I had now arrived into the coastal port city of Fukuoka. I knew very little about this city and only ever heard to it referred to as "where to do a visa run" to extend your korea work visa. I just thought it was a small town but was surprised to hear it it the biggest city in Kyushu island. I would have thought Nagasaki was. The city had a tropical feel with wide blvds and palm trees. Also like Germany the buildings were in immaculate condition with not one sign of chipped paint or wear and tear. However it was very overcast as a major storm was expected to hit at some point saturday. Hakata Station (which is the old name of the city) is the central hub for all train routes around Kyushu Island and onto the larger island of Honshu where Tokyo and Osaka lie. Walking from the port they had city maps on every other block showing landmarks for a block around. There were also historical illustrations along the main street. Traffic moves on the left like in the UK. I was also surprised by how the city had european feel to it with the road layout, intersections, and buses. The main road to the station passed by a cluster of temples. I didnt want to go in as I was on a tight schedule to get to Hiroshima and visit three sites before today's storm hit, and I could come back and see these temples later. Then there was one temple right on the main road so no need to go into side streets. I went in and there was a large five storied orange pagoda. Beside was a large wood building with a shrine with gold buddhas inside. The graveyards also had giant stacked stone statues I later found out there was a further shrine with a carved wood buddha but I never saw how to get there as the rest of the complex seemed like private access. The european feel to the city would continue at Hakata station. Far from being a humble train station this is a massive multi storey shopping complex with multi layers below ground housing the metro, local trains, and high speed trains. I entered into one of the underground passageways and became immediately immersed in the maze and mayhem of the retail stores and pedestrian traffic. Trying to find my way to the JR Ticket office I passed thru a foodcourt with many Japanese style restaurants. It would have been nice to stop for lunch if my schedule wasnt so tight. Finally I found the JR Ticket office and stood in line to buy my pass. They had koreans and other westerners buying different types of passes. The staff spoke good english and were helping with seat reservations. My pass allows me to travel without a reservation but I got a seat number anyway to Hiroshima Convenience stores have easier food options than in korea. I bought and egg sandwich for 210Y ($2.50) and a small carton of fried noodles for 270Y ($3.25)