Destination Highlight: Kushida Shrine, Japanese Garden and Folk Museum

Yusen-tei Park was originally built in 1754 for second home for Lord Kuroda, the sixth lord of Fukuoka. Its beautiful garden, focused around a scenic lake, was the first of its kind during the Edo (samurai) era, and it was honored by the city in 1998 as a place of significant value. The next stop is Kushida Shrine, built when the city was a nexus for trade and diplomatic travel between Japan, China, and Korea. It has been popular with local people since it was built in 757 and rebuilt in 1587. Stroll to the nearby Hakata Machiya Folk Museum for a look at what city life as like in the Meiji and Taisho periods, with emphasis on the urban dwellings that were built at that time. There's even a miniature town model which gives an idea of the scope of the Fukuoka as citizens enjoyed its status as a center for trade.