exiled him died in accidents) and became the god of literature and education. This sounded familiar to me and, sure enough, it's the same Tenjin in the Noragami manga! Always fun to see these things in real life after only reading or seeing it in manga over in our non-Shinto part of the world.

Melonbooks caters more to the boys who like tiddies and Lashinbang caters more to girls who like boys who like boys. Meanwhile, I'm doing kinda okay when it comes to figuring out the doujinshi organization (it helps that I've got reading kana down pat and a tiny bit of kanji that is enough to start being useful). The girl's doujinshi is in the catagories of anime, game, idol groups, and original (and I think there's one or two other that didn't interest me). Within these catagories are usually the current, most popular titles with lots of doujin (Demon Slayer, SK8, Haikyu), doujin based off Shonen Jump manga, and popular pairings (with their pairing names on the placeholder card). And at the very end of each category is miscellaneous/other. These are the ones I go for because I'm not into any of the new or popular anime and the stuff I like, if it isn't long gone from the shelves due to being no longer popular, is old and not popular. On the plus side, if it's old, I also have a chance of finding it in the bargain bin! Which is where I found my Reno and Rude figurines (not in the doujinshi section, I've switched to a different area of the Lashinbang store, keep up)! $150 figures for $40 you say??? Yes please!! Plus Reno is the best, and I wasn't about to buy him and leave his friend Rude behind! That would be rude!

My souvenirs may have expanded past the point of fitting in my carry on bag...

Okay, I'm done bragging. I set out promising I wouldn't buy anything large but here we are with two big figures. I guess that means it's no holds barred when we go shopping tomorrow and Tuesday! Guess we'll buy a suitcase as per our usual  at the end of all our Japan trips.

Fingers crossed we have great luck shopping tomorrow too! :)