NOREN
Co-founder · NOREN
1. Oktober 2026
4 Min. Lesezeit
ASOBINA Itoshima invited me to try this flight. All thoughts in this post are my own.
Most people come to Fukuoka for the food. Ramen, yatai stalls, a long list of places to eat. Even people who live here say it: "Fukuoka? It's all about the food."
I live in Fukuoka, and I don't think that's the whole story. There is a lot here that visitors never hear about. That is a big part of why I started NOREN.
Recently I went paragliding with ASOBINA Itoshima, about 40 minutes by car from Fukuoka and Hakata.

I should say this first. I don't like heights, and I avoid roller coasters whenever I can. I signed up anyway, and I was honestly nervous right up until the moment we took off. (I can laugh about it now.)
It's a tandem flight, so you fly together with an instructor. Once we were in the air, it felt much more stable than I expected, and I wasn't scared at all. If I can say that, I think most people can.

Experience Fukuoka, for real.
Find handpicked local experiences that no guidebook covers.
Browse experiences →“It was on my bucket list, so I went looking for a place. This was the only one I found where an instructor flies with you, so I felt safe choosing it here.”
You don't need to be young or experienced to try this. You just need to want to.

I go to Itoshima quite often. From the sky, it looked completely different.
The sea was beautiful, as I expected. What surprised me was the greenery near the coast. From above, it looked like a jungle, thick and green, and it was so pretty. For a moment I felt like I was somewhere overseas, not 40 minutes from the city where I live.

My days are usually busy, and it's hard to switch off. Up in the air, I forgot about all of it. I didn't realize how much I needed that until I was back on the ground.
Fukuoka really is a great food city. But if you have a free half day and want to try something a little different, this is the one I would recommend.
I'm already planning to go back. Next time I want to fly at sunset and watch the sun go down over the sea.
