Life in Fukuoka "English"

【Places to Get Out and About】

Just when you thought April had only begun, we find ourselves at the end of it and heading into Golden Week! Golden Week, if you are new to Japan, is a group of holidays typically from May 3rd to 5th.

But with this weekend and the next, some people might have a full 9 days off this year. If you are looking for something to do over the next week, let me introduce a few ideas this week, for places to go around Fukuoka.

First, one of the easiest places to go to is Ohori Park, right in the city. Get a picnic basket ready or even pick up something from the delicious shops around like Taco Mia, Mister Donuts, the Garden Cafe in the Park or La Brioche bakery and spend a day walking around, enjoying the Japanese garden or taking the rowboats and swanboats out for spin on the pond.

If you want to get a bit further out of town, you could do a little wisteria hunting. There are beautiful flowers at Buzoji Temple out towards Chikushino city and the amazing display at Kawachi Flower Park and Kisshoji temple in Kitakyushu. If you want to avoid the crowds, I recommend hiking. In Sawara-ku, there's a great waterfall called Karanno no taki and a path that goes up the mountain behind it. It's a decent hike and a great chance for some forest bathing. Those are just some of my suggestions, but there's still plenty more to do in Fukuoka.

One of those big things to do is Hakata Dontaku Minato Matsuri, one of those must see events in Fukuoka over the Golden Week holiday.

What is this Dontaku event, you say? Well, it's a festival put on by the citizens of Fukuoka and attracts not only the citizens of the city, but tourists from around Japan and abroad. 2 million people come to the festival every year. This year's festival is the 62nd and will be held over two days on May 3 and 4. The Dontaku -tai, a group of mainly local citizens, will parade through the streets and give stage performances, wearing gorgeous costumes and "Shamoji” a kind of rice paddle but for performance here.
The "Hana Jidosha," large brightly lit cars decorated with characters and other decorations, are also a specialty of the festival. As the festival comes to a close, you'll find the whole town in a festive mood with audience members jumping in to join the dancing and clapping the shamoji.

It's a fun event, I've been quite a few times and it's impressive to see all the different dance shows and costumes. It's really a city party and you're bound to make new friends as you get out and enjoy the atmosphere, not to mention, have a chance to soak up some real life Hakata culture!

【Subway Nanakuma Line Tenjin-Minami - Hakata Extension Opens!】

Fukuoka City boasts some of the most convenient public transport access in Japan, with its proximity to the airport and the city center, trains and subways running from east to west and north to south, and numerous bus routes. Now, the city is even more convenient with the addition of another subway line connecting Tenjin and Hakata!

A new station called "Kushida Jinja-mae" was opened between "Tenjin Minami" and "Hakata" stations, and you can now get to shopping mall "Canal City Hakata" in about 2 to 3 minutes on foot from the nearest subway station, whereas it used to take about 8 to 10 minutes!

Definitely take advantage of the spring weather and the very convenient public transportation here in the city to go out and discover the many charms of Fukuoka City.

【Fukuoka City Information】

Bicycle Manners

I guess like me, many of you probably ride bicycles on a regular basis.

If you are new here, do you know the rules and manners around riding bicycles here in Japan?
 
In Japan, bicycles, as a rule, are supposed to ride on the left side of the roadway.
Pedestrians have priority on sidewalks, so when riding on sidewalks, please ride slowly on the side of the road.
All bicyclists should wear helmets and you need to make sure you have a bicycle light to turn on at night. 
Riding two on a bicycle or riding side by side is prohibited. It is also important to never drink alcohol and then ride a bicycle.

One more thing is to make sure you don't ride a bicycle while holding an umbrella, using a cell phone or even listening to headphones as doing any of these things while riding is dangerous. 

If you need to park your bicycle, make sure it is parked in a bicycle parking lot.
Bicycles parked in areas other than bicycle parking lots, like on streets or in parks , are considered to be obstructive or a nuisance to pedestrians and end up being considered abandoned bicycles and can be subject to removal.
　 Fukuoka City charges a fee of 2,500 yen to have a removed bicycle returned, and if it is not picked up within a certain period of time, it will be discarded.
Fortunately, to keep your bicycle safe, there are a number of parking areas near shopping malls and stations that offer free parking for a set period of time.

Another thing to know about cycling here is that, anyone who rides a bicycle in Fukuoka City must purchase bicycle insurance.
If you have an accident on your bicycle, you may have to pay a lot of money to the other party involved in the accident. If you have bicycle insurance, for example, if you injure someone while riding your bicycle, the insurance will pay for medical treatment and other expenses instead of you. So, make sure you have bicycle insurance in case of an accident.

Bicycles are a great way to get around and are environmentally friendly, but it's important to know the rules and manners as well to have a safe ride around the city!

【About Fukuoka City】
This week, I would like to introduce Fukuoka City again, as I know many of you have started your new lives in Fukuoka City this spring.
Fukuoka City is a very energetic city and is called the "Gateway to Asia" with many international flights arriving every day. It is also the center of politics, economy, culture, and fashion in Kyushu.
With a population of over 1.6 million, many people from Japan and abroad have immigrated to the city, and there area as many as 40,000 international residents currently living here.
In addition to its convenient transportation, the best food stalls in Japan, and the high quality of its food culture, the city offers a wide range of shopping facilities, and its urban side of life is also concentrated in a compact area.
It is also surrounded by the sea and mountains, with many parks, making a city where urban and and nature coexist in harmony. It makes it very convenient and comfortable to live here!
In this season when the weather is nice, when you get the chance, take a day off and explore the city on foot!

【Fukuoka City Information】
Rules about putting out the garbage
Now, I've got some information to share with you about a big part of life in Fukuoka City.

There are a lot of people who are starting a new chapter in their lives this month and that does typically mean buying new things or getting rid of old things. Which brings us to garbage.
In Fukuoka City, garbage is separated into three types. There is burnable, nonburnable and plastic pet bottles and glass garbage. You can buy the bags for each type of garbage at convenience stores and supermarkets.

The red bag is for burnable garbage. This is used for garbage like paper waste, food scraps, clothes and plastics.
The blue bag is for nonburnable garbage which includes things like empty cans and glass or ceramics.
And the yellow bag is for plastic pet bottles and glass bottles.

The day on which garbage is picked up is specific to your neighborhood. Burnable garbage is picked up twice a week and nonburnable and glass bottles and plastic pet bottles are picked up once a month.
Garbage is picked up late at night so garbage should be put out between sunset and midnight on your collection day in the designated location.

If you need to find out when garbage is picked up in your neighborhood, you can do so by adding the official Fukuoka City LINE account to your friend's list. Set your location when you add the account and you will get notifications for the pickup day.
And, if you type in the name of the garbage you want to throw out, the account will tell you which bag you should put it in, so it's a pretty handy service.

If you can't fit something you want to throw out in one bag because it is too big, it is considered over-sized garbage and needs to be thrown out through a different process. For over-sized garbage, pick-up can be arranged if you contact the Fukuoka City Oversized Garbage center, or Sodai Gomi Uketsuke in Japanese, by phone, on the internet or through LINE. They will tell you how much it will cost to throw away the item, where to put it and on what day and time they will pick it up.

If you decide to call the Oversized Garbage Center, you can call 092-731-1153. They have support for 18 different languages. There is also a QR code service that provides information on garbage disposal rules in 10 different languages. Just check the Fukuoka City website for that QR code.

【Advice for a fresh start in life】

This week is the beginning of the year, in a sense. It's the beginning of the fiscal year and when a lot of other things start, like new radio programs. Although Life in Fukuoka has, thanks to its listeners, been going on for a few years now, let me introduce myself for any new listeners. Perhaps you've just moved to Fukuoka for a new job or school and have decided to tune into the show.
Well, my name is Colleen and I'm originally from Detroit, Michigan in the US. I originally came to Fukuoka in 2002 as an exchange student at Kyushu University and came back again in 2005 to work, but only for a year. My how time flies, it's been 18 years since then!
Currently, I work a few different jobs, as an instructor at a hotel school, a narrator and of course, as a LOVE FM DJ. Not only do I do this show, but if you tuned in yesterday morning, from 8am to 9:45 am, you would've heard me on air on my program Earth Feeling.
As for my hobbies, well, I have few, I enjoy traveling, taking photos, playing tennis and cooking. On my days off, my boyfriend and I usually try to find place to visit, whether it's just at Maizuru Park to see the flowers and walk the castle ruins, or a drive somewhere in Kyushu.
If it's your first time in Fukuoka, I recommend getting a sandwich at La Brioche bakery, near Ohori Park and taking a stroll around the park, stopping when you find a place that suits you to enjoy that sandwich It's just a nice way to spend an afternoon, especially if you've been busy with moving, meeting new people and just getting adjusted to life in a new place! Sometimes you need to just stop and take a breath.
Spring is the season of freshness and fresh starts too, I guess. I'm sure you'll find yourself facing a number of challenges as you begin life here, but don't shy away from them. Every challenge is a learning experience whether you succeed or fail. Also, don't be shy about speaking Japanese, you might mistakes as you speak, but hey, you're learning a brand new language! It's not easy! Good luck as you begin your new year here! If you have any messages you want to send or even any requests for the show, feel free to message!

【Fukuoka City Information】

Consultations for Foreign Residents

I have some information from Fukuoka City.
Is there anything worrying you as you settle into your new life here? Or maybe something you don't understand?

Well, at the Fukuoka City Consultation Support Center for Foreign Residents, you can get information on things like residence procedure, employment, medical care, welfare, childbirth, child rearing and children's education, as well as referrals to the appropriate consultation centers.

To contact the Consultation Support Center, please call 0120-66-1799. Phone calls will be taken between 9am and 6pm on regular business days. The center is closed on weekends, holidays and over the new year. 21 languages are supported at that hotline.

In addition, if there's there's anything you want to know National Health Insurance, garbage or taxes, or procedures necessary for living in Fukuoka City, please call the Interpretation Center.

If you want to check the procedures of Fukuoka City, you can call the Interpretation Center and ask for help. You can also call the Interpretation Center for consultation by connecting to your local ward office. The telephone number is 092-753-6113. 18 languages are supported at that number.

 Vietnam Festival 2023 in Fukuoka

 I have some information on the Vietnam Festival 2023 in Fukuoka.

This festival commemorates the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam.The festival is being held over two days, April 15th and 16th at Fukuoka Tenjin Chuo Park.

The event will feature live performances by Vietnamese pop artists, traditional dances, ao dai shows and other stange events.There will also be food and drink booths featuring Vietnamese cuisine.

The event will be held from 10am to 8pm on the 15th and from 10am to 7pm on the 16th.It will be held rain or shine unless there is stormy weather, in which case, it will be cancelled.Admission is free so please feel free to drop by!

For more information, please look up Vietname Festival 2023 Fukuoka.