Planning a trip?  Ryosuke Imai can help!   Imai is the CEO of Wonder Years Co, Ltd.   He studied in California and speaks fluent English.

This year, I wanted to take a long ski trip to a large ski area.  I found an appropriate area, but after thumbing through a half dozen travel brochures, visiting two big-name agencies, and scouring the web, I learned that there are no departures from Fukuoka for my destination!   A few days later, I happened to run into Ryosuke at a festival and remembered his agency.  I emailed him with an inquiry and he gave me a quote and travel options within a day or two–no problem.   So if you are thinking about taking a trip, why not contact Wonder Years?   Their office, located in Hakata-ku, is open M-F  9:00 – 18:00.  They accept payment in cash or via furikomi (bank transfer).

Wonder Years Co. ,Ltd
5th Floor AQUA Hakata
5-3-8 Nakatsu, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka-shi
Fukuoka 810-0801, Japan
TEL:  092-287-9638               M-F 9:00 – 18:00
FAX: 092-287-9501

Join in the fun as local businesses gather to build friendships within the community! There will be musical performances, including taiko and chorus, short plays, and a bunch of interactive corners.

Many corners are eco-focused, and will teach visitors how they can use things they’d normally throw away in order to make their own chopsticks, candles, storage boxes, and great food.

There will also be corners where you can play with replicas of really old Japanese toys–that’s def what I’m most looking forward to.

Of course, as usual the event is a great place to make friends in the community!

Time: January 25, Sunday, from 10AM until 1PM

Place: Meet Plaza (next to Hohoemi-Kan–from Saga Station, take the Youme Town bus, and get off at Hohoemi-Kan Mae. Meet Plaza is right next to it, to the West.)

Cost: FREE!

Sure to be lots of fun, see you all there!

If you are new to Japan and have a car, one thing that you need to know is that highways (expressways)  are not free to use.  They are all toll roads.  In exchange for your hard-earned yen, you get the privilege of a higher speed limit, two lanes to work with, and no stoplights.  It can cut travel time dramatically–it’s as much as 400% faster.

Generally, tolls are done like parking tickets:  you take a ticket and then pay when you exit.  A few toll roads (for example, the Kyuragi toll road between Taku and Karatsu) require you to pay a fixed toll as you enter. But generally, it is ticket-based.

Nexco (Nippon EXpressway COrp.), the company that  runs the tolls roads, has this website in English that can give you information on using the expressways.

http://global.c-nexco.co.jp/toll/methods.html