Warning: ...verbosity!
Hitting the train station in Nagasaki early the next morning, we were determined to get some food on board to sustain us for a big day of railing,. The JR office sorted us the multiple tickets we needed to get to two destinations further south, then we had enough time to visit the Royal Host for some coffees and pancakes before embarking on the next leg of our vaguely planned journey.
The limited express train rocked us on up to Shin Tosu where we could make a quick-fire change to the shinkansen heading south. We bustled across platforms and up escalators, sorted our possible entry point then waited just a few minutes before the impossibly sleek bullet train whispered into position right in front of us. It seemed we were barely settled in as the train hurtled along before we were reminded to be ready to disembark at Kumamoto for the briefest of stops.
The station is similar to many in Japan and as an exchange hub, there are associated shopping and restaurant areas. We sorted our bags into a giant coin locker, hailed a taxi, and we were bound for the famous Kumamoto castle. Our driver, Keiko, was keen to talk and, although it was a bit exhausting, it gave me a chance to brush up again on my shaky Japanese. She explained that the castle was still devastated by the huge earthquake of 2016, and although steps were being taken to restore it, the task was mammoth and time consuming. On the lead-in drive, the outer walls of the massive fortification were crumbling at points and completely breached at others. Huge bags of earth held up precarious, damaged giant stone walls and scaffolding was evident on the main castle. The moat walls had collapsed at intervals and monolithic stones had cascaded into the dry channels, a sad mess of granite and dirt. The juxtaposition of the bursting bloom of hundreds of ancient sakura in front of this chaos was quite surreal yet calming. The hanafubuki effect of falling petals again had us entranced as we wandered the castle grounds among the trees before we teamed up with Keiko for a trip back to the station, a tasty Italian lunch nearby, then back onto the train, this time bound for Hitoyoshi via Yatsushiro.
The less-than-fancy commuter rattler to Yatsushiro was crowded and uninspiring: our first dud! One thing that never fails to astound me is how the Japanese lose all sense of their usually impeccable manners and sensitivity to others when boarding a train. I suppose getting crowded enough to employ "pushers" in the city will do that, but our "first people in the queue and on-board" did not guarantee us a seat with these seagulls going after a hot chip! The largely uninspiring countryside melted away into a magical vista as soon as we chugged out of Yatsushiro on another branch line. To restore our faith, a lovely man gave up his little 4 man booth so we could begin to enjoy the incredible views of pea soup-green river water sluicing downstream over rocks and between boulder beaches. The train rattled its way further up the valley following the river and we stared goggle-eyed at blushing sakura dotting the banks and saturating the steep mountainsides which swept down straight to the water's edge. We "oohed" and "aahed" all the way to Hitoyoshi, or "Little Kyoto", as this tiny mountain township likes to promote itself: and Cass, unbeknownst to her, was about to be initiated into the ancient and curious art of the Japanese onsen!
All set to continue on to Yoshimatsu and further scenic highlights, our plans were cruelled by the realization that we'd missed the last mountain switchback train that would finish in daylight. The information desk at the tiny Hitoyoshi station recommended a local onsen ryokan to stay and we duly booked and set out to check-in after viewing the kitsch but cute samurai clock outside the station. A pleasant walk later and we arrived at the uber-traditional inn full of kimono-clad, shuffling smiling women and obsequious suited men all ushering us beyond the raked gravel entry courtyard onto the creaking floorboards and into our tatami room of generous proportions. This, in turn, overlooked a sunny anteroom and manicured garden. The yukatas were laid out, the tea was boiling and the onsen (natural hot spring) beckoned. Cass was hesitant, so we first went out to explore the lay of the land.
We went for a fairly long walk and stumbled on various little gems along the way. An ancient temple had a mini multiple gate set-up and beautiful copper roofed main buildings, some in a restoration phase. Sakura continued to flutter down on a little lake outside and the fading light combined with the pink blossoms painted a pretty palette. We found the remains of an ancient castle and an impressive wall which has seen centuries of floods and calamities as it withstood the river's attempts to destroy it. We ate at a very cheery izakaya on the way back to the inn and then it was time for our bath!
We got into the yukatas provided and made our way down the creaking corridors to the natural spring, encased in a large bathroom, segregated by gender. I gave Cass her last-minute instructions and she entered the women's area without great enthusiasm. The bathing, scrubbing, rinsing and cleansing all happened on little stools outside the bath then the soaking happened inside the bath as big as a small swimming pool. The air was laced with mineral odours and thick with cloying heat: I like this feeling, but Cass wasn't a fan. I'd spied a little sign that said the gender of the bathrooms might change without notice and of course, it happened right when Cassy was finishing up! A bustling little man came in a'hollerin, but as she didn't understand him, she couldn't really respond....anyway, it was an experience. Tick!
We were gifted a massive treat the next day when, after booking all our tickets down south we waited for our train back. There was an awesome speciality train gasping away at our platform and we only belatedly realized it was ours! It was astonishingly sparkling and liveried to the hilt, special badges and paint indicating it was the Kawasemi bound for Yatsushiro. You can see how special it was in the video above! We tracked the same river and mountain route back, but it was even more special in our custom chariot as the weather continued to embrace us in sunshine and warmth.
We waited at Shin Yatsushiro for our next juggernaut, the shinkansen bound for the southern hub of Kagoshima Chuo. The time flashed by and no sooner had we begun admiring the countryside as it zipped past us at astonishing speed, than we were being urged to get ready to disembark. Negotiating our way to an outdoors provincial track and platform we were glad to line up: a crowd was forming and we didn't have reserved seats for our trip even further south to the seaside town of Ibusuki. We scored a seat and the little train huffed and puffed all along the coast, bursting through thickets of overhanging foliage with a "thwack", or gently rocking beside bays and inlets. The suburbs melted into fields and groups of farmhouses within little seaside communities were bucolic and peaceful as the train bustled through or made a brief stop to whittle away the remaining few passengers on the train by the time we reached Ibusuki.
A delightful girl on the tourist information counter recommended a hotel by the sea just out of town. It sounded great, a perfect blend of tatami rooms and futons but with the conveniences of a modern hotel. We booked, then taxied our way up there after the girl seemed so relieved not to have to resort to her English! The hotel was spectacular! Our room was generous and looked straight across the bay: in fact, all we could see from our room was water and all we could hear was the gentle slap and tiny crash of waves against the seawall and pocket beaches. We immediately set out for a seaside stroll along the boardwalk.....it was blissful to breathe in the sea air, promenade in the dappled sunlight and gaze out on the sea and sand. We passed the famous foot-baths of Ibususki and the main attraction: the thermal spring heated hot sands with lines of yukata-ed tourists wending their way down to be covered up to their necks in the boiling grit! We spoke to some little girls catching teeny fish on a break-wall, spied a nice cafe for our meal later on, then went back to while away the hours on the hotel's generous terrace, drinking Sapporo beers that we kept replenishing from the beer vending-machine inside! Ahhh, all hail the sun and the sea and holidays in general!
We ate a scrumptious dinner at a little cafe up the road: ordered from, then cooked and served by the same little old man! We settled in for a peaceful night back at the hotel, the waves cooing a lullaby to us as we drifted away with them. Breakfast the next morning was in the sea-view restaurant, the staff so flustered by the foreigners showing up that we forgot to proffer, and they didn't ask for, our coupons! Bellies full, we taxied up to the station and took the same quaint little train back to Kagoshima, volcanoes belching in the distance as we chugged on by, transferred to the shinkansen, and quick as a wink we were in Fukuoka by early afternoon. The adventure was entering its final stage, but we had a lot to experience just yet...
Fukuoka's Hakata Station is pretty massive, but we found the coin lockers and squeezed our two bags into the smallest size locker, the only one left available....nice packing by us! Train experts by now, we ate some delicious "station curries" before descending into the subway system to go across town to the other commercial hub of Tenjin. The subway was owned by a private company so our trusty JR rail passes could no longer be used...farewell fine friends!
We wandered round the commercial heart of town and gazed from afar at the glittering shopping palaces and high-end boutiques and shops. The central park was cute and we stumbled upon a kimono attired couple getting married...so cute! I found my way through a labyrinth of shopping malls back to the artisan pottery/jewellery shop I'd discovered many years ago, but this time Cass could meet the owner and select her own gift for her impending birthday. We decided to walk back across the city and on the way were approached by embarrassed giggles of school kids wanting to practice their English and we wandered through a sakura saturated park where more beautiful kimono clad girls allowed us to take some photos. The trees were groaning under blossom and the petals were once again falling like snow! On the way, the hyper commercial Canal City Hakata was a sight to be seen, a multi-storied hub of shops and restaurants with an artificial river and lake running through the centre. Eventually we made our way back to the station, retrieved our bags, then did the short walk to the slick, modern Tokyu Rei Hotel to freshen up before heading out to dinner.
The complex above the station is as monolithic as hubs in other parts of town and no less centered on commercial interests. The top two floors are dedicated to dining and there is no shortage of choice in quality fare, both Japanese and otherwise. We hadn't yet eaten any ramen, so Ippudo was the choice and we were ushered inside and ordered up large, despite the girl being quizzical about me ordering Cassy's ramen with "no pork meat"....wasn't that what it's all about?! We passed international cuisine of at least a dozen countries on the 9th and 10th floor plus dozens of Japanese restaurants. There was also a very slick looking Paul Bocuse restaurant....maybe next time!
The hearty ramen in the busy, bustling atmosphere of Ippudo made way to the next floor where we spied a dessert restaurant dedicated to Fukuoka's specialty in the spring, strawberries! The curiously monikered "Campbell Early" (a type of grape, my research indicates) offered the most mouth-watering strawberry dessert sensations we'd ever seen. The taste mirrored the look; ice-cream, crumbled cookies, custard, yogurt and syrup all combined with the strawberries for the most decadent dessert all while looking down on Fukuoka's busy thoroughfares from floor to ceiling windows.
It was a fitting crowning glory to a short holiday, but one jam packed with all sorts of quirky and interesting experiences. It's not very often that little trips exceed even our lofty expectations, but this one did, and by huge margins. We taxied to the airport, shuttled across the South China Sea then "Danieled" it back home...what was crazy was that we still had a full weekend to relax and get ready for a return to work. That's just too blissful for words!
Here is a link to the album.