"Sakura no Sho" at Kotohira Grand Hotel is located beside the 22nd step of the approach to Kotohiragu Shrine. Walk down the hotel stairs and you’re right by the marine museum and the shopping street along the approach.
The front desk staff included a Taiwanese employee who gave us a warm welcome and helpful explanations. This time we booked one night with one meal and stayed in a Japanese-Western style room. As soon as we entered, we were impressed by how clean, tidy, comfortable, and bright it was. The view from the window was even more beautiful, like a natural painting right in front of us. If you’re heading to Kotohiragu Shrine, the hotel also offers free bamboo walking sticks to borrow at the entrance.
Dinner was Japanese cuisine, and the staff took great care of us. The food looked beautiful, smelled amazing, and tasted great too. It was a feast for both the camera and our appetites 😋
The open-air hot spring was wonderful. At night, the women’s bath had a "rose bath" filled with colorful roses. It made me feel pampered like a royal consort, relaxing in a luxurious, fragrant bath and washing away all my fatigue... Feels so good~
Kotohira Grand Hotel, Sakura no Sho | Review by 周黛西
Other Reviews by 周黛西
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Kayanoya
A former soy-sauce storehouse turned specialty ingredients shop. Kayanoya has spent 120 years helping more people enjoy “Washoku”, the world-recognized intangible cultural heritage of Japanese cuisine, with easy to use ingredients.
Kayanoya dashi packets are very user-friendly for someone like me who isn't good at cooking. No matter what kind of dish you want to make, just add a dashi packet—even plain water can be transformed into something special.
The Kayanoya on Dazaifu Omotesando offers a limited-edition “Japanese-Style Plum Dashi Packet.” The cute packaging makes it perfect as a gift or for yourself. They also have a limited-edition plum vinegar drink that's refreshing, thirst-quenching, and perfect for cooling off. So good! -
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Fukusaya Nagasaki main store
Castella, a sponge cake brought to Nagasaki in the mid-16th century along with Nanban trade, quickly became a favorite across Japan thanks to its fluffy deliciousness and high nutritional value. It was particularly embraced by students who came to Nagasaki from all over Japan to study medicine and Dutch studies.
When visiting Kyushu, besides ramen and mentaiko, Fukusaya’s Nagasaki castella is also a classic souvenir many travelers bring home. It may look simple, but each bite has details that keep you coming back for more.
When you open the package, you’re first greeted by a light honey and egg aroma. The cake is neatly precut into ten equal slices. Pick one up, and its soft, slightly moist texture builds anticipation before you even taste it. With a gentle bite, the dense, delicate cake slowly melts on your tongue as the sweet honey and rich egg flavors mingle. The sweetness is noticeable but not cloying, and as you chew, you can also feel the cake’s soft, springy texture.
The real surprise comes in the last bite.
The bottom of Fukusaya’s Nagasaki castella is lined with its famous coarse zarame sugar crystals. As you chew, tiny crunching sounds suddenly emerge from the soft cake. Sometimes the sugar is slightly loose, while other times it has a crisp, grainy texture. The sweetness also becomes more pronounced at this moment, taking the texture from soft and moist to a delicate crunch and creating a layered contrast. Fukusaya saves this surprise for the cake’s final bite.
Pair it with a cup of hot black tea, and the tea’s aroma slightly balances the cake’s sweetness. With coffee, a touch of bitterness complements the honey’s sweetness. Eat slowly and savor each bite, and you’ll find that it isn’t simply a “honey cake.” Its soft, moist, sweet, and slightly crunchy textures come together to create a distinctly Japanese delicacy.
There are different sizes and gift boxes to choose from, and both the original and chocolate flavors have their own character. The chocolate version doesn’t have coarse sugar on the bottom, but the top is generously covered with chopped walnuts and raisins. It’s equally suitable for enjoying yourself or giving as a souvenir.
If you’re planning to take it back to Taiwan, there’s no need to carry the castella around throughout your trip. You can wait and buy it at Fukuoka Airport, saving yourself the trouble of lugging it around while traveling. For travelers, that’s a practical little convenience--a delicious souvenir you can buy at the last minute instead of carrying it from the first day of your trip. -
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TENJIN CHIKAGAI
Tenjin area is located in Fukuoka City Chuo-ward, Kyushu’s largest downtown district. Going through the street is Watanabe Street, and to the north, Showa street. To the south is Tenjin Chikagai, an underground street, 600m in length running under Kokutai Street. There are 12 districts, with 150 shops such as apparel, gourmet food, sundries, and books.
Tenjin Chikagai is Kyushu's busiest shopping district, designed to resemble 19th-century European streets. The red-brick walkways, stone-paved streets, medieval European-style stained glass, and vintage clocks with Roman numerals make you feel like you're in an old European town. Who knew shopping could be so romantic? Not only can you shop comfortably here, sheltered from the wind and rain, but you can also go directly to major department stores like Mitsukoshi and Daimaru. On my last night in Fukuoka, I had such a great time shopping and went absolutely crazy buying things! I completely forgot to take pictures, and I didn't have a free hand to take any anyway. So the next morning, I just snapped a quick photo of the underground mall entrance. I'll have to come back and make up for the rest next time〜
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