Shiranoe Botanical Garden - Exploring Kitakyushu Local
When I arrived at the initial destination, Shiranoe Botanical Garden, it was already well past 2:30 PM. The parking lot was only available until 5:00 PM, which posed a bit of a challenge for the pottering to the next end. A large number of tourists disembarked from the tour bus, seemingly visitors from Korea. Even for us locals who live nearby, this is a place we rarely visit, and it doesn't seem like a typical tourist spot. So, why are people coming here? Where are they getting the information from? I haven't fully recovered from the previous ups and downs of Takatou-yama yet, so let's take a break before exploring. At the entrance, a staff member asked me if I were a resident of Kitakyushu City or Fukuoka City. Replied, "I live right in the middle of nowhere, in Onga District." "Well, then you'll need to pay the entrance fee..." she said. Although it was obvious that I was far over 65 years old, I wasn't eligible for any disc...