Our Fukuoka games didn’t go the way I planned… but more on the games on the front page.

Fukuoka is a beautiful city, I believe it is the third largest city in Japan and it is known for their stunning architecture, beautiful high rises and…. massage parlors (what a combination!) The weather is vastly different than in Okinawa, it was cold, windy and everyone had scarves and jackets. I on the other hand was in shorts and a sweatshirt, and was getting interesting looks from the locals who could definitely tell that I was only visiting.

The food was very good in Fukuoka – I enjoyed a pizza, a frapia which consists of rice, melted cheese, potatoes and chicken and these hand made pastries that were absolutely spectacular… but my most enjoyable meal that typifies Japan was the ramen soup that I had at the little man-made shack. Every night for the last five years the tandem partner of Fujihara and “Henry” builds a shack at 6pm and takes it down at midnight. These two highly successful restaraunteers serves ramen that is considered the best in the prefecture. Now for the common foreigner who inspects the conditions and are used to seeing an A, B, or C on the window – forget about it – all you will see is a curtain that once entered you will find hand made noodles with a very tasty broth, odong (vegetables simmering in a stew) and chicken, beef or fish made to order. It’s always hard to enjoy life much less a meal after a tough loss but for 30 minutes I enjoyed my company (my two assistants Mu and Ken)... and I enjoyed my surroundings.