Schedule for tomorrow

I'll take a picture of the Hawaiian Airlines flight HA453 tomorrow. It is the last flight of Hawaiian Airlines to Fukuoka. The plane will be scheduled to arrive at 5:55 pm.
The airline began operating a scheduled service to Fukuoka in April 2012. The load factor was approximately 80% in the first year. But it decided to suspend service by June because it was less than the target of passengers in the previous year.

Plane spotting @ FUK on 22 June 2014/2014年6月22日福岡空港での飛行機観察

I took two pictures of planes takeoff and landing before Skymark A330 flights.
スカイマークのA330機運航便の前に撮影した離着陸する2機をUPします。

• A Philippine Airlines Airbus a320-200 on flight PR426 from Manila/フィリピン航空のマニラ発PR426便（A320-200機）

The aircraft registration number RP-C8619 was landing on Rwy 16R at 2:26 pm. Now, the airline offers a non-stop flight to Fukuoka daily.
午後2時26分に滑走路16Rに着陸。機体番号はRP-C8619でした。現在同社の福岡便は毎日運航となっています。

• An All Nippon Airways Boeing 737-800 on flight NH2146 to Tokyo Haneda/全日空の東京成田行きANA2146便（B737-800機）

I was so lucky to see this Star Alliance livery plane. She is a rare visitor, I guess I saw her since 2012.
ひさびさにB737のスターアライアンス塗装機が飛来しているのを見ました。おそらく2012年以来ではないかと思います。

Walking around Kokura Castle

Finally, we got into Kokura (小倉), an ancient castle town and the center of Kitakyushu (北九州).

We parked the car in the Katsuyama Park underground parking located in the City Hall. Then, we had scheduled to visit the Kokura Castle (小倉城), but it was closed because of earthquake-proof construction until September. So we took some pictures of the castle instead. 

A place where traditional and modern architecture coexist: The keep of Kokura Castle is on the left, and the North side moat is next to the Riverwalk Kitakyushu (リバーウォーク北九州) shopping complex opened in 2003.

 The keep

After that, we stopped at Riverwalk Kitakyushu, a large shopping and entertainment complex near the Murasaki River (紫川) and Kokura Castle. We stayed there for a while and took a rest.

Riverwalk seen from a walkway to the castle.

The building and a water fountain splashing in Kokura Castle 'Mizubori' or a moat.

View from a bridge which spanned in the downstream of Murasaki River.

We noticed that it's 5 o'clock already, so we should go back home now. We arrived at home around 7.




　

I caught a Skymark A330-300 yesterday!/スカイマークのA330-300機を捕獲しました！

Yesterday I went to the airport to see Skymark's A330-300s. The airline will be the first introduction of A330s in Japan market, and began operation on 14 June.
昨日はスカイマークのA330-300機を見に行きました。去る14日から就航した同社はA330機を国内市場で初めて投入しています。

The flight BC 009 from Haneda was landing on Rwy 16R at 1:34 pm Japan time.
午後1時34分に羽田からのSKY009便が滑走路16Rへ着陸。

The aircraft registration number JA330A on BC012 return flight was taking off at 2:38 pm.
午後2時38分に機体番号JA330AのSKY012折り返し便が離陸。

One minute after, the other flight of A330s on BC013 was landing.
1分後に別のA330機便であるSKY013便が着陸。

Visiting to Mekari Shrine

After leaving Mekari Park, we visited to Mekari Shrine (和布刈神社), a Shinto Shrine located in Moji-ku. In the shrine’s Shinto ritual called Mekari Shinji, wakame seaweed is cut from the ocean at low tide and offered to an altar in a ceremony conducted in the early morning hours of the first day of the New Year according to the old lunar calendar.

The Honden, or the main shrine.

 The Kanmonkyo Bridge across in the precinct of the shrine.

A stone lantern standing on the sea. This is a place that holds the Mekari Shinji Shinto ceremony. It can be accessed by stone stairs.

A view of Kanmon Strait from the shrine with Mount Hinoyama Park (火の山公園) in background.

Then we went to Kokura, an ancient castle town and the center of Kitakyushu. Before that, we took a small break at Norfork Hiroba Park (ノーフォーク広場), a waterfront promenade. Here, you can see a great view of the Kanmon Straits, Kanmonkyo Bridge and Shimonoseki city.

Visiting to Mekari Park

After leaving the Mojiko Retro Town,  we visited to Mekari Park (和布刈公園), a 5 minute driving from the retro town. It is the role of tourist destination overlooking the Kanmon Strait (関門海峡).

We arrived at the park near the ruins of Moji Castle (門司城跡) at 2 o'clock. After a few minutes, it had rained heavily, so we waited for 40 minutes in the car.

After the rain stops, we were continuing to go around the park. Before that, I took a picture of the port district panorama from the parking.

We had scheduled to go the peace pagoda near the parking, but we didn't go there because of a steep slope road. We found a nice viewpoint on the way to went down the mountain. We saw stunning views of the Kanmonkyo Bridge (関門橋) and Shimonoseki (下関) from there.

There is the picture scroll of the battle of Genpei (源平壇ノ浦合戦絵巻) on the opposite site of the observatory.

Then, we visited to Mekari Shinto Shrine facing the Kanmon Strait.

Strolling around the Mojiko Retro Town, part2

After crossing the Blue Wing Moji drawbridge, we went back to the Old Moji Customs Building and Mojiko Retro Highmart area.

A view of the central port district from the Blue Wing north side. Moji Customs Headquarter Buildings (門司税関本関) in the center picture, the Kanmon Strait Dramaship observatory (海峡ドラマシップ展望台) in foreground, and Mojiko Hotel (門司港ホテル) in the background.

International Friendship Memorial Library (国際友好記念図書館), built in 1995, is a replica of historic buildings in Dalian, China, one of the sister cities of Kitakyushu.

Mojiko Hotel and the Old Moji Mitsui Club.

Minato House (港ハウス), a fish market opened in 1998, has fresh seafood of the Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki. And there is a souvenir shop and a large restaurant.

After that, we went to Mekari Park (和布刈公園). It is located further north of the port district.

Strolling around the Mojiko Retro Town, Part 1

After leaving Hiraodai, we arrived at Moji Port (門司港) at 12:30 pm. The port has been developing as one of the busiest ports of Japan since it opened in 1889. But today, the port district attracts many tourists as Mojiko Retro Town  (門司港レトロ). 

We're so hungry, we had a wonderful Yaki curry (焼きカレー; baked curry) lunch at Mojiko Charyo (門司港茶寮) cafe near the Retro Town. Yaki curry is the local food in this area, made by putting curry sauce on rice, topping it with cheese and egg and baking it in an oven like gratin. We ordered topped with humberger steak on it.

Then, we walked around the Retro Town. Before that, we stopped at the Blue Wing Moji (ブルーウイングもじ) moveable bridge. My mom told me, 'the bridge is rising now'. The bridge rises six times a day, so I want to take a picture of this.

After few minutes, the drawbridge is open for pedestrians.

The Old Moji Customs Building (旧門司税関), built in 1912, was used for the custom office until 1927.

The Mojiko Retro Highmart (門司港レトロハイマート), a high-rise condominium 127 meters high completed in 1999. The highest floor is the observatory for visitors, and offer a nice view from there.

Kaikyo Plaza (海峡プラザ), a commercial shopping complex for visitors.

The Old Moji Mitsui Club (旧門司三井倶楽部) was built as a social hall for Mitsui Bussan trading company. There is the room where Albert Einstein stayed in 1922 on the second floor.

Hydrangea blossoms in the yard.

The Old O.S.K Lines Ltd. Buildings (旧大阪商船), a red brick building built in 1917, was the former office of Mitsui O.S.K Lines, a shipping company, and had been used until 1991.

To be continued..

The Hiraodai Karst Plateau, Kitakyushu

First, we went to Hiraodai (平尾台), one of the most well-known karst plateaus in Japan, and offers fascinating views of limestone. 

We stopped our car in front of the Ogre's Washboard (鬼の洗濯岩). 

About 500m further down the road from here,we arrived at Chagatoko (茶ヶ床). This is the most stunning place to see the karst plateaus.

We had planned to visit Yogenbaru (羊現原), located at the middle of Mount Ohira (大平山), has many limestone rocks lying around the ground. But we really don't know the way to go, so we asked a man at Mejito Cave. He said 'You can go there by car, but we recommend you to walk here to there'. We've decided to go the Mojiko Retro Town then.