On Air: Fukuoka City Information/2014.06.28(Sat)/09:00～

Starting in 2016, August 11 is to be designated as Yama-no-hi, or Mountain Day in English. It will be a national holiday day that makes time for people to know and appreciate the mountains.

In Fukuoka City, Aburayama mountain is a forest area great for soaking up the beauty of all four seasons. The Aburayama Shimin-no-mori forest area is located halfway up the mountain and sees over 18,000 visitors coming there to relax each year.

Approximately 13 times the size of the Fukuoka Yafuoku! Dome, the area has beautiful suspended bridges, observation lookouts, lodging and daytime barbecue camp areas. It has manicured walking paths and a grass sledding hill as well. There are also mountain streams to play in that are perfect cool spots to relax in summer.

Also, at the Aburayama Nature Center, there are staff on hand regularly to answer your questions about nature and wildlife. In the center itself there is also a craft corner making use of fruit and sticks from the forest for craft projects.

It is near to Fukuoka city center and full of nature! Take a moment this summer to check it out!

Also, Fukuoka City would like to let you know about the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival. It is designated as one of the Japan’s Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties and really is the event that defines summer in Hakata! It honors 773 years of tradition, and sees over three million visitors come to the city for it. It is the premier Hakata event.

The Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival takes place between July 1st and 15th. This year there will be 14 locations showing off gorgeous Kazariyama floats, over 10 meters in height, decorated in various themes through the art of Hakata Doll masters.

On July 10th, the Kakiyama floats, over 1 ton in weight, will come as part of the Nagaregaki event. It will debut through the streets of Hakata and the town will be immersed in festival!

And, as the main part of the festival, you can enjoy the Oiyama Narashi, a practice for the major race, on July 12th, and the Shudan Yamamise, a group festival float display, on the 13th. This is an event where 7 Kakiyama floats will race along the main street of Fukuoka, Meiji-dori Avenue. Then, on July 15th, the festival reaches its climax with the Oiyama race. It starts early in the morning, at 4:59 AM. From that time, every 5 minutes, one of the 7 floats enters Kushida Shrine, which is called Kushida-Iri, and, after singing the Hakata Iwai Uta, a song for celebration, departs in the morning light, with the men carrying it shouting “Osshoi, osshoi” as they run at top speed for 5 kilometers.

There will be extra trains and buses in service on the day of the Oiyama race, July 15th. Be sure to make it out, enjoy the festival and do some sightseeing in Fukuoka!

And, for people who like the ocean, there is a great place to enjoy fishing, for everyone from children to adults, at Nishi Ward’s Umizuri-Park.

There is something for everyone in Fukuoka. Come and enjoy the city life, mountain life and ocean life of Fukuoka!