Asia Trip 2012 - Day 2 in Fukuoka

Our host, BT, enticed us out of our room this morning with the tantalizing aroma of bread being toasted and sausages being fried -- some of which, we soon discovered, he had sliced to resemble octopuses with crispy tentacle tips.  What a great way to start off this special day, Easter Sunday, in Fukuoka.  There was a spring in my step as we strolled leisurely to church.  Although the worship service was conducted entirely in Japanese, I felt a strong sense of comfort and familiarity being in the company of others who share the same faith.  We were warmly welcomed into their midst and easily joined lunchtime conversations afterwards with the few who were able to speak English.

We spent the latter part of the afternoon in Dazaifu, a pleasant community around Tenmangu shrine -- where apparently many go with pleas for success with schooling -- about a half hour out of Fukuoka.  Our train pass included a tea time treat of a baked (then fried?) red-bean-filled mochi and a lovely cup of emerald green tea.  Our visit to the shrine itself was a hasty one, due to closing time at dusk; then we continued our cultural adventure via our taste buds for the rest of the evening:

- Tonkatsu around the corner from Dazaifu Station, served with bottomless servings of shredded cabbage salad and miso soup.  The meal was enhanced by the fact that we got to grind up our own sesame seeds for the dipping sauce with a mortar and pestle!
- Yakitori (meat on skewers) from a small roadside stall where BT knew the cooks, who were wonderfully friendly and boisterous.  We ordered probably the two most artery-clogging but tastiest options: thick bacon and chicken skin yakitori.
- Sushi from a sushi boat place, where A and I tried natto (fermented soy bean) for the first (and hopefully last) time.  Think snotty mush.  The rest of the dishes were excellent, though!

En route back home, we detoured to Book Off, a used CD/DVD store, where we picked up discount AKB48, Boa, Gorillaz, and Bon Jovi CDs.  Yes, it's weird that we traveled so far to get the latter two, but not quite as puzzling as why anyone would sell back a Bon Jovi album...