11/30 Hakata Salt Factory

Once again, we were taken on an extracurricular excursion. However, this was done as a free partnership between Ehime University, Matsuyama University, and St. Catherine Catholic University. I already knew the Ehime and Matsuyama students, but this was an opportunity to connect with the Catholic university students. Their campus is very small, on the very outskirts of the city, and felt very tropical with all of their palm trees. The students who came onto the bus were all Taiwanese, and very introverted. I got to talk to one of them who would become a recurring character in my study abroad journey named Fiona. She speaks English and is "terminally extroverted" or just really funny.

First we went to Oyamazumi Shrine, which if you recall is also where we went when I visited for a week in January 2024. There wasn't anything special that I remember while being there.

Afterwards we went to the official Hakata Salt Factory. We entered through the gift shop and went upstairs to look down through windows at workers filling bags and massive rooms of salt. Nothing special. What was special was the salt ice cream they had which was absolutely delicious. It reminded me of San Francisco.

A Chinese student from Shanghai named Sai took a picture for me.

Our last stop was the Kurushima-kaikyo Observation Deck and Service Station which I have been to oh-so many times.