Q's Mind: 25 August 2009 in Fukuoka

25 August 2009 in Fukuoka

7:08am~ ^^ I love the Window + Sunshine + Bed settings~
7:36am~ Breakfast at the cafeteria downstairs...
Simple stuff~ but happy food~
I love the rice dumplings here~ ^^
9:35am~ Yamamura-san picked us up for a trip to his place... and here we past by a bus interchange on the right side of Comfort Hotel Kurosaki...
Comfort Hotel Kurosaki is conveniently flanked by a bus interchange on the right and the Kirosaki train station on the left~
and just a stone throw away is the ramp leading up the expressways~ how convenient~
We stopped by this bank to check out that day's USD versus JPY rate...
First time entering a Japanese bank... Oh, I tell you, its very open concept inside... I could see all the way to the backends administrative staff in the bank, unlike that in Singapore when you can only see the Tellers behind the counter... (P.S.: Many cute OLs inside... ^^)

9:49am~ we arrived at one of Yamamura-san's apartment~
Its something very much like a HDB flat~ ^^... only different is that YOU own it, not the GOVT.First time entering an authentic Japanese house~ ^^ excited~ Below's a bedroom~
Here's a better view~
the window on the left leads to the garden outside~
This place is the "inner guest room" I think... there's a little table at the side for snacks and drinks or whatever~ oh, and also the kinda table that u can hide under the quilt with the heater during winter~ ^^
I just love these sliding doors~!
Have I mention that Tatami mats are actually very soft? Yamamura-san said that next time I go over Fukuoka, I can just stay over at this place~ as long as I dun mind sleeping on the tatami mats and the dust (cuz he hasn't stayed here for quite a while already~) Yay~ ^^... another room~ I didn't have the chance to snap the last room though~
Here's TV lounge~... and the Kitchen~
Bathroom... ^^
The vicinity is very peaceful~ there's a park with a playground... ... and an open area for the kids to play their baseball...
Oh~ just a stone throw away is the supermarket! How convenient!
11:04am~ on the streets again~ heading for lunch! Just a random street shot~
I took all these photos through the windows of the car~
If you had noticed, there's very little clouds on the clear blue sky~ the summer sun is very scotching and the air is very dry~
11:11am~ we arrived at a Train Sushi restaurant~
Place is huge~ and very crowded~
Yay~ let the conveyor roll~!I love Japanese food~!
One thing I noticed different from conveyor sushi restaurants in Singapore is that here, there are many sashimi and seafood sushi dishes~ many many raw sushi~
^^ I took a video~

Urchin cream sushi~ I WILL NEVER TOUCH ANOTHER ONE AGAIN~ yucky taste!

Chawamushi is a hot favourite~

12:10pm~ back in my own hotel room~ room serviced~

Took a few minutes to rate the service quality of Comfort Hotel Kurosaki~ ^^ ITS THUMBS UP!

This is the best tasting peach I've ever eaten!

1:24pm~ taking a stroll out to the shopping malls~ still a cloudless sky~

@ the shopping malls... notice any Gatsby Moving Rubber bottles not yet available in Singapore?

1:33pm @ the 100yen shop~

Kawaii Tako-san~!

oh~ spotted another of these Raffia tapes~

Ya know these Raffia strings? One of those coils of tape above is almost equivalent to 4 of these bigger rolls here...

More of those Surname self-inking stamps~

Here's a close-up~

2:42pm~ BEST DENKI TIME! Me and dad love this place!

I chiong for the handphone corner first!

... and I started drooling~

... this is one awesome mobiel phone with a huge lens for capturing HD video~ speechless~

some very flat, simple yet colourful phones~

Clam-shell phones are still popular with the Japanese~

... and I just love their beautiful colours~

Great for partying~ (too bad I ain't no party animal)...

The SonyEricsson XMini~

Smaller than your palm~

... slides out to reveal the buttons below...

... with buttons so small I will probably press like 4 buttons every time with my fat fingers~

Neat!

Rear view~

Sony Walkman~

variety of colours~

Oh I was surprise to be still able to see MDs here~

That was like some 10 years ago when I almost wanted to buy one....

^^ Mum past me JPY 5,000 to spend~

... the aircon corner... all the advertisements made my eyes dizzy~

a very cute air ionizer~

comes in a variety of colours~ I want the yellow one!

Dad happy bought this torch light cuz the light can be focused at longer distance... then he cursed under his breath when he realised its "Made in China"...

There are several overhead bridges in the area... so here's a nice view from the top...

IZUTSUYA from level 2...

Walked past a carpark... something unique on the ground... move over the red coloured ramp and your car wheels gets lodged in...

To dislodge the ramps off your wheels, you got to pay up the parking fees due... I think... ^^

Just a random street view...

ZEUS is one gigantic Pachinko parlour...

the inside is laid with lotsa security cameras and security guards kept a very close watch on me as I strolled through inside...

I only managed to snap a photo quickly like this...

I exited the pachinko parlour almost deaf... as the noise and music inside is of the fighter-jet decibels... a shopping arcades awaits ahead...

Just some random shots of some very nice Japanese restaurants I came across... this one looks very welcoming...

some girly clothes~

Another random street view...

More nice looking restaurants...

This is one seafood restaurant...

You may order anything in this tank...

... from Eel... or Flat-fish below...

... to even File-fish~ ^^|

This is a real estate office...

If you're looking for an apartment, the windows of the office is covered with lotsa such advertisements featuring the location of all sorts of apartments, as well as the interior lay-out...

A vegetable stall...

Anyone can advise me what is this?

Asked me dad to help take my photo here... I just love the blue blue sky and the over-hanging cables...

The shopping arcades extents to a labybrinth...

A restaurants that has the tablet 大渔丸 outside... ??? Big Fish Ball? ^^

GINZA~ a word too big for a shop this small...

A seafood store selling 明太子. Someone please tell me what is this 明太子...

UFO catcher~ for the record, I have NEVER once caught any plushies through this machine...

Kawaii?

I noticed there were many of these automatic motorbikes around... and most use bicycle chains as an additional security measure...

Another Pachinko parlor...

Not sure if its the same one... but here's another Pachinko parlor... (they seemed to be everywhere.... Its ZEUS again... did I got lost?)

3:55pm... Along the streets of Kurosako 2 Chome...

Still a clear blue sky...

I kept passing by this stall selling delicious looking bentos... but I always past it at the wrong timing... I so wanna buy one and makan on the spot~

Entered a bookstore called QUEST ... some very much like 3 times that of Kinokuniya...

There were like several floors inside...

so many mangas...

magazines...

... and more magazines...

A familiar brand in the basement...

I remember I used to love going to MUJI during my Polytechnic days... I love their stationaries...

Who the hell would buy a plain white top for JPY 1,995 ??!! That's approx. S$30.00~!

4:22pm... Outside Kurosaki train station...

Election activities were going on outside...

Headed down closer to the train platform for a closer look...

Went back to IZUTSUYA for makan... noticed they were having their carrier on sale via a sort of vending machine... put 100 yen in and you get to dispense a paper carrier...

4:55pm~ Bought some gyozas for makan... (for the record, I HATE gyozas... though I dun mind eating them if necessary... )

Bought a bento to share with dad, but he couldn't wait until I returned with the gyozas...

After meal was more sight-seeing and train watching...

IZUTSUYA from the distance....

In a window display... I spotted something familiar...

Whats that hideous creature called again ?

5:30pm... Returning back to the hotel...

Dad is not the shopping type of person...

6:07pm... watching TV in my parents' room... I love these ancient-times Japanese dramas...

Man: Thank you for last night... you were great~ Woman: You don't have to thank me... that would be 200,000yen~

Man: I left my wallet at home...

6:39pm~ After sending dad back to the hotel and making sure he's good and well-behaved, its time to bring mum out for shopping!

Took mum back to explore the Kurosaki train station as we think there should be more shops inside...

KFC selling these set meals here at 1,000yen each~

Here's what I wanted to take photos of... the ticketing machines.... (pretty girl was a bonus in the photo... ^^)

... and here are the gantries... (pretty girl hopped into my frame again~ ^^)

Rail lines here ain't as complicated as that in Tokyo...

But the ticketing machine looks confusing enough...

I reckon that different ticketing machine dispense tickets for their respective lines...

I'd most probably need help on this...

Crossed the overhead bridge to the other side of the road...

... back onto this labyrinth shopping arcade...

sad to say, retail shops there closes early, and only the diners and restaurants open till late... and its only 6:55pm then! (7:55pm Fukuoka time).

Election van going its rounds with its loud hailers....

I passed by this stall again! But I was too full to eat another thing...

More Pachinko parlours...

Watering hole...

Taxis are usually spotted waiting outside these drinking joints...

7:03pm... Passed an interesting looking restaurant...

Selling all sorts of curry rice on its menu~ ^^

7:04pm... Remember that Multistory Bicycle Parking place I mentioned earlier on my Day 2 here? We stood outside and watched as many working class people returned via the train station and went in to collect their bikes... Not only bicycles wor... even motorbikes went it and out from there...

There was a card reader outside the doors and we saw people insert some card in and the door opens... not much idea how it works...

Another dispensing machine outside the building...

This strange look mechanism on the base of the machine looked like you can roll your bike on and it will lock it...

7:07pm... we were at Kurosaki 3 Chome...

Comfort Hotel is right across the road...

... a very clever way of utilizing space...

7:20pm... towards the right side of Comfort Hotel... and some 15mins of walking... we were attracted by some very bright lights...

so we decided to hop in for a look...

Appears to be some sort of entertainment hub for youngsters...

of course, there are some dining place too~

... one whole row of Gashapon machines...

Spotted a pretty looking crepe stall and decided to have a bite and a little rest~

I love crepes, what about you?

7:35pm... Entered a megamart and saw a row of colourful tables...

short little tables that can be folded and stowed away in the usually limited spaces of a typical Japanese home~ but I love these little tables... going at 2,999yen each~ approx. S$46.00~ I'll take the green one!

More Gatsby Moving Rubber~

I love Gatsby for 2 reasons... Kimura and that its really good to use~

The miniature bottle going for 198yen... approx. S$3.00

We started to realised that this mega mart is seriously mega-sized... its HUGE~ with an excessive amount of aisles and sections...

...selling many things from car accessories, to perfumes, watches, clothing, furnitures... think Mustafa in the Japanese context... you get the idea? Only thing is, while Mustafa is a couple of stories high, this place is just 1 level...

Momoeri Room Wear... no idea what this is, but it sure grabs attention when they place a kawaii looking girl on the packaging~ ^^

Care Bear anyone?

Came to an interesting section~ Cosplay uniforms!

Available in ALL SORTS of colours and designs~ each going at 4,999yen~ (approx. S$77.00).

Great for your hobbies~

or to spice up your love life? ^^

Oh~ of course~ there's something for the men too~!

These very erotic looking briefs~ ^^ for the ladies to buy for their boys or men~ muahahaha~

My personal favourite~ LOL~

DRAGONBALL anyone? I laughed so hard...

Oh~ many more kawaii yukatas selling at 2,990yen! (Approx. S$46.00). It was nearing the autumn season pretty soon, so the yukatas were getting price-slashed~

Leg-less sofas...

I'd love one of these...

A shelf full of firecrackers~

Huge ass bombs~

... as I was saying... this place is overly large... the mega-mart continues to join up with a supermarket selling frozen meat...

Oh I managed to pick up something I couldn't find in Singapore (perhaps I didn't know where to find this... ) Cherry Cola... now I know why this product is a major failure!