Welcome to Andy Jones' Pictures / Kyushu2012

Welcome to Andy Jones' Pictures

Products Shop Orders Downloads Colors

My Photos

Welcome to Andy Jones' Pictures

Albums

Welcome to Andy Jones' Pictures

We finally made it back to Japan for the first time since 1993! Timed to coincide with peak Cherry Blossom, we were fortunate with the weather - the only rain at night or while driving between destinations. First image is a map of Kyushu with most places on the trip identified. Some of the captions have links in. Our first stop was Yakushima, and then a clockwise roundtrip from Kagoshima through Kumamoto/Aso, Saga/Arita, Fukuoka, Oita, Miyazaki and Kagoshima. The background music is from the CD of Beatles played by a Koto ensemble (see image 77) Depending on your browser, keyboard arrow keys might move you to next or previous image...t

Flight from from San Francisco to Haneda/Tokyo to Kagoshima in Kyushu.Then to Yakushima - the island south of Kyushu - for recovery from jet lag and hiking in a
<a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/662"target="_blank">World Heritage forest</a> -

KyushuTripMap.j

Our flight from Haneda to Kagoshima was early in the morning and we had a good view of Fuji-san along the way. The hiking/climbing trails to the summit can just be seen below the snow line.

KyushsuSelect00

KyushsuSelect00

After renting the car we drove around a little - despite the fierce winds, and found refuge in a banyan forest - the most northerly one on the globe (they claimed!) Scenery is typical, with many sharp peaks (cinder cones or volcanic)

KyushsuSelect00

Some of the trees were quite old and gnarly but shielded us from the winds.

KyushsuSelect00

KyushsuSelect00

I had expected to see more monkeys, based on the descriptions, but there on the road was the one family troupe we saw - macaques, like the ones in the north of Japan - these were munching on cherry blossoms until we came by and they crossed the road!

KyushsuSelect01

Right at the beginning of the long hike through <a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4654.html"target="_blank">Shiratani Unsuikyo</a> - part of the ancient cryptomeria forest (which inspired segments of

<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119698/"target="_blank">Princess Mononoke by Hayao Miyazakio</a> ) we came across quite a few yakushika (shika is Japanese for deer) These are smaller than small mules and quite tame.

KyushsuSelect01

Some of the trees in the forest are over 5,000 years old. Many were taken for building by the daimyo in Honshu in the Sengokujidai (Warring states period) but some were left.

KyushsuSelect01

Thick wandering roots seems to spread out and grab the neighboring trees like hands from a monster anime movie

KyushsuSelect01

Moss-covered boulders abound and streams are everywhere (Yakushima is one of the wettest places in Japan) - after seeing a storm pass through overnight, we believed the "Danger" signs warning of being cut off by rising streams! That storm brought the highest winds and rainfall outside typhoon season in Tokyo and caused extensive flooding.

KyushsuSelect01

A narrow escape for Michele. The lens is a wide angle, so the tree is even bigger than this shot would lead you to believe.

KyushsuSelect01

KyushsuSelect01

Might be kind of scary at night, with all those goblins coming out. During the daytime, it was just serene and all-enveloping in green. A long and at times strenuous hike, but one of the best walks we've ever done!

KyushsuSelect01

KyushsuSelect01

A huge burl on a fallen cedar - or was it a gremlin turned into a tree?!?

KyushsuSelect01

The moss will cover anything no matter what size, and absorbs all sorts of sounds to keep the forest quiet.

KyushsuSelect02

This would have been a raging torrent less than 12 hours after we crossed.

KyushsuSelect02

We didn't do the (6+ hr) hike to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jomon_Sugi"_blank">Jomon Sugi</a> - (the oldest cedar on the island at "7,000" years) but we did make it to Yayoi sugi

<a href="http://www.celebrazio.net/travel/adventure/sugi.html"_blank">read more here</a>

KyushsuSelect02

This is the dining room of <a href="http://www17.ocn.ne.jp/~yakusima/lodge/index.html"target="_blank">YaeDake lodge</a> - where we spent the first three days of our trip. The room reminds us of our home but we wish we could cook like that !

KyushsuSelect02

You can just make out a few visitors bottom left - to give a sense of scale for Okonotaki - roaring away after the overnight rain.

KyushsuSelect02

One of the few places on Kyushu to find collections of rhododendrons (shakunage) is just up the road from Okonotaki. <a href="http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JARS/v35n2/v35n2-wada.htm"target="_blank"> Yakushimanum </a>is native to Yakushima and has been very popular with rhodie growers and created many hybrids - they retain their leaves longer than many. (Not sure what these are but they were in bloom when we visited :D)

KyushsuSelect02

Senpiro FAlls. The Anbou river slowly carving its way through a massive outcrop of granite. The winds were about 60 mph when we visited so I had to use a fast shutter speed on the camera as I was having difficulty staying upright.

KyushsuSelect02

Yum! A typical dinner at YaeDake lodge. To Michele's left is a covered pot (donabe) on a little Sterno burner (bottom left of picture is mine with its lid off) It slowly cooked into something delicious - pork, tofu, noodles, shiso and some other goodies in a broth). Flying fish is a local specialty as are a variety of citrus fruits (the fruit farm around the coast grows 23 different kinds!)

KyushsuSelect02

The rooms are interconnected via walkways - probably a good thing when it's raining hard.

KyushsuSelect02

Our balcony overlooking the river and one of the mountains leading to Shiratani Unsuikyo and our hike. The river rose overnight in the storm to cover the bases of the trees on the far side

KyushsuSelect02

The lodge is well out into the forest and pleasantly rustic - reminiscent of a Tahoe forest rambling lodge!

KyushsuSelect03

Kojima-san spoke a little English and was great fun - always lit up with a smile!

KyushsuSelect03

It was finally time to leave - that is the "Terminal"!

KyushsuSelect03

HAving rented another car in Kagoshima airport, we headed for Kumamoto. A 2 hr drive on the Expressway system - we also rented an ETC card to go through the toll booths wirelessly - very convenient, pay by credit card when you're done with the car rental! This was one of the typical cherry blossom sights on one of the streets on the way through Kumamoto.

KyushsuSelect03

The road by Kumamoto Castle is lined with cherry trees (this shot from when we returned later) and when we arrived there were lots of people and the parking was full. We decided to return later and drove around and went to Suizen-Ji garden.

KyushsuSelect03

Suizen-ji Garden is a classic "stroll garden" hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Kumamoto (a large city). It was started by Hosokawa Tadatoshi in 1636 as a tea retreat, designed to recall many of the stations of the Tokaido (East coast road) from Tokyo to Kyoto. The hill in this picture is a "recreation" of Mt Fuji.

KyushsuSelect03

The lake is spring fed and full of koi and from most vantage points, the intrusion from city buildings is minimal. The site was selected because the spring would both feed the lake and was good for making tea!

KyushsuSelect03

The Izumi shrine, where members of the Hosokawa family are enshrined

KyushsuSelect03

The interior of the Izumi Shrine

KyushsuSelect03

A "tunnel" of torii, in front of the Inari shrine

KyushsuSelect03

Statues of the Hosokawa family. The left one is Hosokawa Tadatoshi and the right one is Hosokawa Fujitaka.

KyushsuSelect04

Dinner at Sozankyo Ryokan in Mt Aso - the appetizer courses

KyushsuSelect04

The "meat" course! The marbled meat is beef - the local version of Kobe beef while the item on the left of the meat is one of the local meibutsu (specialties) - lotus root filled with hot mustard and sesame. Quite hot.

KyushsuSelect04

Breakfast on our first morning at Sozankyo. The sterno cook pots (metal, this time) were used to cook our eggs (and bacon - not shown!)

KyushsuSelect04

It was bitter cold on top off Mt Aso due to the fierce wind. The landscape is suitably lunar, with ash and lavafields barren of any vegetation.

KyushsuSelect04

The lake down there is "Lake Louise" turquoise, but bubbling with acidic vapours. Large parts of the trail network were closed due to the sulphuric acid fumes, but the wind took them away anyway.

KyushsuSelect04

Our second breakfast at My Aso was in a private dining room overlooking the (blooming) garden.

KyushsuSelect04

As always, in a private dining room, one is looked after by one of the staff. These were always helpful but rarely spoke any English. Food was identified when necessary using my iPhone app (Kotoba - highly recommended - they would write the kanji on the touchscreen and we could look it up) and sign language took care of the rest!

KyushsuSelect04

The garden at Sozankyo.
Our room did not have a soaking tub, but there were two "family" O-furo baths available - and we tried both! One overlooked this garden too, and both were, as is normal in onsen (hot-spring) towns, trickle-fed with hot spring water.

KyushsuSelect04

After visiting Mt Aso and neighborhood, as we left, we returned to Kumamoto and, after finding easy parking this time, visited the castle.

KyushsuSelect04

Technically, this is a view of the back, but it shows the massive foundations/defensive walls upon which the wooden castle is built.

KyushsuSelect05

The approach to the main entrance is a zig-zag gauntlet protected by massive walls and towering cherry trees

KyushsuSelect05

Many parts of the castle have recently been reconstructed or replaced - here the massive timbers and Kuragari gate are the only breach in the huge walls.

KyushsuSelect05

Even through those gates, you are still not safe from attack as you try to gain entrance to the inner castle! This is the kuragari gomon, under the reconstructed main hall.

KyushsuSelect05

Even within the honmaru (main keep) the entrance too the towering castle is through yet more massive walls. The castle was completed in 1607 Scattered around the grounds are folks in period costume - samurai and soldiers etc - for photo-ops!

KyushsuSelect05

So I took an opportunity to take a photo of Michele with an "infantryman" who was pretending to guard the entrance.

KyushsuSelect05

The interior of the castle is now a museum/display area, featuring this pretty accurate model.

KyushsuSelect05

KyushsuSelect05

A view from the top - looking out over the Uto turret (right)and Nishi Ote turret gate in the outer grounds, with the city and enclosing hills in the distance

KyushsuSelect05

One of the cheery trees in bloom in the honmaru.

KyushsuSelect05

Restoration/reconstruction of some of the major buildings of the main keep is continuing. The "HonMaruGoten" shows some remarkable craftsmanship and materials. This is a view of the reconstructed kitchen area

KyushsuSelect06

Even the bosses were recreated by hand using the original techniques.

KyushsuSelect06

The O-hiroma )main hall) for meetings before the room where the Lord (Hosokawa) might receive visitors.

KyushsuSelect06

Only a few of the floor boards show any signs of knots or "non clear grain" - the rest of the wood is flawless and the quality of work is as good as it gets, anywhere!

KyushsuSelect06

The camera is not lying - the whole room here feels this sumptuous and the painted screens are almost overwhelming in their colours

KyushsuSelect06

But wait, there's more - we have finally reached the main reception room - with the raised part of the floor - and a beautiful ceiling with all kinds of flowers and trees represented amid the gold leaf. The walls depict famous stories - I think!

KyushsuSelect06

An unexpected curved buttress on the walls - Niyo-no-ishigaki (stone wall of two types)

KyushsuSelect06

The main castle seems dwarfed by the site and its fortifications

KyushsuSelect06

Even this huuuuge cherry tree seems strangely not out of place next to these walls.

KyushsuSelect06

I think I'd prefer to defend the castle rather than try to take it by force being attacked from all sides above - at least until the food ran out...

KyushsuSelect06

Just outside the castle is the magnificent Higo camellia garden with many blooms still to be seen - although many of them were indeed on the ground, like little hats, fallen off , while the Jaoanese bush warblers were singing their hearts out here and there. . .. ...Uguisu no kasa otoshitaru tsubaki kana (Bashou - 1690)

KyushsuSelect07

The whole tree had produced flowers with this bicolour display

KyushsuSelect07

KyushsuSelect07

From Kumamoto we drove north towards Yanagawa - a city in the flat area, some reclaimed from the Ariake Sea, and laced with canals like in Holland. We decided to do the tourist thing and stake a "boat ride" (actually, share a punt with a couple of other tourists) an see the city from the canals. This charming bridge led to the starting point.

KyushsuSelect07

The embarkation area is festooned with trees and easily entices the tourists - the ride itself was a little less floral!

KyushsuSelect07

However, it was a pleasant way to spend an hour and see some interesting houses and gardens facing the canal.

KyushsuSelect07

The hotel in Yanagawa is in the grounds of a daimyo who created a nice lake and gardens, as well as having a "Western style" house built. This is the view from our fourth floor window. While the main building looked like a typical western hotel, the rooms were traditional ryokan layouts. The O-furo was on the third floor and some guests had apparently gone into one without making reservations so it was ilocked when we got there at our reserved time. We asked the staff how to get in and they asked us to go back to our room while they figured out what had happened - a couple from New York had (so they said) not understood the procedure.. A little while later, they called our room and announced "New York Okay! " meaning it was OK for us to go down :D

KyushsuSelect07

A very colourful (!) display of dolls from Hina Matsuri (Girls' Day Doll festival) 2 sets, on the red steps, behind a lot of hanging "sagemon" - gifts of "hanging things" that developed as a follow-on to Hina Matsuri. Yanagawa has its own
<a href="http://www.khaosan-fukuoka.com/archives/6037"target="_blank">Sagemon-Meguri HinaMatsuri</a> and it had just finished a couple of days before we arrived. This display was still up as an exhibit from it.

KyushsuSelect07

The pond is only a few inches deep and a perfect place to go fishing.

KyushsuSelect07

In the grounds of Ohana is this celebration of the Tachibana clan in front of this little museum of memorabilia. They ran Yanagawa and its castle which is now in ruins

KyushsuSelect08

Another private dining room. This is one of the rooms of the old house of the Tachibana lord, now used as part of the ryokan. The theme for the dinner was "How they ate in olden days" This meant quite a few weird looking things from the Ariake Sea but we had a very helpful server who explained how and what to eat and identified them, again occasionally with the help of the iPhone.The grounds of Ohana had a museum and store where we heard a Beatles tune playing - on a CD player by the door - it was a Koto-ensemble. I asked if they had the CD for sale, but they did not. However, the sales person called someone who came out to chat and offered to make us a copy on the spot! He was a great fan of the Beatles and told us that Yoko Ono was born in Yanagawa, so they are "local" heroes of sorts.

KyushsuSelect08

From Yanagawa, we headed northwest to the coast at Karatsu - a well-know pottery and castle twon. The castle is a bit like a small version of one of the parts of Kumamoto but the view from the top is splendid. Looking out over the trees that cover the hill on which the castle is built, you can see Nijino Matsubara behind the long sandy beach. This pine forest was planted by one of the Karatsu lords at the beginning of the 17th century as a windbreak - 3 miles long just over half a mile wide.

KyushsuSelect08

From Karatsu we headed towards <a href="http://www.chikurintei.jp/Foreign/index.html"target="_blank">Chikurintei Ryokan</a> in Takeo Onsen. This is a magnificent set of buildings, rooms and gardens in traditional style. They just had time to wash the entrance stone floor with water as we had arrived unannounced and we were greeted by many members of the staff.

KyushsuSelect08

The engawa leading to our room.

KyushsuSelect08

Mifuneyama Rakuen -- the gardens just behind the ryokan. There are reportedly 5000 cherry trees and 50,000 azaleas (we didn't count, but there were an awful lot!) The cherries were still blooming but only a few early azalea flowers were showing. The next few shots are from around the gardens and lake - but check out the photos on their site <a href="http://info.mifuneyamarakuen.jp/"target="_blank">Mifuneyama Rakuen</a> Definitely a place to return to in all seasons

KyushsuSelect08

Mifuneyama is the small mountain that forms the backdrop (so named apparently from its resemblance to an old sailing ship)

KyushsuSelect08

KyushsuSelect08

Also beginning to bloom were these beautiful purple flowers (Hanazuou - Cercis Chinensis - thank you Liza for the ID!)

KyushsuSelect08

The food, presentation and service here were superb. While this may look like a bird or cricket cage, it is actually one of the dishes that were part of a meal.

KyushsuSelect08

It had fish inside and what seemed like a white sauce and it was wrapped in some egg based wrap. Heavenly!

KyushsuSelect09

Since we were in "pottery country" we had to visit Okawachiyama - using the iPad and google maps, and not knowing which were major and which were "minor" roads, we ended up coming in the top end of the valley, as the back way. This bridge is at the bottom of the village and it's where you are supposed to park. The bridge is decorated with millions of broken shards of the local style pottery. Across the valley cherry trees were everywhere and a hillside cemetery is in the distance.

KyushsuSelect09

Detail of the bridge

KyushsuSelect09

We must have visited about twenty different shops up and down this narrow street - and we did indeed by some souvenirs. A delightful stroll and out of season/weekday, there were only a few people there. This is where some of the first potters who were brought from Korea were kept and obliged to practise their skill and teach the Japanese their trade, and their descendants run the kilns to this day.

KyushsuSelect09

Condiment set from Okawachiyama

Okawachiyama1.j

Sake jug/small vase from Okawachiyama

Okawachiyama2.j

This bowl is in the Kyushu Ceramic Museum in Arita - some amazing ceramics on display. This one is about 18 inches in diameter!

KyushsuSelect09

This one about 30" tall!

KyushsuSelect09

On our way back from Arita we stopped by the sign that had caught our attention on the way out. Just outside Takeo Onsen is a little place called Yamauchi (now merged with Takeo) and it goes with one on the way into Sebastopol (that one does not have any Japanese characters on it) but we had never known where "Yamauchimachi" was - some coincidence! Perhaps when we go to Ukraine (!) we'll happen across Chihirin - Sebastopol's other sister city! (Sebastopol is only a few miles from where we live)

KyushsuSelect09

At least one gold star for exquisiteness of presentation - the dishes were all superb - in a pottery area and in business for at least two centuries, the kitchen here has assembled a wonderful collection.

KyushsuSelect09

This is the entrance to our "room"(s)

KyushsuSelect09

This was as we arrived (before we got our stuff into view!) - A bowl of matcha and a "cookie/cake" to help us relax after the trip.

KyushsuSelect09

Looking in from the garden, the typical (western style) chairs and table in the area without tatami mats, a perfect place to enjoy the garden view

KyushsuSelect10

The hinoki O-furo just about matched the one Hiroshi (from Occidental) built for us in Chizu Sanso, so we felt right at home!

KyushsuSelect10

The grounds of Chikurintei are maintained impeccably. The larger building on the left is used as a conference room, or just a large room in a guest "suite". Our room is the one whose windows can just be seen on the right.

KyushsuSelect10

The evening view from our room

KyushsuSelect10

A corridor leading from the (communal) baths to the various guest rooms.

KyushsuSelect10

The corridor from our room to the reception area encloses a nice moss garden.

KyushsuSelect10

The lobby was quite small and had this wonderful Kyoto style hibachi made from some strong pieces of keyaki (elm)

KyushsuSelect10

After leaving Takeo, we went back in time to around 400BC, to an archaeological "park" known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshinogari_site"target="_blank">Yoshinogari</a> - "Ancient structures are being reconstructed on the site and the park is a major tourist attraction." The site (a few hundred acres) was initially excavated in the 1980s and many buildings have been reconstructed as authentically as possible, in many cases on their original site after excavation was completed. The buildings you see here are the watch towers and guard towers for the stockade in front of them which enclose Minaminaikaku, where the rulers lived.

KyushsuSelect10

A few small buildings have museum type exhibits, illustrating the people and their way of life. Michele felt right at home !

KyushsuSelect10

Pretty sure the warriors didn't wear glasses but the weapons and armor were reassembled from finds during excavation.

KyushsuSelect10

Inside minaminaikaku, a lot of the space remains open, but a large number of buildings have been reconstructed and each has an information sign (thankfully also in English) so the whole place is educational and immersive. The buildings here are just the top halves - the interiors are sunken and quite spacious and tall inside.

KyushsuSelect11

A view from one of the watchtowers shows the moat/stockade defences and clusters of houses, storehouses and merchant stores as they existed in the Kuratoichi. The thatched roofs were partly held down by the wooden structure on top - these in turn were held down to the frame with the ropes inside.

KyushsuSelect11

Did I mention the site is quite a few acres - and the reconstruction is equally ambitious. The area with the paths is Minami no mura - "General residential area for commoners" according to the guide.

KyushsuSelect11

(Ignore the smoke detector on the ridge beam!)Typical construction was with two posts and a ridge beam - joined, and rafters and purlins tied with ropes. The horizontal logs just below the ridge beam are attached to the exterior framework holding the thatch down.

KyushsuSelect11

Adobe walls inside, and various storage devices hang from the interior structure. From the contents and design o each house, they could make pretty informed speculation as to who lived there, what they did and their rank.

KyushsuSelect11

This was not a pit/thatch dwelling - and indicated higher rank - probably the equivalent of the mayor's (ritual and ceremonial) planning assistant (they think!)

KyushsuSelect11

Without a pit to support the rafters, posts and beams were needed to support the roof. The ridge beams are supported by structural rafters and the ties for the thatch holders are visible. The surface of the big pillar is from a series of adze strokes.

KyushsuSelect11

This building is a communal meeting place - note the decorations on top of the building (Tribal council or cafeteria?)

KyushsuSelect11

Inside the Kitanaikaku, where festivities and ceremonies were held, the decorations are more ornate, the main floor has been raised off the ground and several stories exist. Only a few people lived inside this area, and this is the building where someone very important lived (one can determine this from things like the lack of trash and the quality of the pottery in the excavations)

KyushsuSelect11

The building style is unadorned but effective and already has many of the basic elements of later eras.

KyushsuSelect11

This is the first floor (above the ground) and is set up to recreate a meeting of the leaders of the "town" or area.

KyushsuSelect12

The top floor is believed to be where the high priestess lived and was looked after.

KyushsuSelect12

A close up of the "scalloped" planing from a slightly curved adze blade.

KyushsuSelect12

In a separate, partly underground museum display, they showed examples of burial styles. In this region it was done in clay urns - the deceased were dressed, decorated and adorned with precious items and then put in clay urns. These were sealed, looking like space capsules of today, and then buried - an a large burial mound for important people and the rest in plainer urns in shallow graves in an open area..

KyushsuSelect12

This open field contained almost 100 urns and was obviously a major cemetery .

KyushsuSelect12

Several of the excavated urns are back in the places where they were found.

KyushsuSelect12

This bridge and building are from the modern era - the bridge crosses the river the village was based on and the building house an archaeological institute.

KyushsuSelect12

From Yoshinogari to Dazaifu area (S. of Fukuoka city)A detail of a corner in the main building of Kanzeon-ji Nice bracket-work and double structure (kayaoi and urago for the lower of the two rafters?)

KyushsuSelect12

Similar "double" roof structure, under which hangs the oldest bell in Kyushu

KyushsuSelect12

Not far to Komyozen-ji - a Zen temple with a famed garden. This is the "forecourt" outside and it, too is special.

KyushsuSelect12

The rock-garden and beautifully pruned maples are the appetizer.

KyushsuSelect13

The main hall of Komyozen-ji

KyushsuSelect13

The garden - it was as peaceful and relaxing as it looks.

KyushsuSelect13

Even with a micro-four-thirds camera (Panasonic GH2) one can isolate things to focus on using a f/1.4 lens (Leica 25mm)

KyushsuSelect13

KyushsuSelect13

There are some nice pieces of wood from old large trees that we don't often see

KyushsuSelect13

"People have been coming to FUTSUKAICHI ONSEN since at least the eighth century to soothe muscle pain, skin complaints and digestive troubles in its healing waters. Daimaru Besso is an atmospheric old Ryokan on the south side of town, set round a traditional garden of pine trees and carp ponds." This was so tucked away we had a hard time finding the entrance! Another "suite" or of rooms and its own O-furo, filled with onsen water.

KyushsuSelect13

Tokonoma - unknown wood

KyushsuSelect13

Meiji-style western room, overlooking small waterfall in garden

KyushsuSelect13

Uncharacteristically unswept part of the garden, but beautiful trees.

KyushsuSelect13

Well-swept path in the main garden - a little city encroachment as you look up, but there's enough to distract the stroller's view lower down.

KyushsuSelect14

KyushsuSelect14

The torii marked some special place, but I couldn't read the sign. I just enjoyed the scenery

KyushsuSelect14

There were some quite big fish in the pond, but none of the stepping stones wobbled.

KyushsuSelect14

Where the blossoms were over, the maples were leafing out in their chartreuserie

KyushsuSelect14

KyushsuSelect14

The private dining room where we ate at Daimaru Bessou

KyushsuSelect14

As usual, after we returned from dinner, our beds had been laid out

KyushsuSelect14

Leaving the Dazaifu area we headed into the mountains of Oita prefecture. This is a little village in the foothills.

KyushsuSelect14

A typical rural scene - blossoming trees, rope around a boulder ...

KyushsuSelect14

The roof of the red building caught my eye - possibly originally thatched, it looked a lot like some of the Yayoi era buildings at Yoshinogari - decorations and all.

KyushsuSelect15

A small earthenware vase from Koishiwara

Koishiwara1.jpg

Also from Koishiwara. Here a blue slip glaze has been applied and decorated with a radial pattern (where the slip is removed) by rhythmical applications of a "hake" while the piece is turning on the wheel. This is known as uchihakeme.

Koishiwara2.jpg

Koishiwara local clay is dark-firing and only the inside of this pot has been glazed.

Koishiwara3.jpg

I didn't take any pictures in Koishiwara, the village before this one, Onta. These two sarayama (potters' villages) are in adjacent valleys. We stopped and bought some ceramic omiyage in Koishiwara but the main destination was Onta. This is a view of one of the streams that run through the village in the steep part of the valley. The water is used to power hammers which crush the local "rock" and allow clay to be made from it.

KyushsuSelect15

This is one of the rock-crushers (karausu) . The chute directs the stream water into a hollowed out end of a log which pivots close to the hollow. When it's full, the log tips up and lifts the hammer. However, when it tips up, it empties and the log pivots back and the hammer crashes down on the lumps of rock, creating finer bits, eventually a coarse powder.

KyushsuSelect15

Here, three separate pipes carry water from just upstream onto the hollow ends of three karausu. The far one is out of service, the middle one has just tipped down and started to empty, the closest one has just emptied and pounded the clay and beginning to fill up again.

KyushsuSelect15

Once the material has been pounded, it is mixed with water and goes through a series of sieving and settling stages, and eventually becomes clay. It is set out to dry a bit and is then ready for the wheel.

KyushsuSelect15

There are ten (extended) families in the village and five of them share this 8-chambered noborigama - a multi-chambered wood-fired step kiln. The clay is hard to come by, so it takes a while to prepare the pots and the kiln is only fired a small number of times a year. The main creations are sold to dealers and what remains in the village is "omiyage quality". No-one was minding any of the stores, so we just left the money by one of the displays!

KyushsuSelect15

Herw's a via into one of the chambers - the shelves at the left are permanent and the others are stacked in the far right, to be put in place when the others have been loaded. Bottom right is where the fire is made in each chamber, but the heat from the bottom one heats the next one up and so on.

KyushsuSelect15

The other 5 families each have their own noborigama, and this one was being used when we visited. Stacked against the lower chambers are bundles of long pieces of fire wood. Every few minutes, the operator would throw in another bundle (looks like they were precut to be just the right length for the width of the chamber, to ensure uniform heating). Then the door would be closed and a couple of minutes later, a cloud of black smoke would come out for maybe a minute and stop. A couple of minutes later, another bundle went in - rinse and repeat a few times - it's easy :D It looks as though they are starting at the chamber at the top, but it's probably quite a complicated sequence!

KyushsuSelect15

This piece is from Onta - with the characteristic uchihakeme spiral pattern, as seen in the Koishiwara piece earlier. One description I read indicated that the application of the pattern was driven by a hake attached to a converted clock's escapement mechanism - such that the wheel's rotation speed and "passage of time" determine the rhythm of the decoration :D

Onta-Omiyage.jp

On the road from Onta to Yufuin is this waterfall Ryumon-taki (Dragon's gate falls). In the summer, it is apparently crowded with families and children who slide down the (presumably slick) lower surfaces and cool off. It was beginning to drizzle as we arrived and we had the place to ourselves - I didn't go sliding...

KyushsuSelect15

We had some rain on the way to Yufuin and this is the ryokan we stayed in Yufuryochiku. Built in the early 20th century in the old style, it has 8 rooms and two "family" O-furo - we enjoyed both!

KyushsuSelect15

Not pretending to be older than it is, our room was typical - safe for valuables, widescreen HD TV, flower arrangement, hot water dispenser, interesting tokobashira - the pillar of unusual wood "holding up" the tokonoma.

KyushsuSelect16

Yufudake is the double peak in the distance - became invisible when the rain started. This is less than a block from the ryokan and is one of the main tourist streets - definitely quaint.
We were familiar with Yufuin from a NHK Asadora (morning drama - a.k.a. soap)<a href="http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Kaze_no_Haruka"target="_blank">"Kaze no Haruka"</a> - that had run on Ch26 in San Francisco - it helped me keep my Japanese from completely atrophying, although I doubt I was in the target demographic for the show!)

KyushsuSelect16

The dining room at Yufuryochiku

KyushsuSelect16

We left Yufuin in the pouring rain and went to find gas for the car. The first several gas stations were "automated" and would not take US credit cards (even the attendant couldn't figure out how to do it) However, we finally found one that had a separate card reader and it took my ATM card but not my credit card - Phew! (US cards do not have computer chips in, the rest of the world seems to have them).. We got gas and drove to Usuki.
Carved in the 12th (to 14th) centuries, the Usuki stone Buddhas are a National Treasure. There are about 60 statues carved out of the hillside, in four separate groups. This is a grouping of Jiso Bodhisatva and ten kings

KyushsuSelect16

Amitabha trinity

KyushsuSelect16

Dainichi nyorai

KyushsuSelect16

The rain let up for a while to reveal a most serene valley that the Buddhas look out on.

KyushsuSelect16

The rain came and went but blue sky started to appear around Harajiri Falls in Bungo Ono on the road to Takachiho from Usuki. This waterwheel supplies the many acres of tulips that are in fields surrounding the falls.

KyushsuSelect16

KyushsuSelect16

KyushsuSelect16

And they draw photographers and sightseers from all over the island.

KyushsuSelect17

The road from Harajiri Falls to Takachiho was "through the mountains" - 35 miles that took about 2 hours. One lane, often along a contour just below the ridge, steep drop-offs were common just beyond the low barriers, several hundred (conservative guess) sharp turns. Occasional signs of humans (besides the road itself) - we passed perhaps 3 cars. It was a little scary at times. However, the road surface was well maintained - probably didn't get much wear and tear. We thought we were nearly there and then there was a diversion onto an even more minor road. Once that got back to a normal road, we had cellphone signal and I called the ryokan saying - we might be bit late :D This picture was taken from an opening in the woods the road went through most of the time and the mountainside drops off steeply into a what seemed a largely uninhabited valley

KyushsuSelect17

A few people live in farms along the road - these had already put up the carp for the upcoming Boys Day celebration - those were about 6 feet long! A tiny car is a definite advantage up here.

KyushsuSelect17

We made it safely to Shinsen Ryokan in Takachiho and enjoyed a nice cup of relaxing tea (this shot from later that evening) - and

KyushsuSelect17

.. a soak in their O-furo. Also fed by trickle from the local onsen hot spring, this was the biggest ceramic pot we had seen, let alone soaked in - in its own little niwa.
(Perhaps it was conceived as a donabe for some cannibal tribe somewhere - we felt gently cooked sitting it!!! )

KyushsuSelect17

Our room was the one just to the left of the stairs. The stones in the sunken area were hot and one could pour water onto them and breathe in the "therapeutic" steam. (So they said!) Many of the areas of the ryokan were decorated with the sagemon seen here on the right.

KyushsuSelect17

The reception desk and entrance to a private dining room also adorned

KyushsuSelect17

While small, the garden and entrance walkway were clearly lovingly cared for and the whole ryokan experience was yet again peaceful and relaxing.

KyushsuSelect17

KyushsuSelect17

The evening of the "mountain drive" we saw a performance of the Takachiho Yokagura - an ancient traditional dance with its origins in the Japanese creation myths. One shrine ( <a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e8054.html"target="_blank">Amano-Iwato jinja.k</a>) - .we had missed outside Takachiho was built near the cave where Sun-Goddess Amaterasu, in the legend, hid and had to be coaxed out because her light had disappeared from the world. However, the story was reenacted in the Yokagura
. . .
The following morning we had brilliant sunshine and visited Takachiho Shrine, its towering cedars almost keeping the sun out,

KyushsuSelect17

The unpainted buildings of cedar seem almost as old as the trees

KyushsuSelect18

and prayer plaques, lovingly written by supplicants or, at request, in beautiful calligraphy by the monks(?) hang in masses in front of the shrine's buildings.

KyushsuSelect18

The gravel areas amidst the cedars had just been swept by the time we arrived and there was hardly anyone else around - these cedars made the shrine feel a bit like a coastal redwood grove back home.

KyushsuSelect18

One of the oldest buildings (by appearance at least - no English guide information was available!)

KyushsuSelect18

Aside from its important Shinto shrines, Takachiho is famous for its gorge. Originally a series of basalt columns (like the Giant's Causeway in Ireland or Devil's Postpile in the US) it has been carved into a gorge now line d with these columns and small waterfalls continue the work, We rented the little rowboat and paddled about on the river - enchanting, especially as the weather was warming up.

KyushsuSelect18

KyushsuSelect18

The walls of the gorge are rough and in places catch enough soil to support a small ecosystem.

KyushsuSelect18

KyushsuSelect18

The sharp features of the basalt are no match for the constant water, rounding them into soft curves.

KyushsuSelect18

KyushsuSelect18

KyushsuSelect19

BAck in time again - this is from the 4th century a so-called "keyhole" burial mound (based on its shape in plan view). This is in a town called Saito between Miyazaki and Takachiho, and the area is known as Saitobaru kofun-gun or "burial mound area". About 300 of these have been found, and this is known as "Number 100" 60 m long, the top mound is 33m in diameter . It was covered in stones and contained many "jar-shaped pots". The surface of the mound has been treated with a special resin to preserve it.

KyushsuSelect19

Many of the mounds remain to be excavated and are simply kept as grass covered mound - with the odd flowering bush :D

KyushsuSelect19

ANother large one seen from the "bottom" of the key hole - the narrow waist is more obvious and that is where the pots were found.

KyushsuSelect19

The mown grass, the paths, the odd-shaped mounds and "landscaping" cover a few square miles - unfortunately the visitor's centre was not very helpful on the history aspects - not even in Japanese!

KyushsuSelect19

While our accommodations provided breakfast and dinner, we sometimes got hungry in the middle of the day and began to crave ramen. We finally found a ramen place (seemingly there is a surfeit of udon/soba places) and stopped for lunch. I could only read a few of the labels on the machine where you buy a ticket by putting in money and take the ticket to the counter. Michele had miso ramen and I had tonkotsu ramen - as it turns out a specialty of Kyushu and definitely a delicious choice - the stock is from pork broth and the meat addition is braised pork-belly - very tasty. Looking out of the window, we could see palm trees, a wide sandy beach and a shack renting out surfboards and other equipment. This is a prime surf area the coast around Miyazaki - only a little closer to the equator than San Diego across the Pacific..

KyushsuSelect19

Our destination after the yummy ramen was Jojonoyado Jizoan, a small 7 room ryokan often visited by folks going to the Aojima shrine, just south of Miyazaki. Another place where we had a "suite" of rooms.

KyushsuSelect19

Each of the rooms opened onto this garden area and the O-furo is off to the left. As you can guess, we stayed very clean on the trip - taking a cleansing shower before entering the water. We were out of season and most places only had a few other guests.

KyushsuSelect19

The view from the street

KyushsuSelect19

Aojima shrine is on an island on top of this sedimentary bedrock that has been tilted over geological time and then wave-eroded to leave ridges - also known as "The Devil's Washboard"

KyushsuSelect19

Some of the erosion is not yet complete and has left some definitely ogre-like sculptures, reminiscent of <a href="http://www.isaczermak.com/gallery/north-america/usa/nevada/little-finland/"target="_blank">Little Finland</a> -in Nevada.

KyushsuSelect20

Some of the rock surfaces look like the "pillows" seen in Utah in places like <a href="http://www.fototime.com/8881341D96C2D2B/orig.jpg"target="_blank">-White Pocket </a>

This is only a couple of feet tall.

KyushsuSelect20

I even spotted a "CAL" bear!

KyushsuSelect20

One of the shrine buildings - architecturally just like the 4th C Yayoi era reconstructions in Yoshinogari

KyushsuSelect20

A "tunnel" of prayer plaques leads to another little shrine through the jungle. Aojima has a rainforest/jungle ecosystem and many endemic species.

KyushsuSelect20

A unique geological phenomenon with an island on it - the Torii is the entrance to the shinto shrine, from the earliest days the spirit of the island was the subject of worship.
The bedrock here is like that found at <a href="http://www.fototime.com/DA6FBE09636E1E1/standard.jpg"target="_blank">Bowling Ball Beach in N. California </a> - but without the bowling balls.

KyushsuSelect20

Further down the Nichinan Kaigan (Nichinan coast - a Quasi National Park) is a shrine in a cave, known as Udo Jingu. Access is down a steep path/steps and it is popular with couples/newlyweds.

KyushsuSelect20

The weird rock formations are part of the same as those on Aojima and all kinds of goblins and creatures can be seen, if you look hard after a couple of drinks...

KyushsuSelect20

This guy is about 50 feet from the base.

KyushsuSelect20

And these are indeed about the size of skulls of goblins that didn't quite make it out before the rock solidified.

KyushsuSelect20

The shrine is in the cave to the left below and behind the path coming down from the left. The little building dead centre is where the couples go to see if they will have good fortune. They have to throw clay pebbles onto the rock below and get them to land in a specific place ...

KyushsuSelect20

KyushsuSelect21

Her first shot was perfect, but it took him all 5 shots (left-handed, of course) to get one in - so they left happy!

KyushsuSelect21

Inside the rope circle, preferably in the little water container. Remains of the the pebbles are all around, so not everyone left happy, we suspect.

KyushsuSelect21

Oh, and not to forget the shrine itself! In the cave.

KyushsuSelect21

The trip to our last destination was also one of the rainy periods. We had hoped to visit Kirishima shrine, but pouring rain did not cooperate. However, the road to the shrine has a massive torii that we did visit. On the left, at the base of the power pole is what looks like a bus-shelter, with a small roof and open sides. It is actually a footbath fed by the local hot spring. The area is a mecca for hiking and a rejuvenating soak is there for the taking - benches and shoe racks provided.

KyushsuSelect21

We stayed two nights in this ryokan that went by the name of Tsumikusanoyado Komatsu, on the edge of the big hot spring resort town of Kirishima (lots of big hotels all sharing the plentiful waters) This room had "beds", simply futons on frames raised off the floor.

KyushsuSelect21

Another "suite" - the bedroom is through the door on the right and the "Western style" area with chairs an table and garden view to the left.

KyushsuSelect21

"We've got chairs for those that want them".
.
Through the windows you can see the trunk of an old elm tree - it was hollowed out and is used as a hot-tub!

KyushsuSelect21

However, if you would like a regular bath format O-furo, we've got that too! This one was nice and hot and with a manageable sulphur odour to it - some of the vents and fumaroles around the town were a little stronger. It led to the tree-tub.

KyushsuSelect21

Hard to take a picture of it, but we are looking down into the bottom which has been sealed and is waterproof. Unfortunately the water was not as hot as inside so we didn't spend much time in this - one person at a time, of course!

KyushsuSelect21

The food here was very good and the dishes much more rustic than in the "posher" places. The staff were very helpful and even translated the menu into English for us (top left)

KyushsuSelect22

This is the rotemburo (outdoor -furo) in its own little enclosure. We had no trouble finding a time when it was free, since there were very few guests. A few cherry blossom petals in the water didn't hurt the atmosphere.

KyushsuSelect22

A view of the area where we were planning to go for another hike - this is Karakunidake - on a clear day you can see Korea (Karakuni) from the summit. However, it was closed. (We had never heard of a mountain being closed on Thanksgiving, so with tears in our eyes ...) The whole area was actually cordoned off because Shinmoedake, one of the other volcanoes in the area was rumbling and steaming. This had started soon after the same earthquake that brought the tsunami to the east coast of Honshu, but the guidebooks hadn't been updated.

KyushsuSelect22

So we enjoyed a hike in an area that wasn't closed! This is one of the "crater" lakes that abound in the area.

KyushsuSelect22

This is Lake Mi (Miike) and in the distance is Shinmoedake - the one that was causing the area to be shut down for hiking. SOmehow these paddle boats were asking to have their picture taken. Around this lake are some woods where the birding is supposed to be good. They are certainly nice for walking and I saw a few birds but didn't have time to wait for them to come out again.

KyushsuSelect22

The last morning we had time to stop by a couple of sites on the way to the airport and the view of this waterfall was at the bottom of a few hundred steps. (Inukai taki)

KyushsuSelect22

The trail was filled with spring goings-on and the prospect of butterflies later.

KyushsuSelect22

One last look and off to Kagoshima airport and the trek home.

KyushsuSelect22