This is Part 4 of our 2-week Kyushu trip. We would be travelling from Beppu to Kitakyushu, bringing us nearer to the starting point of the loop tour – at Fukuoka.
To recap, we’d landed at Fukuoka airport 8 days ago, and started our drive towards Nagasaki and further inland to Kumamoto, Yufuin and Beppu.
- Part 1: Arriving in Fukuoka and exploring sights in Nagasaki
- Part 2: Kumamoto city and the stunning volcanic landscape surrounding it
- Part 3: Explore onsen towns: Yufuin Town & Beppu City
Today, let’s continue our journey from Day 9 and check out the attractions and sights in the port city of Kitakyushu.
Day 9: Road-trip from Beppu to Kitakyushu City
Though our hotel in Beppu was tiny, the breakfast was pretty decent. Not the wide spread seen at Dormy Inn Nagasaki, but whatever was laid out there in the small space was not bad.
Done with breakfast and we were ready to drive off to Kitakyushu City. In between, we would squeeze in a few attraction sights!
Senbutsu Stalactite Cave was really fun!
Have you walked through a cave filled with freezing water up to your knees? Well, we had the chance to do that at Senbutsu Stalactite Cave, located about 1.5 hours from Beppu City (or 40 mins from Kitakyushu).
There, you can change into their slippers which is included in the admission (¥1,000). But I recommend that you bring your own as theirs can be quite worn out and slippery. My man fell a few times!
After walking through 400m of dry land within the dark cave, you’ll waddle through water for the next 500m or so. It was a freezing, but fun and memorable experience. Highly-recommended!
Fantastic View @ Hiraodai Karst Plateau
Near the cave was this fantastic view you should not miss. The vast green field with scattered limestone formations is located here.
It is said that Hiraodai Karst dates back to the times of dinosaurs.
Travelling on, we stopped by a restaurant located by the road for a quick Udon lunch (see location). It’s seemed like an authentic local eatery as we saw only locals there, and menu was in Japanese.
Not a bad place for a meal as we could sit on the floor like a Japanese.
The Outlets Kitakyushu & Aeon Mall Yahatahigashi
Instead of driving straight to Kitakyushu, we decided to do some shopping at The Outlets Kitakyushu and Aeon Mall which were within walking distance to each other.
Aeon Yahatahigashi was a big mall and a lovely place to shop in – I spent most of my time there actually, while the man shopped at The Outlets. He also dined at the food court – the steak he ordered was quite good (and cheap by Singapore standard).
Checked into Hotel at Kitakyushu
Finally, at 8.30pm, we reached our hotel in Kitakyushu which we would stay for the next two nights. Tokyo Inn Kokura-eki Kita-guchi was a very new hotel, though it required a bit of walk to the shopping area.
Ichiran Dinner at Kitakyushu
Our last itinerary of the day was to dine at Ichiran Kokura. Love it that no queuing was needed to dine in Ichiran in Kyushu unlike my Tokyo experience.
Did you know? Tonkatsu Ramen originated in Kyushu island. Ichiran, a popular Ramen chain outlet began its business in Fukuoka in 1960. Therefore, you’ll see us eating Ramen quite often during this trip! :)
Map Location for Day 9 (Sights around Kitakyushu)Beppu Daiiti Hotel >> Senbutsu Stalactite Cave >> Hiraodai Karst Plateau >> Sukesanudon Tokuyoshi restaurant >> The Outlets Kitakyushu + Aeon Mall Yahatahigashi >> Tokyo Inn Hotel Kokura-eki Kita-guchi >> Ichiran Kokura |
Day 10: “Retro” at the Port in Kitakyushu
We started the day with a complimentary breakfast from Tokyo Inn Kokura-eki Kita-guchi, located in Kitakyushu. Well, this is probably the most basic hotel breakfast we’ve had thus far.
Never mind. Our plan was to head to Karato Fish Market for our real sushi breakfast and hence, I ate very little. Let’s go!
Karato Fish Market @ Kitakyushu
A 30 minutes’ drive brought us to Karato Fish Market. Sadly, most stalls were closed even though website resources and Google Map said they would be opened – and it was only 9.30am.
Quite disappointed as this was ranked high on our to-do list in Kitakyushu. If you’ve been to Karato Fish Market, do share everything you know about its operating days/hours?
Since it was still raining, many things we’d marked out to do around the port (mostly involving views and sights) couldn’t be executed.
TIP: This day tour that departs from Fukuoka brings you to Karato Market and nearby attractions. I’m sure you won’t miss the fish market like we did if you travel with the locals.
Kyushu Railway History Museum
We strolled around, wasted some time topping up our petrol and decided to visit a rain-proof attraction, at Kyushu Railway History Museum (¥300 admission).
The man seemed to like the museum, which comprised indoor exhibits and real trains from the past. It must be a guy’s thing…LOL!
I also played a train simulator pretending to be a driver, but failed badly because everything was in Japanese.
There’s a mini train that one can ride in, but sadly was not in operation due to the wet weather.
Mojiko Retro Observation Room
Another place we could visit in this rainy climate was Mojiko Retro Observation Room. Located on the 31st floor, you can catch a good view of the Mojiko Port (admission ¥300 or get online ticket here).
There’s also a cafe there, if you like some cakes and drinks.
TIP: Not driving but like to visit Mojiko Port? Check out this day tour that departs from Fukuoka.
Picturesque Mojiko Retro (What to do in Kitakyushu?)
I didn’t expect myself to enjoy the sights at Mojiko Port. It was picturesque, and the old architectures brought a retro feel. I read that the buildings were constructed from the Meiji to early Showa periods.
We entered Former Moji Customs House for a quick tour (free admission) and found the red-brick interior attractive. This building was built in 1912.
Nearby was another red and beautiful architecture that caught our eyes – Kitakyushu City Dalien Friendship Memorial Hall.
At 1pm, we caught the raising of a footbridge (Blue Wing Moji) to allow ships to pass through the Kanmon Straits.
TIP: Check out daily “rising” schedule of the Blue Wing Moji footbridge here.
Continuing our stroll along the wharf, I found myself standing by the bank and admiring the harbour view. It’s probably one of the nicest port-views I’ve seen.
Soon, we were starving and needed food quickly. With our preference to dine at less touristy outlets, we moved away from the touristy port area and Kaikyo Plaza.
Soon, and with the help of Google Map, we found Daiheizan Retro Ramen – a restaurant that offered Shoyu-based ramen. Good for a change, and it was quite tasty.
And this marks the end of our visit to Mojiko Retro Area. Let’s rush back to see the history of toilets. LOL!
TIP: Check out this site that shows you other things you could do around Mojiko. Due to our hunger, we’d missed the Mojiko Station and some other areas.
TOTO Museum (What to do in Kitakyushu?)
Not sure if it comes as a surprise, but TOTO Museum was No. 1 on my Kitakyushu “must-visit” list.
Admiring Japanese’ love for cleanliness and being a lover of washlets, I was interested in the evolution of toilet or sanitary development in general. LOL!
Admission was free and you’ll be in awe with the spaceship façade of the building. The museum provides sufficient info and interesting displays.
It was definitely worth our visit and I wished I could bring home the washlets at the ground-level showroom.
Did you know? TOTO started its history offering ceramic cutleries before venturing into sanitary ware.
Exploring Kitakyushu’s Shopping Belt
By late afternoon, we were back at Kitakyushu’s shopping area. I walked around the small premises of Kokura Castle which was located next to Riverwalk Kitakyushu mall.
Thereafter, I started shopping and spent quite a bit of time loading up beauty products from a drugstore located at the basement of Riverwalk mall.
Saint City was another mall, that was modern but narrow in design. Since beef is relatively cheap in Japan, we decided to go for another beef meal at Ikinari Steak.
My 150g of tenderloin costs about ¥2300 – it was tender and nice!
On our way back, I bought a Taiyaki that came with piping-hot sweet potato filling. This delicious fish-shaped cake summed up our stay in Kitakyushu.
Map Location for Day 10 (Kitakyushu)Tokyo Inn Hotel Kokura-eki Kita-guchi >> Karato Fish Market >> Kyushu Railway History Museum >> Mojiko Retro Observation Room >> Mojiko Port (Former Moji Custom House > Kitakyushu City Dalien Friendship Memorial Hall > Blue Wing Moji footbridge > Kaikyo Plaza) >> Daiheizan Retro Ramen >> Toto Museum >> Kokura Castle >> Riverwalk Kitakyushu mall >> Saint City mall >> Ikinari Steak restaurant >> Taiyaki Stall |
We are nearing the end of our 14-day travelogue in Kyushu. Check out the final leg of our trip and see how we spent 3 days in Fukuoka. See you!
- Part 1: Things to do around Fukuoko in 14 days
- Part 2: Kumamoto city and the stunning volcanic landscape surrounding it
- Part 3: Explore onsen towns: Yufuin Town & Beppu City
Essential Info:
|
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no cost to you. Read my full disclosure for more info.
