Some more pics of Fukuoka
I've seen similar boards in Nara.
These are wooden tablets covered in calligraphy.
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I understand they are called Ema (絵馬, lit. 'picture-horse'). These are small wooden plaques, common to Japan, in which Shinto and Buddhist worshippers write prayers or wishes.
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Fukuoka is covered with canals.
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I had lunch here. You had to line up (20 mins) , but it serves traditional Fukuoka Ramen.
Ema are left hanging up at the shrine, where the kami (spirits or gods) are believed to receive them.
These connect to the sea.
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If you get lost, look for the nearest canal.
They are a easy way to get your bearings.
The restaurant is called Ichrian
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This style of ramen ls also know as Tonkotsu ramen. It's now so synonymous with Fukuoka that most people there simply call it “Hakata ramen,” with Hakata being a ward of the city (previously an independent town) where the dish originated.
