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www.groovekorea.com / January 2015 68 DESTINATIONS Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com) The traditional meets the metrosexual in Fukuoka S u m o a n d Z i m a Story by George Kalli / Photos by Connie Ma, Edward Dalmunder and Hideki Toyonaga B etween the 90-minute flight from Seoul and prices that are more affordable than in Tokyo, Fukuoka offers a convenient getaway for those looking to experience a diverse array of historic and cultural enclaves. During a sin- gle weekend in and around the country’s sixth-largest city, one can easily experience unique Japanese cultural experiences that range from attending a Grand Sumo Tourna- ment to flaunting one’s metrosexual side by enjoying a refreshing Zima alcopop beverage in public. H i s t o r i c h i d e a w a y It’s easy to use Fukuoka as a base for trav- eling to the many historic sites and attractions in the surrounding region. A two-hour train ride will bring you to Nagasaki, and spending time here presents you with the opportunity to ponder deep thoughts, perhaps including world peace, while standing at the point above which the atomic bomb “Fat Man” was deto- nated in August 1945. The nearby Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and Nagasaki Nation- al Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, while both somber, are yet serene in a way that perhaps only the bonsai-tree-cultivat- ing and tea-ceremony-conducting Japanese could manage. Movie buffs may recognize Hashima Island as the hideaway used by the Bond villain played by Javier Bardem in “Skyfall” (2012). Also known as Gunkanjima (Battleship) Island on account of its resemblance from afar to a lurking battleship left adrift from World War II, it is accessible by tour boat from Nagasaki’s harbor. This small island was inhabited from 1887 to 1974 in order to support underwater coal mining operations. The island was es- sentially a self-contained city, providing all the needs of the mining efforts and those of the workers and their families. It is densely packed with apartment, school and hospital buildings, industrial facilities and even a concrete swim- ming pool. Once mining ceased, everything was left to succumb to the elements and now resembles a concrete wasteland. With such a concentration of abandoned and decaying structures, Hashima Island has become a bucket list destination for urban explorers. Or- ganized tours pro vide tightly controlled access to only the portions of the island deemed to be safe, but more daring urban explorers might consider arranging alternative transport to the island through the local fisherman who can be seen fishing off banks that are off-limits to tourists. R a m e n , w r e s t l i n g a n d a l c o p o p The whole region, and in particular Fukuo- ka, boasts noteworthy cuisine that should be sampled. The most buzz-worthy meal of late Like Bill Murray in ‘Lost in Translation,’ you can sip Suntory whiskey for relaxing times throughout much of the world. You may even discover sake served to king crab fishermen on far-flung Bering Sea islands. Only in Japan, however, can you step into an izakaya and proudly order a Zima.