inutes before landing at Fukuoka Airport in Japan, I couldn’t believe my eyes as I gazed out of the airplane window. The view was pure serenity – picturesque mountains, a splendid sea and the mighty traffic bridge above the sea, a commendable work of craftsmanship connecting a small island to the city, showcasing the marvellous infrastructure of Fukuoka City. It suddenly dawned on me; this is why Japan is among the first-world countries. I felt fortunate to be visiting.

Fukuoka Airport is the fourth largest airport in Japan and the largest in Kyushu prefecture. Despite its distinctiveness and somewhat risky location in the city’s centre, it is a spectacular airport. Upon arrival, I was deeply impressed by the manners, kindness and politeness of the Japanese people at Fukuoka Airport. It was my first interaction. It felt like they were saying, “Omar, a very warm welcome to Japan.” Deep in my heart, I responded with a silent “Arigatto” (thank you in Japanese).

At 234 square metres, Fukuoka Tower is the tallest seaside tower in Japan. It is situated in the Momochi-hama area of Fukuoka city. After a day of rest, it was the first place I visited in Japan, highly recommended by my Japanese friends. The ticket cost me around 800 JPY, equivalent of 1500 Pakistani rupees. Arriving in the afternoon, I purchased the ticket from the designated counter and took the lift to the top floor.

The top floor houses a fantastic observation deck, providing a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. The panoramic view includes the cityscape, the incredible vision of majestic mountains and the seaside of Hakata Bay – truly an appealing sight.

From the observation deck, the east presents a view of Hakata Station, Tenjin, and Fukuoka downtown. To the west, the seaside park, yacht harbour area and waterfront appear. Looking south, one can see the city vista and the green Sefuri mountains beyond. The most breathtaking view lies to the north – a heavenly view of Hakata Bay, where the horizon and the sky merge. For a moment, I felt like I was dreaming, but to my happiness, it was a pleasant reality. I cherished all the views in the afternoon.

Later, I descended to the floor below to grab a cup of coffee and some supper. I sat there and enjoyed the view outside from the cafeteria. At dusk, I went back to the top floor on the observation deck, did some photography and treasured the sublime sunset scenes. One floor below the cafeteria, there is a lovers’ sanctuary where couples can take photographs together and lock their precious memories forever. If I have to sum up my experience of visiting Fukuoka Tower in one word, I would describe it as euphoria.

My next planned destination was a tour of the 1,100-year-old religious, historical, art and cultural site called Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. This place is a must-visit for those interested in art, culture and history. Japan’s extraordinarily influential and famous scholar, Sugawara Michizane, is enshrined here. Tenmangu Shrine is renowned among visitors, especially students seeking blessings and success in their studies, personal growth and wisdom. Moreover, Japanese people visit this shrine for prayers and religious rituals on the night of every New Year and on the very first day of the year for blessings. Japanese people mainly follow the Shinto and Buddhism religions.

While casually strolling through the extensive grounds of Tenmangu Shrine, I marvelled at thousands of beautiful plum trees and approximately 100 camphor trees. An imposing plum tree called Tobiume, (meaning Flying Plum) stood to the right of the main sanctuary. Sugawara Michizane loved plum trees and even composed a tribute poem about his favourite plum tree.

Another eye-catching scene was the magnificently designed charms for good fortune called amulets or omamori. These amulets are exquisite, with options for academic success, good health, happiness and safe travel.

Honden is the spiritual heart of Tenmangu and the final resting place of Sugawara Michizane. It is a very impressive structure where religious activities, worship, prayers and rituals are conducted, led by priests wearing colourful traditional robes.

Three famous bridges inside the shrine represent the past, present and future. The two arched bridges are called Taiko-Bashi, representing the past and future. The middle one is a flat bridge representing the present. There is also a history museum called the Dazaifu Tenmangu Museum. It houses around 50,000 treasured historic artworks and items.

I was mesmerised to see the marble Komainu Shrine Dogs (Lion Dogs). Komainu dogs are mythical creatures considered to be protection from evil. They are in pairs, with a male on the right with an open mouth and a female on the left with a closed mouth. There are four pairs of Komainu Dogs along the path to Honden.

In addition to the Komainu dogs, I came across an astounding mythical creature called Kirin with the body of a horse and a dragon’s head. Beholding Kirin took me to a different world of imagination for a few seconds. I just kept gazing at this artwork of sublimity in awe.

In Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, oxen hold special significance. While many oxen statues exist in the shrine, the largest one is the Bronze Ox. According to Japanese history, the ox pulling the remains of Sugawara Michizane suddenly stopped and lay on the road, displaying sorrow and grief, thus refusing to move forward.

It was a unique experience to see such an extensive collection of artwork and artefacts and observe Japanese people’s religious rituals, history, art and culture.

The next day, I took the subway train from the Hakata area to Tenjin and explored the city centre. Japan’s train network is one of the best in the world. It is exceptionally clean and the trains are always on time. A few years ago, I recall a headline in one of the Japanese newspapers apologising to citizens for a mere couple of minutes of train delay. At first, I wondered if they were serious, but then I realised that’s how it is in Japan. They thrive on perfection. It’s a way of life for them.

I admired the sight of stylish cafes and bars, talented musicians playing music on the streets and crowds picking up food from small traditional food stalls called Yatai in Japanese. Japanese food is tasty, healthy and low in calories. I enjoyed devouring Japanese noodles with shrimp and the delicious soup called Udon. Furthermore, Gyudon, beef on top of rice in a bowl, and Tempura, fried vegetables like pakoras in Japanese style, are all my favourites. Japanese people use chopsticks called Ohashi to eat, and somehow, I learned to use them. Later, I visited the Fukuoka Art Museum to see paintings and woodblock print art by local talent.

The Shintencho shopping street in Tenjin was nostalgic. There was a traditional Japanese dress shop offering kimonos, which Japanese people wear to celebrate their traditions and culture. I also found an inexpensive sushi shop and a famous Japanese-style cafe called Ochaya. After sipping Japanese tea, I felt very light. It was tasty. Japanese tea, called Ocha, is known for its health benefits. It has a positive impact on blood circulation. In the evening, the illuminating city centre was a sight to behold.

As a wildlife and nature lover, I visited Fukuoka’s amazing Marine World, Uminonakamichi. The best attraction was the dolphins and sea lions show; witnessing how gracefully they followed the commands of their instructor was a treat. Another highlight was the giant Sand Tiger Sharks swimming in massive panoramic tanks. It was quite an experience to be face to face with these giant sharks with only glass walls separating them from the spectators.

Shinkansen, the high-speed bullet trains built by Japan, were initially designed for longer routes but later expanded to cover minor routes as well, with a maximum speed of 320 kilometres/hour. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to experience the thrill of a Shinkansen ride. I travelled from Fukuoka City to Kumamoto City on the Shinkansen to meet a friend. While a local train takes around two hours for this journey, the Shinkansen covered the distance in 30 minutes. Before boarding the Shinkansen, I purchased a cup of coffee from the Fukuoka station coffee shop just to observe whether the coffee cup would shake and spill on the high-speed train. Surprisingly, I enjoyed sipping coffee like I was sitting in a cafeteria.

With immense admiration when I reflect on the cleanliness, astonishing shopping malls, disciplined traffic, remarkable local train networks, Shinkansen bullet trains, bridges over the sea, underground shopping malls, superb architecture and stunning highways all over Japan, I can’t help but applaud and congratulate the Japanese people. They have reconstructed this great country from the misery and ashes of the nuclear bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki by America. What a resilient and praiseworthy nation they are.

The writer is a freelance journalist currently visiting Japan.