In three words: clean, orderly, delicious.
Definitely not Korea.
Ric and I spent a long weekend in Fukuoka, Japan, a large-ish city about a thirty minute plane ride from Busan. After some intense haggling with Immigration at the airport (apparently, they frown upon you not making hotel reservations before arrival), we spent three long summer days wandering the city. Here are our observations.
1) Immigration was right. We should have made a hotel reservation. The weekend we chose to come to Fukuoka was also the weekend the city hosts a countrywide youth soccer tournament. Finding a hotel was challenging, though we did end up at a great place that served free ramen and had a spa on site. But it didn’t come cheap.
2) The country (like Korea) is a startling mix of ultramodern and practically ancient. It made for some beautiful photos.