The atmosphere at sunset especially is mesmerizing. Typical yatai stands along the river, selling local favorites such as ramen -Chinese noodles- and the equally popular yakitori -grilled- dishes.
Vaughan and I sampling some delicious Japanese cuisine: fingerlicking good! 
City centre seen from one of the bridges over the river. The abundance of neon lights definitely tells us we're in Asia!
One of the hundreds of thousands of shops in the city, this one located in Nakasu, the entertainment district. Japanese are the second biggest consumers in the world, and it shows.
Natural sights
On my very first evening in Fukuoka we took a walk along Momochi seaside, a beach very close to our flat. Quite a comfort to know that despite the building frenzy in the city, there are still some spots left where you can relax and enjoy a nice view...
Two subway stops away we have Ohori Koen park. In the distance you can make out Fukuoka Tower, the tallest building in the city (the giant needle on top helped!).
Festivals
The Japanese seem to adore festivals, at any given time there are several cities that have some sort of festivity going on. One of the main ones for Fukuoka is the Hojoya Festival, celebrated in the middle of September at the grounds of the Hakozaki Shrine. During Hojoya people visit the shrine to pray, read their fortune and of course eat! Here Vaughan is trying squid on a stick, very popular and according to him equally tasty/chewy!
During festivalnights on hot summer evenings many girls wear the yukata, or summer kimono. These are lighter than the traditional kimono but still look very elegant and beautiful. Will it be only a matter of time till the first yukata with 'Hello Kitty' design appears??
These two guys were waiting for the start of an evening parade and had no problem posing for a photo. They were playing the Japanese drum, pretty impressive. 
Vaughan and I still have no idea what the specific purpose or meaning of this religious parade was, but simply hearing the music, feeling the atmosphere and admiring their costumes was worth being there.
At the shrine entrance you can buy your fortune and, after reading it, attach it to a tree/gate for good luck. Taking it home prevents the fortune from working.
I bought myself a fortune as well and thanks to Yasuko's translation discovered that travel and love are looking good, but I should work harder to secure financial and professional success. Hm, sounds pretty accurate to me!
Funky technology
This gadget is the perfect marriage between two 'obsessions' of certain Japanese: 'Hello Kitty' and robots! Cute to see how the little girl tries to establish communication with the robot...
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