Once upon a time: A pretty bear color plane of V Air at Fukuoka Airport/在り日のVエア、福岡空港にて

I'm uploading a picture of the last V Air flight to Fukuoka again. The Taiwanese based budget airline ceased operations on September 30 last year. And later, Trans Asia Airways, the parent company of V Air, decided to discontinue on November 22.

The aircraft registration number B-22316 is used for flight of the day. This A320 plane was first received by Trans Asia Airways in March 2012. After that she moved to V Air in December 2015. After the suspension of the company's operation, she returned to Trans Asia Airways again. Finally it was taken over by a Singaporean leasing company in last December and now seems to be used on Ural Airlines of Russia.

昨年9月30日に撮影した台湾のLCC・Vエアの福岡便ラストフライトを再度UPします。同社はこの日で全便運航停止となり、そして11月22日には親会社であるトランスアジア航空が解散を決めてしまってかわいらしいタイワンツキノワグマが描かれた機体を二度と見ることができないのでとても残念です。

ちなみにラストフライトに使用された機材はA320型機で、機体番号はB-22316でした。同機は2012年3月にトランスアジア航空向けに受注。その後2015年12月にVエアに移籍。運航停止後は再びトランスアジア航空に戻り、昨年12月にシンガポールのリース会社に引き取られた後現在ではロシアのウラル航空で活躍しているようです。

Visiting the Kono Park Kakurintei tea house, Saga

Finally we went to the Kono (神野) Park located in the heart of Saga city. This park is a holiday residence of the lords of the Nabashima clan era, and then it was donated to Saga city from the Nabashima family. Now it is a great place for relax.

The Kakurintei (隔林亭) tea house at the corner of the park. It seems to have restored the tea room of the old tea house. There are about 600 cherry trees surrounding the pond in the cherry blossom season.

Strolling around the Saga Castle ruins

After watching planes takeoff and landing at Saga Airport, I went back to Saga city and keep taking pictures of the Saga Castle ruins.

The time was already 4 pm. I don't have enough time to visit there, so I only went to see the main gate and the keep tower ruins.

A little history of the Saga Castle
The Saga Castle is a residence of the Nabashima clan of Saga which was extended and improved of the former Ryuzoji clan's castle, the Muranaka Castle, between 1608 and 1611. During the feudal period, the castle was buried into two big fire. The first time was a large fire in 1726. Many buildings were burnt down including the castle tower, the keep tower and Ninomaru (二の丸, second enceinte). After that, the castle tower and the keep tower was not rebuilt and the clan government was done in Ninomaru and the superior mansion. However, the castle tower was rebuilt on the occasion of the Ninomaru fire in 1835. This gate, also known as the grampus gate, was completed as a main entrance of the castle tower in 1838. In the Meiji era, the castle tower was used as a clan government office and later the Saga Prefectural government office. In the battle of Saga in 1874, some buildings were damaged by the war. As a story of the fierce battle at that time, bullets still remained at the entrance of gate.

The main gate of Saga Castle and its turret.

Passing through this gate, you'll find the Saga Prefectural Honmaru History Museum on the right side. A part of the former castle tower was restored in 2004 and now it is used as a museum.

The Saga City Historical Museum tour, part 2

After finishing the tour of the Old Fukuda Family House, I went further to Yanagimachi, Saga's historic district.  

The Old Morinaga Family House. The Morinaga family has been living in Hasuikemachi (蓮池町)/Yanagimachi since the Edo period and the founder Jyusuke Morinaga was running a cigarette manufacturing and sales. The family gave a business name from the Nabeshima clan during the Kansei era between 1789 and 1801, and it is said to that began manufacturing tobacco.

In the Meiji period, the Fuji no kemuri brand cigarettes manufactured by Zouhei Morigaga became one of the specialties of Saga prefecture. It was more popular than the Tengu brand which was famous in Tokyo at that time. Shigenobu Okuma, the former prime minister of Japan, also loved it. However, with the introduction of cigarette monopoly, it turned to a Kimono shop, and it seems that he was running that business until 1934. There is still a signboard of Morinaga Kimono shop in the column and we can remember at that time.

Machiya style houses along the road: The Old Ushijima House, built in the early 18th century, is on the left and the Morinaga Family House, formerly known as the Morinaga Kimono shop, is on the right.

The Old Hisatomi House was built in 1921. Kameichi Hisatomi who was running a footwear business in Shiroyamamachi (白山町), opened the Hisatomi Shoten footwear shop relocated to Yanagimachi that year and was open until the 1980s. Now there is a craft cafe called Konekuriya (こねくり家) on the first floor, you can have both lunch and coffee in the cafe.

A wooden signboard is written horizontally as the Hakimono Tonya (履物問屋: a footwear shop) Hisatomi Shoten from right to left is still listed in the shop.

The Saga City Historical Museum tour, part 1

Before going to Saga Airport, I went to the Saga City Historical Museum. The Yanagimachi (柳町) area in the heart of Saga city has many buildings from the Edo period to the Meiji period.

There are seven buildings in this area, the Old Koga Bank, the Old Koga Family House, the Old Ushijima Family House, the Old Sansho Bank, the Old Fukuda Family House, the Old Hisatomi Family House and the Morinaga Family House.

Let's take a tour.

First I visited to the Old Koga Bank which was built in 1906. The bank itself was established by Zenpei Koga, a money changer in 1885. In the 1920s, it grew to be counted as one of the five biggest banks in Kyushu. In 1926, however, it was forced to take a leave due to the depression. After that it was used for a labor house etc., it is currently used for the folklore museum.

The Romanza cafe on the first floor. A famous local dish is Sicilian rice, putting steamed rice on one plate, assorted meat and raw vegetables on top, and plus mayonnaise on the basic form.   

The Old Koga Family House was built in 1884. It is a house of Zenpei Koga, the founder of Koga Bank. Although it is a town house, but it has a style of samurai residence.

 The house is currently closed due to renovation work. Sorry.

The Old Ushijima House was built in the early 18th century. It is considered to be the oldest Machiya buildings in Saga Castle. 

The Old Sansho Bank. It was established in 1882, and its appearance is a traditional collection, such as a gable roof with swelling. At the time of opening, unlike ordinary banking services, it was said that the rice market transaction was mainly made into a business.      

The Old Fukuda House was built in 1918. It is a house of Keishiro Fukuda, a businessman representing Saga from the end of Meiji period to the Taisho period and early Showa period.

A living room. It is very simple and beautiful Japanese-style room with Tatami, a pair of sliding doors (襖 Fusuma in Japanese) and so on.

I went further backwards, there is a tea room.

A productive demonstration of traditional crafts, called Saga Nishiki (佐賀錦) was held in the tatami room. They have a display of shopping bags and accessories available on sale, but the price is so expensive.

A stylish house and a tasteful garden.

After that I headed to my next visit, the Morinaga House and the Hisatomi House. Details will be posted soon.

I met ANA's C-3PO Star Wars jet again/久しぶりにC-3PO ANA JETを見ました

After taking pictures of the Cathay Pacific's new coating plane from the usual spot at the end of runway 16. After a while, a runway change was done to the south side, 34. Then I moved to the spotters place next to the runway and kept taking my photo works.
キャセイパシフィックの新塗装機をいつもの16滑走路エンドから撮影後しばらくしてから南側の34へ滑走路変更。その後滑走路隣の撮影スペースへ移動し撮影を続けました。

I'll upload two special planes of ANA that I saw during my photo works.
撮影中に見かけた全日空の特別塗装機を2機UPします。

On this day, the C-3PO ANA "Star Wars" jet was coming from Tokyo Haneda at around ten o'clock.
この日は午前10時ごろに東京羽田から到着したNH243便にスターウォーズジェット（C-3PO ANA JET）が入っていました。

An hour later she went back to her home, Haneda.
飛行機は1時間後にNH250便で羽田へ戻っていきました。

And after 30 minutes, it was coming a Star Alliance livery JA614A. I couldn't take a picture of the incoming flight, I only took pics of a return flight to Okinawa Naha. This is a fleet of ANA's B767-300 ER (B6) series mainly used for their short and middle haul flights. Now she's flying in Japan only.
そして30分後にスターアライアンス特別塗装機であるJA614Aが飛来。到着便は撮りそこなったので折り返しのNH1081便那覇行きを撮りました。当機はもともと国際線機材でしたが、昨年末(?）ごろから国内線に転用されています。

Taking close up pictures of the plane waiting for takeoff.
離陸待ちの飛行機を近場狙いしてみました。