Fukuoka, the biggest city in Kyushu and a key gateway linking Japan to the rest of Asia, has the air of a modern metropolis. But the city is also rich in traditional culture and its residents' long-standing hospitality toward visitors is well known.
To enjoy visiting Fukuoka's historical sites — while being given detailed explanations (in either English, Japanese or Korean) of what you are seeing — a good way is to take a walk around the city that's home to almost 1.5 million people with a member of a group named Fukuoka City Volunteer Sightseeing Guide (FCVSG).
So it was that, in steamy mid-September, I met Rinzo Irie, a retired businessman who is now one of FCVSG's guides.