Life in Fukuoka "English"

【BELGIAN BEER WEEKEND】

We're now in that time of year when it feels good to spend time outdoors, so I've got information about a fun event that lets you enjoy the outdoors and some good beer. The "BELGIAN BEER WEEKEND" starts this Wednesday, the 17th and goes to Sunday, the 21st, at Fukuoka City Hall, on the west side, at the Fureai Square. 

If you like beer, this is the event to check out. Belgium is a “beer heaven” with over 1600 types of beer being brewed there, so impressive that it has been registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. And at this event, some of those beers will be coming here to Fukuoka, saving you the price of a plane ticket!

You can enjoy 12 types of Belgian beer, including representative types like "White Beer" and "Fruit Beer," totaling 52 varieties. Along with the beer, you can enjoy traditional Belgian dishes such as tasty Belgian fried potatoes "Frites" and "Carbonade," a stewed beef dish, all of which will taste great with your beer.

IN addition, "MaxPacemaker" from Belgium will visit Fukuoka and energize the venue with a techno sound on weekend nights along with a DJ from LOVEFM who will be there to liven up the stage with talks and games!

On weekdays, the festival is from 4pm to 10 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 am to 8pm.

So this week, why not enjoy Belgian beer, food, and music in the open air on a pleasant spring weekend unique to this season?

【Fukuoka City Information】

Rules about putting out the garbage

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 and the rules around garbage here. 

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, so make sure you use the Fukuoka City garbage bags for throwing things out. 

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.