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The Toto Toilet Museum & Kitakyushu 2015/10/13 10:11
Okay, so I didn't catch if that was the official name of the facility, but I really enjoyed the recent report here on japan-guide. Has anyone else been there? I find it would be a convenient stop on my journey from Hiroshima to Nagasaki on a Saturday and would like to check it out.

On that note, any other suggestions for Kitakyushu? I don't want to get to Nagasaki too awfully late, just wondering if there's any other nifty convenient things to check out.
by Heidi (guest)  

Re: The Toto Toilet Museum & Kitakyushu 2015/10/13 12:26
Pls state- Month of year that you would be there.
by joshua hugh (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: The Toto Toilet Museum & Kitakyushu 2015/10/13 15:00
I will be there almost exactly one month from today, mid-November. I looked at the attractions listed here on Japan-guide, but nothing really stood out. However, my husband is interested in visiting the island where Musashi dueled his rival, and I'm interested in walking the pedestrian path under the Kanmon Bridge. I'm wondering if these are worth stopping for a few hours, though!
by Heidi (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: The Toto Toilet Museum & Kitakyushu 2015/10/13 16:49
If your husband is intrested in Musashi Miyamoto, there is a epitaph -Kokura hibun- in the tiny park called Tamukeyama near Kokura which his adopted child Iori left about Musashi's achievements.

http://ejmas.com/tin/2015tin/tinart_taylor-review_1501.html
http://geishaworld.wikia.com/wiki/Miyamoto_Musashi

BTW Tamukeyama park is 10 min. ride by bus from Kokura station.
by biwakoman rate this post as useful

Re: The Toto Toilet Museum & Kitakyushu 2015/10/14 05:01
Ooh, thanks biwakoman! I've learned so much about Musashi now! :D
by Heidi (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: The Toto Toilet Museum & Kitakyushu 2015/10/17 01:01
It appears that Ganryujima is only accessible from the Shimonoseki side at Kamon Wharf. So I'm thinking that we will arrive at Kokura Station and either walk to the TOTO museum (possibly stopping at Kokura Castle along the way) or take the train to Minami Kokura station to get there. After that, we would take the train over to either Mojiko station and walk underneath the Kanmon Bridge (I really want to do this haha) to get to the Shimonoseki side, or take the train to a station close to the ferry departure point. I'm trying to stick to JR as much as possible since we have a rail pass, but it's kinda tricksy. Then we can just walk back across through the tunnel as necessary.
by Heidi (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: The Toto Toilet Museum & Kitakyushu 2015/10/17 06:33
The Kanmon Tunnel doesn't have much in the line of scenery, naturally, but it is quite interesting considering you are actually walking underneath the ocean and crossing two islands. You can get a good preview of it at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y4K6erVyvA

Kitakyushu is often bypassed and ignored among tourists in Kyushu, but it has a few good places worth seeing. Perhaps the very best is atop Sarakurayama, which is nearly unknown to most yet offers one of Japan's finest city views.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl1pCW9Ibbk

You already mentioned Kokura Castle, which is worth walking through (especially cherry blossom season), the Mojiko Retro area preserves a part of Japan from a century ago that is long gone, and if you want to venture out more, there is Hiraodai for its large karst plateau. There is also Space World, a middling amusement park.
Since you mention the tunnel, why not also see Shimonoseki also? This site is sorely lacking in info on it, but you can still get some good sightseeing ideas at
http://wikitravel.org/en/Shimonoseki
by Ken (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: The Toto Toilet Museum & Kitakyushu 2015/10/17 14:44
Thank you, Ken! I really appreciate you posting that video of Sarakurayama - that is absolutely gorgeous. I've been excited about the Mt Inasa view in Nagasaki, so it looks like I have another to look forward to!

I'm really pleased with how many things there are to do between Shimonoseki & Kitakyushu. I have the option of visiting Saturday before Nagasaki, or Tuesday after Fukuoka en route to Himeji (already planning to get there late). So I think I'll leave it open to our whims, or check out in advance if there are any special events on Saturday 11/14.

Space World actually sounds pretty neat too. Darn it, too many things ... Any opinions on the Blast Furnace?

Thanks again!!! I'm still open to more suggestions or ideas!
by Heidi (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: The Toto Toilet Museum & Kitakyushu 2015/10/19 16:54
Ganryujima is part of Shimonseki, not Kitakyushu, so that's why they operate the boats to the island.
by +1 (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: The Toto Toilet Museum & Kitakyushu 2015/10/21 02:45
Thanks +1!
by Heidi (guest) rate this post as useful

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