Getting Lazy: Day Trip to Nogata

A while ago I experienced something that that seemed new but authentic.  I visited a neighboring city that probably isn't well known or known at all amongst people outside of Fukuoka Prefecture, Nogata (直方市).  Nogata is approximately 20 minutes away by car (and 30 minutes for by bike on a good day).  I didn't think there would be anything interesting to the city, and to be honest, there isn't much for a tourist.  It's a city where people live.  However, a Japanese walking guide book had a suggested Nogata route, so Andy and I decided to give it a try.

We first went to Taga Shrine because it had a place to park.  It was along the route and we thought it would be a good place to both start and finish.  It's a surprisingly large and well-kept shrine.  The parking area is large so it seems that when built, it was hoped to have been a major tourist destination.  It was however, empty.  It was a National Holiday and there were only 2 or 3 others there.  It's a shame more people don't visit it, but I do think it's important for the people of the local area.  I unfortunately do not know anything about the shrine.  I don't know when it was built or it's specific purpose.  

Nogata is a smaller city than Iizuka, but their train station is quite nice.  Nogata is a terminus station for a few lines so it is always a neat sight to see train repair warehouses and extra tracks for train parking.  One thing that the station has over Shiniizuka is that it has a Trandor (a popular bakery).

Along the Shōtengai （商店街）, or shopping street, there were few buildings with interesting architecture.  

There are always entertaining signs in English spread throughout Japan.

I can't say if this tea is famous or not, but it was a point of interest in the walking guide book.  The building reminded me of an older Japan so after debating whether or not I should go in, I decided to go for it.  The lady in the shop was kind and offered us samples of various teas.  This one in particular was the recommended choice.  This particular green tea has a savory taste and I was happy to find it as I have been looking for a savory green tea taste for a while.

We found a tea house and decided to give it a visit.  We entered and asked the worker if it was okay to look around and he said yes.  He tried to tell us the history about the tea house and through my limited understanding of Japanese, I learned a few interesting things about the tea house.  Built by a wealthy family in the late Meiji Era, many parties were hosted here for the Chikuhou elite, including the famous Itou Denemon and members of the Aso family.

The last stop was the Nogata Coal and Train Museum.  There is a minimal fee to enter and Andy and I thought we should support the museum by paying the entrance fee and having a look.  It's a small and outdated museum that I doubt is often visited.  It does however give a great glimpse into the history of the Chikuhou area.  Of interest, there are various maps that locate historical mines in the Chikuhou area.

Looking back, I very much enjoyed the day trip to Nogata.  It's always nice to go off the beaten path and definitely a good thing to visit and learn about the history and culture of surrounding areas.  With that said, I have not travelled Iizuka very much so after this adventure, I'll be sure to learn about Iizuka and Tagawa.