On day 21 of my first Japan trip in 2006, I reached the westernmost point of my itinerary: 20 years ago today, I took the Shinkansen from Hiroshima Station to Hakata Station in Fukuoka on the western island of Kyushu.

A Shinkansen (bullet train) bound for Hakata Station in Fukuoka is arriving at Hiroshima Station. © 2006 Norbert Woehnl Photography.

Upon arrival, I left my baggage at the hotel, and headed to Canal City Hakata. In the inner yard of this shopping and entertainment complex, some musical performances were in progress that were drawing the attention of many visitors.

Musical performance in the inner yard of Canal City Hakata in Fukuoka, Japan. © 2006 Norbert Woehnl Photography.
Musical performance in the inner yard of Canal City Hakata in Fukuoka, Japan. © 2006 Norbert Woehnl Photography.

Outside Canal City, along the Naka River, I ran into another musical performance - contrary to the cases before, this musician had almost no audience, although he put in a really commendable effort.

Street musician along the Naka River in Fukuoka, Japan. © 2006 Norbert Woehnl Photography.

All photos shot with Nikon D200 and HP Photosmart R817, edited in Adobe Lightroom 5.7 / LR Classic.

写真の撮影場所：広島、福岡