Lonely Planet Japan is dead on in likening the Japanese to the fickle tastes of Japanese teenager girls. November is one of the more ideal times to visit Japanm but you will still need to hope for the weather to cooperate. The mornings during our time here are quite chilly, the sun peeks out for a few hours and provides an uplift to the temperature guage, then comes evening when it can be outright frigid. There is also the rain that seems to hit us on our travel days. Fresh off the 14 hour flight from NYC, we had to brave the rain looking for the hostel. The day I absent-mindedly left a bag on the shinkansen was a soaker for the entire country. The day we arrived in Fukuoka was drizzling on and off. The following day, the skies opened up and dropped buckets all over the entire Kyushu region. Fortunately, there are enough indoor attractions as there are outdoors in Japan. What better time to do engage in the local activity of shopping than on a rainy day?

If you can afford to stay elsewhere, do so. While this hotel in Fukuoka City isn’t a complete dump, it comes really close to it. The cigarette-smelling rooms are completely worn out, the hallways are reminiscent of an old university dorm room, the reception area that doubles as the breakfast room is dingy and harshly lit by a set of flourescent lamps. The rooms were typically cramped like any budget hotel in Japan. The ominous buzzing flourescent lamp on our floor can be straight out of a movie that takes place in a haunted or crime-ridden hotel. The staircase also looks like it has seen a few visitors coming through. The ancient elevator also doesn’t offer much confidence at first glance, and certainly looks like it is ready to trap someone in any day.

The place, however, does have loads of potential. A fresh coat of paint, new mildew free shower curtains, a working coin laundry, and perhaps a new PC can make HaWeiDa a good alternative to the centrally located hotels in Tenjin. The location is only one stop from Tenjin, 20 minutes from the Hakata Station, and only a block from the Ohori Park. And for roughly USD$60 for a double, the price is comparable to most budget hotels in the country. If you do decide to stay at HaWeiDa and cannot read Kanji, note that the sign outside is not in English. The hotel is around the corner from exit 2 at the metro station. Look for a big blue sign hanging off the side of a building. You will enter through an automatic door. Either take the elevator or stairs to the second floor where the reception is located.

Our second day in Fukuoka/Hakata City POURED! We considered making it a day out getting enriched by culture by visiting some museums, but decided that indulging in the nation’s most coveted pastime, shopping, would be a bit more fun. Especially if it means shopping Japanese style at Canal City.

Canal City is exactly that of its namesake…it’s a mega shopping complex that is more like a vertically planned city. It even has its own canals (they were a bit stinky…just like the real thing) weaving through the ground floor and synchronized fountain shows that are spectacular enough to even wow jaded New Yorkers like ourselves. We spent an entire day at Canal City, browsing at the boutiques and playing in the game arcades. We especially loved the kids floor, that had an awesome candy shop, tons of toy stores to entertain tots as well as adult sized kids like ourselves.

After spending about 4 hours browsing at Canal City, the rain finally let up and we made our way to a Yatai for dinner. Hakata/Fukuoka is known among the Japanese as the nation’s culinary center, which is what attracted us. They are especially known for their Yatais, food stalls, which serve quick delicious meals like Yakitori, sushi, and ramen, the latter being the regions specialty. The food stalls are tiny and draped with a curtain to block out the wind. Lanterns hanging outside the stalls advertise their specialty, but it’s pointless to the average non-Japanese reading gaijan. The major drag of yatais, right by Hakata Bay waterfront, are good but touristy and expensive. We ordered ramen and a dish of oden and yakitori. We met some a nice Japanese couple on holiday from neighboring Beppu, which is hot spring central. I remarked to the man, how sitting in the cramped quarters of the yatai in front of a busy kitchen was as hot as a Beppu onsen! Though delicious, our meal for two, turned out to be the most expensive street food we’d ever eaten! However, cheaper Yatai stalls are sprinkled throughout the city center, and many are even better than those by the waterfront. We hit one off the beaten yatai path after our day in Canal City and our bill was half that of more touristed stalls and our ramen, and was definitely better!

We definitely enjoyed eating and shopping our way through Fukuoka, but I wouldn’t say it’s a must-see unless you are a total ramen enthusiast or plan on spending time exploring the Kyushu region.