After making the most of Fukuoka Castle and the art museum, on to Ohori Park right next door. I hadn’t managed to get here last time for lack of time, so this was a long-awaited visit. And when I arrived — people, people, people. Everyone passing the time however they pleased, a peaceful sort of air. As always, today was the best.
What kind of place is Ohori Park?
A park beloved of the people of Fukuoka, wrapped around a big pond. This pond, as it happens, was once Fukuoka Castle’s outer moat. It began when Kuroda Nagamasa used what had been an inlet of Hakata Bay, called Kusagae, as the castle’s outer moat when he built it. Coming here after walking the castle, it clicked — “ah, so the far side of those stone walls earlier was this water” — and I was rather moved.
The park opened in 1929. A roughly 2 km path runs around the pond, with the castle and the museum both close by. It’s an area you can amble around all together at a relaxed pace.
People, people, people. A peaceful waterside
Lively, above all. People strolling, people running, people spacing out on benches, people chatting away. By the willow-fringed water, everyone passing the time as they pleased — just watching, I felt the tension drain out of me. Less a tourist spot, more a park woven into everyday life.
There’s even a Starbucks inside, so I thought, buy a coffee and laze on a bench — that’d be the best! But with what I had planned afterwards, I gave it a miss this time… I’d really wanted a coffee here.
Swan boats, and the carp staring you down
Out on the water, a flotilla of swan boats. Bobbing along in a prim little row, faces all composed — somehow surreal, and it slowly got to me. Look closely and one of them even had a bow tie, which got to me all the more (ha).
And down at my feet, at the water’s surface, the carp were swimming single-mindedly towards the current. They surely know that food gathers in the flowing water. A golden one mixed in among them, all of them staring intently in the same direction — those backs were a touch unnerving, and I couldn’t stop watching.
One day, Noh here!
Ohori Park Noh Theatre stands beside the pond. Its auditorium has 562 seats. I only saw the building this time. I hope to watch Noh here someday.
In closing
Castle, museum, park — a day spent walking a tight little loop of Fukuoka in half a day. Rather than coming at you with showy highlights, Ohori Park is a place with waterside air that simply feels good.
Next time I’m here, joining the swan boats might be nice. Face all composed, bobbing along (ha).
