The Intersection of City and History - Kushida Shrine and Hakata Machiya Folk Museum

In the morning, I visited the most iconic shrine in Fukuoka - Kushida Shrine. This thousand-year-old shrine hosts the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival every summer, attracting countless visitors. Standing in front of the vermilion torii gate, I clasped my hands together and gently rang the prayer bell, silently making a wish. The ancient camphor tree within the shrine has stood tall for a millennium, witnessing the changes of the city and evoking a sense of history's depth and tranquility. In the afternoon, I turned and walked to the nearby Hakata Machiya Folk Museum. This restored Meiji-era townhouse showcases the lifestyle of the Hakata area in the past. Inside, traditional looms and old merchant items are displayed, and the wooden corridors are filled with a faint nostalgic atmosphere. Sitting on the tatami mats, listening to the guided tour in the Hakata dialect, I felt as if I had traveled back in time to that simple yet warm era.