The Yoshinogari Archeological park is a historical and archeological site tracing some of the earliest known settlements in the region. When we think of historical Japan we think of the feudal lords and castles, but there is a surprising history that can be traced back to some of the earliest settlement communities. The park is easily reached by walking from Yoshinogari Station, which is 2.1km to the park or about a 20 min walk. Entrance fee was 400Y ($5). I had ...

Leaving Huis Ten Bosch I got to ride around and see a variety of trains that run on Kyushu Island. Since Huis Ten Bosch was an awkward location, and I was going to another archeological theme park in another awkward location there were not any direct trains. The lady at Huis Ten Bosch who spoke good english explained to me I can take a northbound train for about six minutes to Haiki and change there to a busier eastbound train heading back to Hakata. Then at Saga...

Further into the park as I was heading to the Royal Palace was the Porcelain Museum. This had an entry fee of 400Y ($5). The entrance area begins with two giant size vase taller than a person that must be considerable weight to carry The first gallery had a collection of ceramic plates. This led to a more stunning second room which was a hall of mirrors. There were many giant vases and ceramics on shelves and alcoves upto the ceiling. This was reflected on the m...

The final place I wanted to visit at Huis Ten Bosch was the Dutch Royal Palace. This was built with special permission from Queen Beatrice as an exact replica of one of the Royal Palaces. I was expecting to be quite impressed but it ended up being somewhat of a disappointment To get to the palace you have to cross the entire theme park and get to the far end. There was then a separate entrance ticket to enter. The website said 500Y ($6.25). When I got there I co...

A striking feature of the Huis Ten Bosch theme park is the Domtoron. This is a replica of the famous church tower in Utrecht which was the tallest building in that region for a considerable time. I had seen it passing on the train when I was in The Netherlands but never had the chance to visit myself. Today I had an opportunity to visit the replica. The lower floors are restaurants unlike the church in the original. Entry price to the top is 500Y ($6.25) by a sho...