Going to the Go Tournament

 Since the tournament site was quite far from my apartment, I had to take a bus to get there. First, I went to the bus depot in the Hakataminami Station Building which is less than a10 minute walk from home. I got there early and spent the time walking up and down in this long hallway. On the left are aquariums with local fish. On the right there is a cafeteria with three restaurants. At the far end you can see some people in the sitting area. The buses are outside on the left.

When my bus arrived, I went out and got on board. This bus is called the Kawasemi (a local bird) and there are three routes around the town and the buses alternate directions. However, they only arrive once an hour from each direction. If I missed this bus, I would be at least an hour late for the tournament. The buses only cost 150 yen (about US$1.50) and there is a 50 yen discount for the elderly, etc. It does not matter how far you go on the bus, the price is the same. A complete circuit of the route takes close to an hour. When we first moved here, we took the buses and rode from the station back to the station as a way to learn a bit about the town.