Trip to Kitakyushu (北九州) on 10 June

On Thursday, we went to Kitakyushu. Where did we go? First, we visited Hiraodai (平尾台), one of the most well-known karst plateaus in Japan, and offers fascinating views of limestone. Next, Mojiko Retro Town (門司港レトロ), the buildings which were built at the best period has been kept. Then, we took 5 minutes drive to Mekari Park (めかり公園). The park is located at the top of Mount Kojo (古城山), so you can see amazing views of Mojiko and Shimonoseki (下関) in Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口県) across the narrow Kanmon Straits (関門海峡). After that, we visited Mekari Shrine (めかり神社). The shrine has a traditional annual event 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. Finally, we went into Kokura (小倉), an ancient castle town and the center of Kitakyushu. We had scheduled to go Kokura Castle (小倉城), but it was closed because of earthquake-proof construction until September. Afterwards, we stopped at Riverwalk Kitakyushu (リバーウォーク北九州), 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.  
  
I'll tell you in more details later.