Juneyao Airlines discontinue flights to Fukuoka again

Juneyao Airlines announced that it will take the Shanghai - Fukuoka route out of service on March 26 when the summer timetable starts. The airline was suspended the service from June 23, 2016 and restarting flight from the end of October, but it will be cancelled again. This route is currently operated 7 flights a week. It is using Airbus a320-200 aircraft on the route.

Seeing Hinamatsuri dolls festival at Kitsuki Samurai town

We say goodbye to Harmonyland, and we were going to see the Kitsuki Hinamatsuri dolls festival, a special day in Japan. Hinamatsuri is celebrated each year on March 3.

We visited to Kitsuki Samurai town, a venue which the doll festival is held. We parked a car near the samurai town, and take a short walk to the place. We climbed up stone slopes to the Kitadai (北台) samurai houses. 

Unlike other castle towns of Japan, the town is a quite unique structure; the samurai houses are placed on the hill divided into the north and south, and a town of merchants is established in the lowland part between them. In the local, this is called a sandwich type castle town, selling sandwiches as a specificity of the town.

Slopes of Kitsuki: The Suya-no-saka (酢屋の坂) slope which we went up there is in the background, and the Shihoya-no-saka (志保屋の坂) slope which can be seen in the foreground. On the top of the opposite side there is the Minamidai (南台) samurai houses as well as here.

A street view of the Kitadai samurai warrior district. Many traditional houses are left on the hill ground, so you can imagine the sight at that time. 

First we went to the Ohara (大原) samurai house. It seems that was the mansion of the Ohara family who served as the Kitsuki clan's elder. Here is the main venue for Hinamatsuri. 

Various Hina set display at the fusuma room.

An Azuma-ya (東屋) or the Octagonal pavilion. It's the best place to rest, you can take a closer look at the big beautiful garden and the thief-roofed house.

Next we were going to the Noumi (能見) samurai house. There is a tea house inside the building. I drank cappuccino, and my mom had a cup of green tea with a piece of Japanese sweet cake, but I forgot it.

The eastern end of Kitadai leads to a slope called Kanteijou-no-saka (勘定場の坂). From here you can see a part of the Kitsuki Castle keep tower. 

We have greatly enjoyed at Harmonyland, Oita

Next we went to Harmonyland, a Sanrio theme park in Hiji, Oita. Attractions with Sanrio characters as a main theme, there are many events will be held in this amusement park e.g. parade live shows with Hello Kitty and Cinnamon etc.  

We came here at about 1 o'clock. That day was during the all Sanrio characters festival so that we could buy a passport ticket at half price, 1,600 yen per person. We're very lucky! Normally it's quite expensive, 2,900 yen for both adults and children when buying at a ticket booth.

An event square with a circular roof. We saw the great live Sanrio characters show when we left there.

A billboard for advertising EVA Air's Hello Kitty jet between Fukuoka and Taipei.

After eating, we took ferries wheel and looked around.

First, we'll see the city of Oita and its industrial area.

What will we see the next? The one is the city of Beppu in the center picture, Mount Takasaki, known as the monkey park, is foreground and the town of Hiji in the background.

After that we took a sky jet plane. My mom drove Kitty Keroppi's jet. It was so much fun!

China Airlines "Masalu Taiwan" livery coming to Fukuoka again/チャイナエアラインの「Masalu Taiwan」特別塗装機が福岡へ再飛来！

On March 5, I went to the airport to see the EVA Air's newest Kitty jet to Fukuoka in the morning. After that I was watching planes takeoff and landing until the half past noon. There are more and more planes, especially budget airlines coming often than before. I know Fukuoka is one of the most busiest airport in Japan so that they should adjust the number of departures and arrivals per hour.
先週日曜日（5日）の朝はエバー航空の新しいキティジェットを見に行きました。その後12時半ごろまでいたのですが、以前に比べて飛行機（特にLCC）がひっきりなしに離着陸するのでもう少し時間あたりの発着数を見直すべきです。

I was lucky to see a morning flight of China Airlines from Taipei. They were flying with Airbus a330-300 Masalu Taiwan special livery. She's now a frequent visitor to Fukuoka so she'll come here very often; about once or twice a month.
この日はチャイナエアライン（中華航空）のA330-300Masalu Taiwan特別塗装機（機体番号：B-18358）が台北からの午前便で飛来していました。当機は昨年5月にも見ましたがそれ以来久々のことです。

The plane was taking off on Rwy 16 at 11:19 am.
飛行機は午前11時19分に滑走路16から離陸。

EVA Air's new Kitty jet welcomes to Fukuoka!/エバー航空の新しいキティジェット機が福岡へ！

I took pictures of the EVA Air's newest Kitty jet, Bad Badtz-maru - travel fun yesterday. At first I wasn't going to take pictures of the plane on this day, but I knew that it was put into the service last Saturday on the Internet. I really want to take pictures of the latest Hello Kitty designed plane, so I decided to go there. I left home at 10 o'clock, and headed off to the Rwy 16 end in 40 minutes. When I came there, I met two plane enthusiasts next to me. They had been waiting to have a tripod and try to take a picture.
昨日はエバー航空の新しいキティジェットであるバットばつ丸ファントラベルジェットの写真撮影に行きました。もともとこの日飛行機撮影に行く予定がなかったのですが、ネットで先週の土曜日（4日）に就航したことを知ってぜひカメラに収めようと思い急遽行くことに。朝10時に家を出て自転車で向かい、40分後いつもの撮影場所である滑走路16エンドへ到着。着いたときそばには二人の飛行機マニアたちがいて写真を撮ろうと三脚を持って待ち構えていました。

The plane from Taipei was landing at 11:15 am.
台北発の飛行機は午前11時15分に着陸。

The BR105 return flight to Taipei was taking off at 12:28 pm.
午後12時28分に台北行きBR105復路便が離陸。

Have a pleasant trip in Taiwan!
どうぞ台湾での楽しいご旅行を。

Seeing giant curving Buddhas in Kumano Magaibutsu, Oita

On Monday, we visited to Kumano Magaibutsu, a grouping of relief sculptures of the late Heian or early Kamakura period in Bungotakada, Oita Prefecture.

We stopped our car in the parking lot in front of the entrance, and pay an admission fee (200 yen per person) at a ticket booth. My mom borrowed climbing sticks because she was so tired last time at Hikosan-Jingu.

Going flat steps for a while, we could see a stone torii gate. From here we must climb up the 99 steps to the top. There's also a legend that this stone stair was built by an ogre in one night. 

The road is still ahead.

When we were climbing up the stone stairways, we'll see the big Buddha statues.

Fudo Myoou (不動明王)  or the Acala statue that is curved in the big rock wall on the left side. The height is about 8 meters.

The Dainichi Nyorai (大日如来) statue on the right side. Through it is smaller than the above-mentioned Fudo Myoou, but it is still 6 meters.

We went further up to the road, finally we came to the Kumano-jinja Shinto Shrine.