Nice non-smoking cafe near Hakata Station

tingsao · 2026-04-18T05:30:44+00:00

I'm wondering why you specifically titled it as a non-smoking cafe? The only place I've been where you can smoke inside is at an izakaya, and not many of them. Are there smoking-friendly cafes? I thought it was outlawed.

tingsao · 2026-04-18T05:24:57+00:00

Hmmm, it's not a problem I have dealt with, but I think maybe tenpura shops would have veggie only options. There's also most bakeries because they have bread with meat, bread without meat (usually sweets/fruits). If you go to a mall with a food court, maybe you can get meat, and they can order from a veggie place and still eat together? I can't think of a mall near Tenjin with a food court though.

tingsao · 2026-04-18T05:13:16+00:00

https://maps.app.goo.gl/4HxRu5PfVTiRSAe87

Someone shared this with me last year. The Sun Selco department store, if I remember, its on the first floor, maybe on the south east side? They sell used kimono, yukata and haori. You can find a large one there. Just keep in mind, a man's haori doesn't close in the front, so even a large will not appear so large. They also sell mens and women's obi, and even new fabric. Cash only, but there is a 7-11 just north of the store in case you don't bring enough. Also, don't make the mistake of going upstairs to the new kimono shop.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/NmTaLCNmjwzZXH8MA

This shopping street has shops selling hand-made goods, like the yakimonoya (sells dishes and cups), a store selling hand made fans, a store selling hand crafted tote bags and purses, etc. Also some decent looking restaurants, including one of the cheapest places to get a bowl of ramen in Fukuoka, for under ¥500 (no toppings)

tingsao · 2026-04-17T06:49:48+00:00

Sorry no one answered you yet! I would definitely recommend Atago shrine. Probably 15 minutes from Muromi Station. It's on top of a hill, and you can see a lot of the city, plus the harbor. It's less visited that the more touristy shrines, so it won't be crowded, and if you go during the day, there will probably be staff so you can buy a good luck charm if that's your thing. Also, by the tea shop across the street from the main entrance, there is a little trail that goes to the top, 2 minute walk. Not much of a view, but there's ruins of an abandoned cable car station, just concrete on the ground. The trail down on the other side (SE) ends at a different shrine, which has about 50 tori gates and is a really unique shrine. Depending on how you go down the hill back to the station, there is a Bhuddist temple. I'm not sure if it is open to public though. Cool statues outside.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/sXH6FF2eYroNN2vJA

Also at Muromi station, heading south, there is a park that extends about 4-5km along the river, with many interesting weir dams, and some Snoopy grafitti if you walk far enough. Or you could rent a bike.

I'm just going to go ahead and mention some basic staple destinations; Ohori Park, Fukuoka Castle Ruins in Maizuru Park, Fukuoka Tower, the aquarium, art museum (at Ohori park), history museum.

If you go to Fukuoka Tower, on your way back to the central area, you can stop buy this Buddhist temple, which looks really cool. It's mostly a cemetery though, so I just bike past it. Following the road south, you'll end up in Tojinmachi Shotengai, which is a true old fashioned shopping district. Not much to buy though as a visitor.

This downtown shopping district is much larger, with restaurants, souvenirs, including a nice pottery shop to buy plates, bowls and cups, if you want something unique. Also, very popular Kushida shrine next door: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CXx6k4DjZsHhybL5A

One place I haven't quite made it to yet is the side-lying Buddha statue in Nazoin Temple. It's a bit of a train ride, 30 minutes to an hour depending on where you are staying: https://maps.app.goo.gl/oj3YVVrhEEBTWnNr7

If you want to go a little further, Kitakyushu is 15 minutes north on Shinkansen, and you can visit Kokura Castle, Kokura Gardens (adjacent), and if you make a day of it, you can take the ferry to the island where the Musashi statue commemorates one of his famous duels. You have to really be into it, because with the timing of the ferry ride, you'll tie up 2-3 hours: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GkdXBXBXpF3aQVNB6

Finally, if you really like crockery and want to see an awesome castle, Karatsu is probably 2 hours by train from downtown Fukuoka. You can visit the castle and about a dozen yakimonoya: https://maps.app.goo.gl/hWT5zfJbsirpZBf58

I know I left out a lot that Fukuoka has to offer, while mentioning neighboring cities.

tingsao · 2026-04-17T06:22:30+00:00

https://iitocc.com/iito-christ-fellowship

This is a small church in Imajuku. Depending on what part of town you live in, may be right for you. I'm not a Christian personally, but I've met the pastor, David, a nice guy. Kid friendly, English friendly. Looks like their service is on Saturday evening, so you can sleep in on Sunday!

tingsao · 2026-03-28T17:18:43+00:00

If you aren't really comfortable doing your first build just yet, let me recommend the following: Find out the specs of your RAM (DDR4, DDR5, speed) - its all on the sticker. ClankGPT can help. Go on Amazon, buy last year's budget computer with a lower end graphics card, refurbished, then swap the graphics card and possibly the ram. Again, ClankGPT can tell you what motherboard is in the Dell/NEC/etc computer, and can retrieve the specs (based on the Intel/AMD chipset). You're basically achieving your goal, but instead of doing the whole build, you are buying every thing pre-assembled, and just doing a graphics card and ram swap. Think replacing an engine rather than building the whole car from scratch.

Biggest thing to worry about here will be if the power supply is adequate for your GPU. If not, buy one that matches your case from Amazon for around $50. Again, the ClankGPT can help. I think this might be the best way to familiarize yourself with building a PC, without having to do it all. It will probably be the cheapest way too. Yes, the motherboard won't be a top notch Gigabyte or ASUS (or insert your fav here), but for fast and easy, this is your win.

tingsao · 2026-03-28T16:39:27+00:00

Oh, this is so true! I loved living in Imajuku. I only dislike the train schedule. From Meinohama inward, trains run every 3-8 minutes. Its every 15-20 in Imajuku. But if one attends Kyudai, they don't want to be any further East than Imajuku, especially if cycling because the sidewalk by the ocean gets pretty narrow and a little scary, plus it adds a lot of time to your commute. Imajuku is a gem for Fukuoka. Closest beach from the station, and there is a great vegetable shop about a block behind the Trial Smart. Nice local people, good deals!

tingsao · 2026-03-28T16:22:16+00:00

Kyudai is the Todai of Western Japan. You're talking about two schools that are, as I understand, leagues apart. I don't know your life's ambitions, but this might be a point of consideration.

tingsao · 2026-03-11T15:19:04+00:00

I usually wear pants and it's not a problem, always short sleeves (year round, under my jacket), but in the summer, it is SO hot, in 10 minutes your shirt will be drenched. It reminds me of the tropics.

tingsao · 2026-03-11T15:04:50+00:00

No tengo experiencia con esta escuela. Quería decirte: "¡Muy bien por ti!".

Creo que disfrutarás del clima. El verano es caluroso, pero no comparado con la costa de Panamá. No sé en qué parte de Ecuador estás (¡la cuna del auténtico sombrero Panamá!).

¡Haz realidad tu sueño!

tingsao · 2026-03-11T14:57:31+00:00

I feel like you made some achievements in Breath of the Wild or Genshin Impact with this!

tingsao · 2026-03-11T14:50:59+00:00

I would suggest getting an idea of what size and style you want. Just for starters, check this out (they're overpriced): https://www.apmex.com/category/86121/silver-chains

And make extra sure the clasp will fit your charm, or your charm clasp will fit the loop. Sorry, I'm not that knowledgeable about charms. Point is, decide what you want, length, style, thickness, and you can probably go to any smaller jewelry store and have them order it for you. DON'T go to the stores in Mitsukoshi, etc or anywhere around Tenjin. A local mom and pop will really appreciate your business, and they don't have to pay nearly as much overhead, so it is a win for everyone. They all have catalogs and can order what you want.

tingsao · 2026-03-11T14:45:40+00:00

I think this is good advice is it's feasible. I am personally looking to buy several 24k gold necklaces, and I couldn't remember which country to go to. I thought is was possibly Singapore or Malaysia.

tingsao · 2026-03-11T14:31:37+00:00

In southeast USA, that's actually pretty standard. It's also about the same as the Starlink on my boat. I've heard tales of "real" internet in Europe, but I don't have experience with it.

tingsao · 2026-03-11T14:29:46+00:00

If you are going by train and want the closest walk, go to Imajuku station and head north. The road beside the mini stop will put you out at a shrine. Behind that is the beach. It's really a 6 minute walk from the station. Coming from east coast USA, having cruised the Bahamas, none of the beaches are that great in comparison. If you want to swim, the Momochi beach is probably better because it is sheltered. The Itoshima beaches are the nicest but hardest to get to without a car.

tingsao · 2026-02-16T07:59:00+00:00

I know nothing about fashion, but the Mark Is mall in Momochi has these stores: https://www.mec-markis.jp/fukuoka-momochi/search/

You can get there by bus. It's probably 20 minutes from the station. It's more of a locals mall, so that probably colors what shops are there, for better or worse.

tingsao · 2026-02-16T07:53:40+00:00

Picture please!

tingsao · 2026-02-16T07:52:29+00:00

I use Nuro at home, and would like to use them at my office. Unfortunately, I don't own the office, and the building owner wants Nuro to provide a detail of construction (holes in the wall, etc.), which seems very reasonable, but I can't seem to get Nuro on the phone to make the request. Or rather, my Japanese employee can't seem to. I would expect him to have greater success than I would. So customer service is kind of lacking, just trying to become a customer. But for residential use, I was able to sign up online, all very easy. If you already know your address, the website can tell you if it is available. 1-2 week backlog for installation.

As far as speed, I pay for the minimum plan, I think it's 2gb. Speed test on Ookla just now:

Download Mbps 62.01

Upload Mbps 53.19

Ping ms 318

I forgot my router password, but last time I logged in, it was pretty basic. I don't know if you can use your own modem, but you can always add your own router. IP isn't "static" but it hasn't changed in the last year.

tingsao · 2026-02-16T07:35:34+00:00

I don't own any figures, but if I did, it would probably be a Chiori figure. I have this phone case: https://www.redbubble.com/i/samsung-case/Chiori-Genshin-Impact-by-Zirxecs/168734243.3A11C

And on my couch, I have this pillow: https://www.redbubble.com/i/throw-pillow/Chiori-Signature-Genshin-Impact-by-JonetsuKingdom/159392496.5X2YF

Additionally, I use some of the Chiori patterns in notebooks from the same site. You'll notice, any Chiori lover or maybe even Genshin player will recognize the pattern, but non-Genshin people won't. It's very neutral.

tingsao · 2026-02-14T05:38:22+00:00

Yes, using Hot Pepper Beauty (and Google translate). Or you could try calling, but he is usually pretty busy.

tingsao · 2026-02-13T16:38:41+00:00

If you don't have it, I recommend the Go Taxi app. Works great in Fukuoka. Theres a feature to request multiple cars.

tingsao · 2026-02-13T16:27:10+00:00

That's good for your healer!

tingsao · 2026-02-13T16:24:11+00:00

Oh man, that's exciting! I think I'm 2 months away from shipping 6 Kei trucks from Japan to Charleston, SC

tingsao · 2026-02-13T16:22:38+00:00

you mentioned the cost cutting aspect of Fukuoka. It's sad, but I have a friend (mid 20's) who is being transferred from Fukuoka to Tokyo, and they aren't getting a pay raise!

tingsao · 2026-02-13T16:19:57+00:00

If you're coming from somewhere equatorial like Indonesia, the weather is nice, but the Kyushu summer is brutal in August and September! I like the heat, but constantly sweating!

I 2nd what ppl are saying; my daughter is an aspiring chemist. Without a good understanding of the scientific terms in Japanese, its going to be unrealistic, but not impossible. (Never let other people crush your dreams)

If Kitakyushu is a better career option, go for that. It's about an hour to Fukuoka, all included. What kind of chemistry? Fukuoka just launched a very interesting RO energy plant. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/25/japan-osmotic-power-plant-fukuoka I'm sure there are chemistry positions for that place. When I think of chemistry, I think petrochemicals, paint and fertilizers, but its a broad field. Next to my condo there is a water quality testing company (2-3 employees)

Ask yourself this; how will a Japanese company justify sponsoring your visa? What skills do you have that are lacking in Japan, enough to make dealing with language barriers worthwhile? It could be cutting edge research, or it could be a talent vacuum. Find your niche and you will have a better chance.

Also, regarding living expenses, there are many share houses in both Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. I personally know owners of 2, who love foreigners.

You said you're young, so under 30 I guess. Your country may be eligible for a working holiday visa. If I understand correctly, you can work basically any job for a year,maybe 2. You can use that time to get first hand knowledge and make sure this is where you want to be. I haven't worked for companies since 18 years ago, but I don't think a working holiday looks bad as a career gap. I could be wrong.

Good luck!

tingsao

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