Itoshima is a beautiful destination surrounded by scenic blue sea and long sandy beaches; and there are plenty of sightseeing spots and stylish cafes that made Itoshima one of the most popular day trips from Fukuoka City. When summer comes, Itoshima is an ideal place for some beach activities or hiking in lush mountain forests. And during the winter season, most of the visitors come to Itoshima for the fresh and delicious oysters, the winter delicacy of Fukuoka.
In this post, we will share with you what you can do for a day trip in Itoshima during winter. 10am - Shiraito Falls . 白糸の滝
Itoshima can be easily reached from the Fukuoka City by car, about less than an hour drive. Our first stop was the Shiraito Falls, which is located on the Haganeyama. This beautiful waterfall with waters flow like silky white thread over the 24m high rock face is one of the most scenic spots in Fukuoka. When we were there, we only saw a small number of visitors who came here just for the scenery; but in the summer, this is a popular place to get away from the summer heat and enjoy activities like trout fishing and somen nagashi (流しそうめん or flowing noodles). Location: Click here for Map
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| Shiraito Falls Village |
11am - BBQ Oysters @ Kakigoya Kafuri (カキ小屋 住吉丸)
Next stop was the main highlight of our day trip, we went to one of the many oyster huts (Kaki Goya) for our lunch. In the winter season, you will find many oyster huts along the Itoshima's coastline. These oyster huts with a homey and welcoming atmosphere allow you to DIY barbecue fresh oysters and other local seafood. The hut that we went allowed us to bring in extra foods and they also provide windbreaker for protection. These huts only open during oyster season, which is around late October to late March. Location: Click here for Map
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| Kafuri Kakigoya |
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| Windbreakers for protection |
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| Ponzu - a tangy citrus-based sauce |
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| Delicious succulent fresh oyster |
Right outside the oyster hut, we saw a street stall selling Mikan (Mandarin Orange) from Saga (佐賀). Mikan is in season during early winter season and they are popular as a snack or dessert, irresistibly we grabbed a pack for ourselves.
1pm - Hakojima Shrine . 箱島神社
About 5 mins drive from the oyster hut, going west along the Karatsu Highway, we came to this small little island where the Hakojima Shrine is located. The setting of this island shrine is very unique and interesting, from far it looks like a bonsai floating in the sea. Hakojima shrine is where the people come to worship the God of Ears and God of Love. The time when we were there, it was low tide and we were free to walk on the foreshore below the stone bridge. Location: Click here for Map
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| Hakojima Shrine on a small island |
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| Hakojima Shrine at low tide |
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| The stone bridge to Hakojima Shrine |
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| The entrance of Hakojima Shrine |
2pm - Beach Playground (next to Harbour House)
Next, we made a quick stop at a playground by the beach, right beside the Harbour House Restaurant. The journey from the Hakojima Shrine was about 25 mins. Whether you love playing at the playground or just want to do a palm tree swing; this is definitely one of the most instagram-worthy places in Itoshima. Location: Click here for Map
2:30pm - Sakurai Futamigaura . 桜井二見ヶ浦の夫婦岩
Sakurai Futamigaura is also popularly known as Meoto Iwa or Married Couple Rocks. These two rocks lying on the sea are tied together by shimenawa (a rice straw rope), which belong to the Sakurai Shrine. During the summer solstice, many visitors come all the way here to catch one of the top sunset views in Japan as the sun sets between the couple rocks. With the iconic white Torii gate standing majestically at the beachfront, this could be simply the most enchanting place in Itoshima that you shouldn't miss. Location: Click here for Map
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| Futamigaura Beach |
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| Sakurai Futamigaura |
3pm - London Bus Cafe
In the recent years, Itoshima has become very popular among young people, as we can see that there are countless number of trendy cafes spread around the area, hence a trip to Itoshima won't be complete without visiting a cafe. With so many options, we randomly chose the London Bus Cafe, which is pretty outstanding in term of color, theme and location. They have outdoor seating which is beside the bus and the indoor seating with a sea view is in the upper deck of the bus. Location: Click here for Map
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| London Bus Cafe |
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| Outdoor Seating |
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| Outdoor Seating |
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| Upper Deck |
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| Upper Deck with a sea view |
4pm - Keya no Oto . 芥屋の大門
Keya no Oto is an unique rock formation of a cave that you can only access by taking a sightseeing boat tour and this is also one of the national treasures in Japan. We didn't take the boat tour to see the cave, but we managed to walk around the Keya no Oto park and took a very short hike through the woodland to the viewing platform. At the top, you will get a panoramic view of the coastline and Himejima Island. Location: Click here for Map
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| Keya no Oto |
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| Keya no Oto view point |
5:30pm - Volcanic Peak . 火山山頂
Finally, we came to the last stop of the day in Itoshima, the Volcanic Peak (Mt Hiyama). This is where we had a spectacular view of Itoshima by standing on the wooden platform overlooking the stunning bow-shaped coastline. The Volcanic Peak is also the best spot to catch a breathtaking sunset of Itoshima; looking at the sun dip into the ocean and follow by admiring the changing color of the sky when it turned twilight. What a lovely ending to our day trip in Itoshima! Location: Click here for Map
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| Sunset with Love |
Although we had covered quite a number of places during our day trip, I feel that I still miss out a lot of places like the salt workshop, ancient Sennyo-ji Temple, sake brewery and ramen factory. If I were to visit Itoshima again, I would love to visit during the summer for activities like trout fishing, Somen Nagashi and of course catch a breathtaking sunset at Sakurai Futamigaura. If you are planning a day trip while traveling in the Fukuoka City, I would strongly recommend Itoshima, a place where you can enjoy heritage, culture, nature, food and art; definitely one of the best choices!
Written by: Q.J.
Photography by: Q.J. & K.K.
Special Guest Photographer: ZunZun
Written by: Q.J.
Photography by: Q.J. & K.K.
Special Guest Photographer: ZunZun