A thousand years ago, most visitors to Japan would have arrived by ship at Hakata Bay, the one and only authorized Gateway to Japan.
Over the ages, Hakata was a staging ground for Japanese troo.
Nearby was Dazaifu, the imperial capital of western Japan, surrounded by mountain fortresses and defended by an army of border guards.
Hakata was the location of the K rokan, an official guest-house for foreign visitors that is currently yielding its secrets to the spades of Japanese archaeologists.
A thousand years ago, most visitors to Japan would have arrived by ship at Hakata Bay, the one and only authorized Gateway to Japan