Wednesday, 26 November 2025

Today was the day to stop going west and start the reverse journey (sorry Okinawa) so it was back to Hakata, which I had passed through a couple of days ago. Going back the way I came would be boring if there was another way and there was so I took it even if it took more time. This meant taking a rapid local train to Huis Ten Bosch and then a limited express train from there.

Firstly the Nagasaki station must be quite new (at least it appears that way) and when building the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen they didn’t build a new station near to the old one but must have replaced it completely as the local tracks are next to the Shinkansen ones, although the Shinkansen ones are elevated above the lowly local ones (both are well above street level). With such an open station it was interesting to walk to the end of the platform and look at the end of the tracks and the drop off. Hopefully neither train runs out of brakes and needs to test the arresting system.

No Shinkansen sitting in the closer of its two platforms sadly (you can see it past the safety screens).

So the platform just ends with a fence and you can watch the cars go past.

So the Shinkansen would hit some ballast before hitting the stop and going for a dive but the slower local train only gets the stop.

Anyway my train is ready to roll so I take a picture of the front where the display is indicating it’s going to Sasebo.

Most of the seating is back against the wall commuter style (and it needed to be that way with only 2 cars) but in this front car at the back next to the connecting door was a 2×2 pair and I managed to snag the window facing forward.

The train lived up to its name, Seaside Liner, with some travel along the seaside.

All along the route the train picked up or put down school kids in their uniforms. We travelled quite a distance between them getting on and off so it was quite curious. They also mainly stood in groups chatting and if a group of boys got on the girls moved. It was interesting seeing all the stuff they had attached to their bags, including some that were attached via safety pins.

Anyway we arrived at Huis Ten Bosch, a Dutch theme park, and it was time for me to get off. Most of the students didn’t so they weren’t going to it. Waiting for me was the Limited Express Huis Ten Bosch.

Yeah I wasn’t at all surprised that it was bright orange. Inside it was more sedate, and I had bought a Green car seat so it was in the end of the train. Sadly that meant, like the Marine Rider I had picked the wrong direction to use it as the panoramic view is out the back and not the way the seats are facing.

It’s actually half of car 1 and with a 2×1 configuration of only 4 rows there aren’t many seats. Note the seats are on a platform rather than on the floor so even JR Kyushu are making me climb steps.

If we had been travelling in the other direction you could have been watching the driver (or on the side with one seat the view out the front). Never mind this was the view out the large side windows.

When we got to Hakata and it was time to get off I was curious to go towards the front of the train as this train is coupled to a train that starts at Sasebo. What intrigued me was did the other end have a panoramic window and the answer was no it did not.

Todd Lowe had suggested that if I had spare time in Fukuoka then the art museum was well worth a visit so I went to the hotel, checked in (too early to access my room but you can wait, no but can you mind my bags instead) and off to the bus station. It’s a multi-level thing, long distance on the second floor and local on the ground. I found my gate and there were 3 queues leading to it so work out which one to stand in. There is a display of the arriving buses and a video feed of the buses as they approach so you can see their number before they reach the gate (or potentially go past). Very nice system, although more room for the queues would be nice, especially in rush hour.

Mobile Suica rules. No hassle, just tap as you get on the bus and find a seat.

Pay by tapping as you get off and then it’s a short walk from the bus stop to the museum. Here’s a collection of pieces I found interesting. I may have info on them but I’m not going to include it here.

This one caught my eye because it is big and it looked even more washed out than this photo of it. I can’t recall seeing a painting (that is not an abstract) that had such a pale, washed out appearance. It’s from 1892 and is called “At the Seaside” by Louis-Joseph-Raphaël Collin.

There was a section for the Minami Ward Art Exhibition where local artists, living or working in the ward, could showcase their work. No English commentary at all.

And to finish a couple of sculptures, mostly outside.

Back to the hotel, this time via the subway. I was a bit concerned as my phone was running out of battery and the Suica is on the phone. Got to the station and the gate still with battery but the gate didn’t like the Suica. Checked I still had money loaded in it, yes that was fine. Tried again and still no go so went to the manual gate. Placed the phone on their system and the inspector cleared the problem. No indication what was going wrong but he fixed it.

The all important dinner photos for tonight is for Hakata Ramen. This was a place where you order and pay via a machine. Put in your money, your choices light up, select one and it gives you a ticket to give to a member of staff so they can make your ramen. I was then left standing next to the machine wondering about change and I was shown that you need to select order complete to get your change. You could order another ramen at this stage but that would be excessive. Sitting at the counter next to the open kitchen watching them make it was a bonus. Two chefs making sure the presentation was exactly correct too.