Itoshima: Best Day Trip From Fukuoka

When researching Fukuoka, the first image that appears is Sakurai Futamigaura Shrine and the Couple Stones. The two stones are said to represent the Shinto gods Izanagi and Izanami. If you’ve heard Shinto legend, you’ll know these gods birthed the islands of Japan. Therefore, the pair of rocks have been a place of worship to the married couple for hundreds of years. It wasn’t until the late 1960s that the bright white tori gate was placed in front of the stones. With the addition of the tori gate, the shrine quickly became one of the most popular shrines in the country, and a landmark of Itoshima.

This is a popular place for lovers and tourists to visit as it signifies the happy marriage of the gods. The tori gate acts as a frame, beautifully pulling together the view of the stones. Sakurai Futamigaura is very popular with tourists, and there is usually a line to take pictures in front of the gate. That day, there was a heavy wind advisory, which caused the temperature to drop a lot. Despite the miserable conditions, the gate looked as pretty as ever, and a line started to form. It was an Instagram vs. reality moment when viewing the shrine from the parking lot. In person, the shrine is much more surreal, and envelopes your senses as the waves pound the rocks and tori gate.

Near the Couple Stones is Sakurai Shrine. The name is similar, and they are connected, but they are two distinct places. Sakurai Shrine is a pretty small Shinto shrine tucked away in a quiet forest. I always love visiting local shrines, as they can give you more of an idea of the regional feel, without massive crowds. As long as you’re respectful of people who are there to pray, it’s a comforting feeling seeing the real side of religion in Japan.

Instead of seeing the cave, we took the quick 15 minute hike up the outcrop. The view was okay but it not necessarily worth going out of your way for. There are trails near the beach, but since we were short on time we opted for the forest. Coming down we decided to take the other route which was the highlight, as the west trail has much clearer views of the hill. If you are going on a boat tour I would would say Keya no Ohto is worth visiting. Luckily, in the parking lot their was a little friend waiting for us. He had a collar on so I assume he works there. He was so sweet and such a kind worker, so it was well worth the detour.

One of Itoshima’s most popular dishes is oysters. In this coastal city, oysters are only available in the winter months. Luckily, we were there in December to experience the local cuisine. There are many oyster shacks in Itoshima, but after some research, I chose to visit Noburin. This particular shop is located in a whole street of oysters shops, so you can’t go wrong in picking a place. It is important to make a reservation, as they need to know how many portions to prepare. One of the reasons we chose Noburin is because we can make the reservation online as we don’t have a Japanese phone number.

When we arrived, we showed them our reservation and we got some yellow jackets to keep the smell off of our clothes. Luckily, the benches have storage where we put our belongings to avoid smelling like seafood all day. At many of these shacks, you are able to bring your own drinks and sides, but you can not cook anything from outside of the restaurant on the grill. This was our first time ever grilling oysters and we were a bit nervous. Michael watched a Youtube video in advanced and did some research so he could do it right.

After leaving the coast we drove high up in the mountains to find a cafe is nestled in the forest. Before getting a seat in the forest, we had to place our order and come back after a while. What makes this cafe special is the seating; there is none. After ordering we grabbed a camping chair to place down anywhere we could find. The cafe is made of several tree forts and platforms high in the cedar canopy. Forest Cafe Midori no Oto really lives up to its name, as we had to hike up and down the stairs to get to a spot. The trees are so tall and the layout is so unique. With so many layers and tree forts, I really felt like I was in a fantasy story.

Michael trekked back down to get our order which came in the cutest picnic basket. Aesthetically, Forest Cafe Midori no Oto has to be one of the most magical places we’ve been. To accompany our hot beverages, we ordered a lemon dessert that was a tad sour and very creamy! In warmer months, I can imagine this is the perfect place to sit outside for hours. Who wouldn’t want to chill out in a giant treehouse in a secluded forest?

Shiraito Falls is high up in the mountains a one hour drive away from the city center. I was really nervous when putting this in the schedule as I thought it could be completely frozen. I’ve visited a few waterfalls before on previous trips like Ta-Taki Waterfall in Okinawa, and Kegon Falls in Nikko, but this was different. When we got out of the parking lot we heard the loud sound of rushing water which gave us hope that it wasn’t frozen. The waterfall was high high in elevation, and there was ice and snow everywhere, turning the one minute walk into a five minute slide of death as we avoided falling into the river.

The waterfall was bigger grander than I thought it would be, clearly winter wasn’t deterring nature. As if it couldn’t get more magical, it started to snow on as we were enjoying the massive icicles and rushing water. In the summer, Shiraito Falls is a popular spot for nagashi soba noodles and for easy fishing. In the winter, it is the opposite experience as nobody is around. It was just us and nature, but I can’t complain as it was so beautiful even with the biting cold.

At this point we were running out of daylight, and scrambled to make it to our last major stop on the other side of the mountain. Raizan Sennyoji Daihioin Temple is a Buddhist temple said to have been founded in the year 178. When we planned our visit, I didn’t know this was such an ancient and renowned temple. It was continuously inhabited but deteriorated over time, until it was restored by the feudal lord Kuroda Tsugutaka in 1753. At that time, a maple tree was planted that still survives to this day, highlighting the main hall of the temple.

These days, the temple is a stunning mountainside refuge, with plenty of shrines and gardens to explore. It is particularly beautiful in the fall, when the ancient maple tree explodes into a brilliant red. Even though we didn’t get to see the fall foliage, this certainly became one of my favorite temples in Japan. It’s very nice but so isolated, it’s easy to get lost in another world as you explore. It’s very far out of the way, so if you haven’t rented a car it’s probably not worth the journey.

森とコーヒー。焙煎室 is a coffee shop located in the residential area of Itoshima. The name translates to “Forest and Coffee. Roasting Room.” This coffee shop is really unique as it is built in a trailer with wooden paneling, with only outdoor seating in the nature. It is run by one man, and is only open a few days of the week. Even stranger, they only sell dark roast drip coffee which is quite unique.