🌸 Fukuoka Itoshima: Sakura and the Sea

#cherryblossom25 In the morning, I boarded a bus heading toward Itoshima. As we neared the shrine, there were only a few of us left swaying quietly inside the bus 🚍🍃. The first stop was Sakurai Shrine. Even from the entrance, it felt like stepping straight into an anime scene or a Japanese movie 🎥✨. Walking through a small forest and crossing a little bridge, I came upon a majestic cherry blossom tree in full bloom. The timing was perfect — just after full bloom, when the petals start to drift in the wind. A soft flurry of sakura fell all around me like a gentle snowstorm 🌸❄️. Inside the shrine, I collected a goshuin (temple stamp) — it was simple and modest, but when pressed into my notebook, it gave a quiet, comforting sense of ceremony 🧡. After leaving the shrine, I wandered slowly along the coastline (well, it was more of a brisk 30-minute walk 😅). Eventually, I reached the Shiraito Coast torii gate standing proud against the sea 🌊⛩️. Around midday, there were few visitors — perfect for peaceful photos. Further ahead were trendy photo spots like swings and other manmade installations, but honestly, I wasn't very interested. Instead, I decided to queue early for the return bus. ⚡ Tip: The buses don’t come often — about once every 30 minutes — and even early in the afternoon, the line gets long. It takes just over an hour to return to Hakata Station, so if you're planning an afternoon or evening trip, make sure to allow some extra time for waiting! Back at Hakata Station, I grabbed my JR train ticket and made a beeline for Ramen Street inside the station 🍜🏃♀️! Around 3 PM, the famous shops like Kanetora and Shin Shin barely had any lines. The scent of rich broth and pork belly hung in the air — impossible to resist! After a struggle with my indecisiveness, I chose a random shop and ordered tonkotsu ramen with pork cutlet rice 🍜🍚 — finally fulfilling my dream of "carbs on carbs" like in Solitary Gourmet — and it was heavenly 🤤✨ #travel