Rather than show photos of the rest of the major tourist attractions in Kitakyushu, I’m going to post pictures of some of the stuff you’re unlikely to see in a tourist guide. A What They Left Out of the Kitakyushu Tourist Guide guide to the city, as it were. This is the first installment.

Here’s some actual useful tourist information: For Kitakyushu tourist information, try the Fukuoka Tourism web site. It has a decent overview of the major attractions in Kitakyushu as well as highlights from the rest of Fukuoka Prefecture. In English. I doubt you’ll get any conspiracy theories there, which could be a good thing.

Meanwhile, back at the Guide… There are a number of themed buildings all in a fairly small area in the entertainment district of Kokura. I took these photos back in March 2004 but I don’t go to that area very often so I can’t remember details of any of the other buildings. Next week we have a bunch of holidays and I’ve been meaning to go back to take more pictures so you may be in for more mind-bending fun.

My best guess is that this is a condo building. I seem to recall that at the time I took the photos, there were info sheets with prices and floor plans.

photo of building in Kokura, with attached gorilla

Another view, from the side:

side view of building in Kokura, with attached gorilla

I don’t anyone who’d want to wake up hung over in that fourth floor unit, but maybe the window is made from peril-sensitive glass.