Sake festival!

So, I apologize for there being no posts on Sunday, on account of me being too drunk to type. Then again nothing on Monday, on account of me being too hung over. Why? Friggin' sake festival!

 It all started with an inconspicuous poster in the school*. "Sake festival?" -thought I, "this sounds very promising. And since it is advertised here, it must surely be in the vicinity of the city. How practical!". Of course I didn't check a map, who do you think I am?
*you know the deal by now, right?

As the day itself dawned, I really wasn't feeling up to it, but I'd already made a deal with Jarno-san from school so there was no backing out. Off I went, having not planned anything at all.

Train selfie, dual mode.

The train stations we passed
were lively and full of people.

Turned out it was quite a lot further than expected. After first going of at the wrong station, we ended up spending about an hour and a half getting from Tenjin station in Fukuoka to Mizu-something station in Kurume prefecture.

Kurume did not mean Kurume, so this was
in fact the wrong station.

We were way out in the boondies now. Rice patties and canals baby. Rice patties and canals.

Train station decor looked promising.

The festival was spread out over the entire town. Or I should say village, it was a pretty tiny place although it covered a great distance. Again, this is something I probably ought to research before writing about so as to seem less generally ignorant, but as my returning readers will know I a) have no idea what I'm doing, and b) am a total lazy bum, so no dice.

Map of sake. Good map.

The lovely information lady gave us a map and pointed us in the direction of the nearest stuff-happening-place, where we started off buying a piece of yakitori from this lively gentleman

The yakitori was not 500yen btw. 100yen per piece of yum. That is come cheap-ass yum right there!

Because of reasons they threw in an energy drink. Why not, yeah?

Two for one!

But let's get this boring shit out of the way; it's time to geet a'drinkin'!

There were sake samples. Free samples. Of sake. Just standing around. Or actively getting pushed on you. Seriously. Check it!

There is no way in any hell this is legal in Norway. Also, yum.

Hello sake.
Goodbye sake, ifyouknowwhatImean.

Giant barrels of the stuff!

I drank it raw!

Hipster sake isn't actually sake yet.

The chairman of the brewery came out and talked Japanese at us. I told him I liked the sake. I was not lying.

Sometimes it's nice to be the only gaijin tourists. All the attention!
(and we were seriously the only non-asians at this thing. Or at least I saw no one else.)

It was also around this time we met Koichiro-san, a Kyushu native who was nice enought to show us around and be a bit of a translator.

To get people to the main festival location, the organizers had set up free shuttle buses to shuttle people along. We crammed ourselves into one in a manner that would have Norwegian traffic law enforcers crying tears of exasperation, and the (actually pretty lengthy) trip gave us a chance to sightsee just how far into the boondocks we really were. Seriously! Look at this!

Japan!

I spy with my little eye something that begins with rice patties and canals.

Bus mirror selfie.

At the main festival area we got ourselves this:

"Choose six sake samples from three grades (C is best) for 500yen". That is, about 30NOK. Good deal, you should take it!

These people were awsome, and their sake was the best!

The deal came with a complimentary cup!

Also, at one of the stands they accidentally gave us the wrong kind, so we got another cup on the house. At another, we asked to try a third kind and they had no problems giving us an extra (as a secret, which is why I'm not telling you...).

This was my favourite.
I apparently have good taste.

I like my cup.

And so much sake was drunk. And so much good times were had. It was the warmest day for me so far in Japan. Sunshine and fun times, I tell you.

Drank. It's like Samfundet on a Monday!

Have I mentioned that Kyushu people are super friendly? These two guys














brought us these two beers

because it was the end of the day and they had nothing better to do, I guess. Thanks, yeah.

So then we had Kyushu specialty "buta bara" (like if yakitori had babies made of bacon!) and drank beer in the setting sun. I have been through worse, I must say.

Ridiculuous. Stupid. Bacon on a stick!

Canal selfie.

I am, of course, completely sober at this point.

We caught a taxi back to the train station because of alcohol, and I was fascinated by the pretty lace seat covers (which are apparently a totally normal thing in Japan, but I don't take a lot of taxies), and by the interesting face it made of the seat in front of me.

Hello I am Japanese taxi where you want to go?

Also, I think this house has antlers.

Live music and more beer!

A couple of hours later we arrived back in Fukuoka, my drunkenness was fading and I was tired as a sock. So of course I went to a party.

Ended the night belting out Linkin Park at karaoke, as is only proper.