On Air: Fukuoka City Information/2014.09.27(Sat)/09:00～

The 100-meter tall, red steel Hakata Port Tower standing on Hakata Wharf in Hakata Ward will turn 50 years old this October.

From the observatory, 70 meters above the ground, observers get a 360 degree view. One can see the cityscape of Hakata, the boats sailing the ocean and the islands dotting Hakata Bay.

It was built during the Tokyo olympics in 1964 as a feature of Hakata Paradise, an amusement park featuring a roller coaster, outdoor pools, large-scale bathing facilities and lodging. At that time in the observatory, there was a rotating restaurant, spinning full-circle once every 10 minutes. The rail from it remains intact to this day.

Since then Hakata Port Tower has been utilized by the city library, television stations, and has served a variety of other uses as needed throughout the years. Today, you can enjoy learning about the functions of the Port of Hakata at Hakata Port Bayside Museum located in front of Hakata Port Tower. You can see pictures and artifacts showing the changes of the tower over time. It is free of charge to visit the museum and the observatory!

Come feel the history of Fukuoka at Hakata Port Tower, watching out over Fukuoka for over 50 years.

And there is also news about the city of Fukuoka's public transportation initiative.

The city is helping to financially support the development of public transportation for the people of Fukuoka by aiding localities responsible for carrying out the project.

For example, in Kashiwabara, san cho-me, in the city's Minami Ward, this support began on April 1st with a six-month test-run of a new bus route and is still underway. As a result of the route, the number of passengers has increased. The people of the area have spoken up and the program is being extended another 6 months.

And, in cooperation with the public transportation industry and national government, efforts are underway to increase the number of non-step buses to help make getting on and off of buses easier. There is projected aid for 86 buses this fiscal year.

Also, in order to reduce carbon gas emissions and to ease traffic congestion, there are efforts to put a new park-and-ride system into place in a joint effort with commercial centers. It will allow people to park their cars at large public parking facilities nearby public transportation points so they can switch to using trains or buses.

There are several efforts underway to bring the people public transportation they can use easily and effectively. Give it a try!