Cathay Pacific discontinue flights to Fukuoka

According to the Nishinippon Shinbum, a local newspaper in Fukuoka Prefecture, reported on April 13 that Cathay Pacific will take the Hong Kong - Fukuoka route via Taipei out of service on October 29 when the winter timetable starts. This information has not been retrieved yet in the press release on Cathay Pacific official site at this time.

Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300ER (B-KPF) at Fukuoka Airport. Taken on April 8, 2015.

The airline began operating a scheduled service to Fukuoka in 1965 when the old international terminal was opened. At that time, it was 2 flights per week on the route either by way of Taipei or Seoul. In September 2015, a ceremony for 50th anniversary of service is being held at the airport.

Currently, the following three companies operated on this route; Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon and Hong Kong Express.

Cathay Dragon, a sister company of Cathay Pacific, will continue to operate from Fukuoka to Hong Kong.

The group's PR agency says, "In order to improve our efficiency, we should allocate our aircraft to the network connecting the countries. We don't think that we'll be withdrawn from Fukuoka as a group".  

The Yoshimura family house, Saga

The Yoshimura family house (吉村家住宅 -ke jyutaku) which is the important cultural properties of Japan, is located in the northern mountainous region of Saga city. It is the oldest building in Saga prefecture and received the designation of the important cultural properties of Japan in February 1974. A large restoration work is done in December 1983, and it is shown in the present form of the house.

In 1972, a textbook of the carpenter Fujiwara Muraha-uzaemon was found on the tatami-mat area near the bottom of the floor, it was able to confirm that this building was built in 1789. It is a slightly large agricultural housing of the direct house style which is commonly seen in the northern mountainous area of the prefecture.

We were going to Raizan Sennyo-ji Temple again

On March 29, we made a short trip to Raizan Sennyo-ji (雷山千如寺) in Itoshima, Fukuoka. We went there last October, but this time we want to see the 500 rakan Buddha statues which is crowded on the slope of mountain.

We were going to the main hall where the Buddha statue is located. We got into the main hall while looking at the beautiful landscape of garden and climbing up the stairs from the prayer hall or kannon-do (観音堂).

Going down the wooden stairs from the main hall, we went into the Shinji Garden.

A big maple tree.

Going back to the main hall, we'll head to the 500 rakan statues. Then a pretty young monk told us "Please take our Zen prayer first, then go to the stone Buddha statues". He gave us an impressive and wonderful speech about the origin of this Shingon Buddhist temple.

After that we could see the stone Buddha statues on the slope.

The Kaizando (開山堂) lecture hall.