Our second day in Fukuoka was, well, planned out.

We had signed up for a tour of the city — one that lasted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — and we were at the mercy of JTB, the largest tour operator in Japan notorious for packed schedules.

We didn’t know what to expect, aside from an itinerary that had a stop at the Tenmangu Shrine in Dazaifu, a boat tour of Yanagawa Town, a visit to a restaurant that serves unagi, and a quick stop at shops to buy omiyage.

Did I mention this was going to be an all-day affair?

Turns out it was one of the best ways to see what Fukuoka has to offer, while learning more about this prefecture from the people who were born and raised here.

Plus, they tend to have the best food recommendations.

Here’s what our second day looked like:

Starting the morning

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We woke up with one question: what are we going to eat today? So we headed down to Family Mart, a conbini (convenience store) downstairs of our hotel for a quick bite. Oh, and coffee.