Fukuoka: Day 1, A Few Chosen Highlights...

Looks like as fast as I've arrived, I'm just about to take off in 8 hours. But here's a few things I saw:

It's a small airport, but the signs make the place grand.

A nice spot to chill, as if the park is "waving" at you.

Even the graffiti is pretty "clean".

Like a sort of street calligraphy that puts L.A. street taggers
to shame.

If you magnify the larger version of this photo, the blue
sign is of a man with a hat. What's with the hat, I ask?

Instead of pumps on the ground, gas is feed from the
ceiling. Makes stealing gas a bit of hassle. And speaking
of stealing...

... These bikes are all parked here, and they have locks
on them, but they aren't tethered to the metal rail. This
happens a lot, and it says even more about the culture.

A decent haircut in the time it takes to drink a latte?
Count me in!

Traffic that flows in perfect harmony.

Looks just like America, with a few twists:

Japanese "Slim Jims".

Exported U.S. pseudo-holidays.

An actual, fully-functioning pay phone that isn't
riddled with disease. Try and find oneof these in
a major U.S. city!

And of course, one of a few million instant vending machines,
for those that find 24 hour convenient stores not convenient
enough.

Strangest food consumed thus far? To the left,
chicken intestines with chives, and to the right, compacted
fish roe cut up in slices. And this is only the beginning
of the culinary adventure...

As usual, stayed tuned for more, as I'm not exactly sure
where I'll be ending up, or when I'll have the internet
again... ;)