Fukuoka Tower

Having made it to the hotel the main place of interest that night was the Fukuoka Tower a small metro ride away and quite a lot of us headed out there.

Some seats in the carriages are for people who've eaten too much.

If you're too distracted by your mobile phone you might miss the ninjas.

From the metro station its about a 15 minute walk to the tower. Just head North...

Exactly as you'd think. A cafe for dogs. Only in Japan.

This is the tower, standing 234 metres high took just over a year to build and is the tallest seaside tower in Japan.

Most of the tower is just structure with the only floors with floors being those at the top, two of which are observation platforms.

Due to the amount of glass the tower has the nickname of "The Mirror Sail". The reflective surfaces were being put to good use by the local street dance crews. Saves paying for a studio I guess.

Random statue outside the tower.

Some views over Fukuoka from the top. The windows made it hard to get any decent photos, reflections of the observation tower getting into the shots.

Having gatecrashed the second observation floor and realising it was the dating floor full of couples we made our excuses and left heading into Fukuoka for something to eat.

We ended up in Canal City (an entertainment and dining district) just as places were closing and we were unfortunate to not get to eat here. Part of the problem was compounded by us being in a large group and not being able to please everyone.

A few of us ended up eating in a small noodle bar where you order your meal from a vending machine and then hand the ticket it produces to the chefs who cook it.

The sort of art a school kid could come up with.