A Belated Conclusion

I’m feeling bad that I never finished journaling my last visit to Japan. The last few days of the trip were too busy to write and when I got home, I just forgot to pick it up, I guess. There’s not much left to tell, but I feel incomplete without this blog’s conclusion. And conclusion, I’m afraid it is. As two out of my last six months have been spent exploring the hidden corners of Miyakonojo and the great wonders of Southern Japan, I feel that it’s time to pursue travel elsewhere. (I must admit, I say this only half-heartedly, as in searching for a ticket to Bangkok earlier today, I researched a stopover in Miyazaki to see Luke before we head to the beaches of Thailand.)

Conclusion of my visits to Nippon or not, I will at least reveal the details of the end of this most recent trip . . .

Following the somewhat ill-fated kyudo lesson (ill-fated in that I remain an undiscovered talent), Luke and I made plans to hike the local volcano, Kirishima. Hiking great peaks always spikes some anxiety in me, thanks to all the perils that accompany mountaineering in Colorado. But, in this area of Japan, this time of year, there are no weather concerns, and as it’s a popular hike, there’s no route finding, scrambling or technical sections, so I was free to enjoy the wander. Except for one tiny thing – the smoking crater and certainly impending eruption.

It turns out it’s not so scary after all. A little crowded, yes (it looked like a line of ants moving up the trail ahead), but not scary. In fact, it was quite pleasant. We made our way out of the parking lot, which actually reminded me of the visitor center on Trail Ridge Road, thanks to the gift shops and tourists with no intention of hiking beyond the Torii gate, and up the trail bordered on each side by lush greenery. Not too far up, the trees and foliage disappear. I’m not sure why – I think it has something to do with the volcanic activity, because common sense would dictate that the latitude and elevation wouldn’t prevent growth. But anyway, from here on out, it’s just scree fields of lava rock. So cool! It’s actually kind of slippery, especially on the way down, but we made excellent time, reaching the summit in just over an hour, I think.

There’s an elaborate shrine at the top, not to mention amazing 360-degree views. And, I totally forgot to share the geological marvels that can be seen on the way to the top. Really, words don’t do this molten mountain justice. For a more vivid description of the layers of brilliantly colored exposed bedrock and bubbling cauldron of a crater, click on the link at the top right to see photos.

We concluded our hike with a visit to Yupopo Onsen, a fabulous, geothermically-powered bath, where I, once again, had to bare all in the presence of curious Japanese women. This time, however, I was much better equipped to handle the stares of those shocked to see a foreigner, much less a tattooed and pierced foreigner, marching into their hot springs, and the ogling of children who had maybe seen just a handful of only clothed Americans ever!


With just a few days remaining before I returned home, Luke and I decided a trip to the beach was in order. When I was in Miyakonojo during the summer, we spent many days on the beach, but because the weather was cooler this time, we weren’t as quick to make it to the sand and waves. Though, it’s no less beautiful in the fall.

We took the long way to the coast, winding through rice paddies and forests still not tinged by autumn’s chill. On the way, we stopped near Obijo castle to buy some beautifully hand-forged knives. It was a bit chilly and windy on the beach, but I still managed to dip my toes in the water and collect a few shells.

The way home lead us through a festival and parade in Nichinan. Looking back on my photos, I realize that the last picture I took was of a parade group gathering in front of the Lawson convenience store. This is probably appropriate and reflective of the time I spent there, as festivals were always my favorite for their food and revelry, and the Lawson, well, I could go on for pages. I admit, sadly, that it’s the equivalent of 7-11, but I just love it so much – they have delicious seaweed-wrapped rice, ice cream and Hello Kitty fans. I couldn’t be more delighted by any other small pleasures.

Japanese Weekend, Part II

I don’t know that I’ve made all that much progress with my GMAT study – I still can’t remember how to divide fractions – but, I figure there’s plenty of time for that next week, during layovers and sleepless flights on my way home. So, for now, I will continue to spin this tale of the perfect Japanese weekend. Let’s see, where was I . . .

Oh, yes, the matsuri . . . so we watched the parade and the sumo, and stuffed ourselves full of nutritious festival food before getting back on the road. We decided to take the long way to Sakurajima on some back roads that wind through mountains before spilling out onto the coastal highway. These foothills, albeit small, are quite lovely. Everything here is still so lush and green thanks to what I’m told is unseasonably warm weather and a late fall. Some leaves were getting their first tinge of color, but for the most part, the hillsides are still covered in blankets of thick, ripe foliage.

As soon as we reached the coast and turned north, we could see Sakurajima, its imposing figure rising out of the bay, smoke swirling around the summit. Last time I was here, the weather was cloudy, and since Sakurajima is always shrouded in its own smoke, it was impossible to get a clear view of this massive volcano. So, we were very lucky to be able to see it like this.

The last time Sakurajima erupted, just after the turn of the last century, the lava flow created a small bridge between the island and the mainland, which is why it is now possible to drive to the onsens and other tourist destinations. We crossed the bridge and drove about a quarter of the way around the island before we arrived at the ryokan.

Staying in a ryokan was on my list of things to do on this visit to Japan, so I was pleasantly surprised when Luke told me he had planned a stay at one of these traditional inns, no less at the base of a volcano!

When you arrive, they serve you green tea and let you relax in the lobby for a moment before a kimono-clad woman comes to take you to your room. We were greeted by an older lady dressed in a green kimono who was quite eager to share ryokan tradition with a couple of gaijin. She took us upstairs and opened our door to reveal a tiny foyer that led into a giant tatami room overlooking the bay. It was awesome! Definitely the coolest hotel room I have ever stayed in. She showed us where everything was, made sure that we had the right size yukatas and asked us what time we wanted to have breakfast and dinner before she left us to get settled.

Our room was set up with a large table – they come in while you’re at dinner to lay out your futons – and there were a couple of chairs by the balcony where you could sit and look at the view. There was a TV, too, which I didn’t expect, but everything in the room seemed really traditional, at least to me.

When you stay in the ryokan, you wear a yukata everywhere. It’s super relaxing to just chill out in this bathrobe-type garb. We changed into our purple yukatas and headed for the onsen. This particular onsen is coed, which is quite unusual. So, it’s obviously not nude, you get another yukata to wear in the bath.

We descended several flights of stairs and a funky sideways moving elevator to get down to the onsen. It’s right on the water, at the base of the cliffs, so you have to go down quite a ways to get to it.

This is, by far, the prettiest onsen I have ever been to – it’s a relaxing hot pool right in the bay, really, and it’s surrounded by big rocks and a huge tree that hangs over one side, creating a little grotto that houses a small shrine. We were down there at sunset, and the light was amazing! Not to mention, totally relaxing. We stayed in the pool for about an hour before heading upstairs for dinner.

Dinner is served in a big tatami dining room. We shuffled down there in our yukatas and slippers for a traditional Japanese meal. I have never really had a formal Japanese meal, so this was quite a surprise, and I got to try all kinds of things I’ve never had before.

The meal is served in several courses. There are a few things you would expect – pieces of sashimi, miso soup, rice, stuff like that – and lots of things that are kind of unusual. There was raw chicken, which I stayed away from, but I tried pretty much everything else. My favorite was the egg custard – it’s served hot in a little cup and it’s filled with vegetables and seafood. The shabu-shabu was good as well. I’d tried it before in Tokyo – it’s kind of like fondue. We also had some snails and a clam served on the half shell with this amazing sweet, buttery sauce. I think the last thing we got was a tempura dish. It was basically lots of little tastes of different things. I would guess that we were eating for about two or three hours. It goes on for a while.

We returned, totally full, to our room, which was laid out for sleeping. It was honestly a great night of sleep – the futons were so comfortable on the tatami and the duvets were so cozy. I was completely refreshed the next morning.

When we woke up, we headed down to the onsen again for an early morning soak. It was great because it was a little bit chilly and no one was really down there. Then it was time for breakfast, which was also totally traditional – rice, fish, miso, tea, egg and this funny little salad. I actually really like the breakfasts here. I think they’re pretty healthy and they keep you full for a little while anyway – at least as far as the next Lawson.

After breakfast, we packed up and headed out for a drive around the island. It was a beautiful day and we had amazing views of the volcano all the way around. We stopped at the visitor center to learn more about the volcano’s history and find out if they could predict the next explosion. I guess they can’t – personally I think it would be kind of stressful to live under that thing while it constantly rumbles. But, I guess people just sort of deal with it. And realistically, if it did erupt, it’s not like I would be much safer in Miyakonojo anyway.

Once we made it off the island, we plotted our journey home. There’s this restaurant I really like at the base of Kirishima, the volcano by Luke’s house, so we decided to go back to Miyakonojo by way of the cold soba. It is soooo yummy! I would go out of my way anytime to eat there – they have this bread that has a sweet red bean filling that I am absolutely addicted to. It’s delish!

And, so the perfect Japanese weekend came to an end. Between the matsuri and the ryokan and the sightseeing, I would say it was the quintessential Japanese experience. And, we made it home just in time for a nap.

Onsen or Alone, Naked and Foreign

You know that cliché dream? You’re walking down the middle of the street naked and everyone is looking at you? This happened to me! Well, sort of. Check it out . . .

Our next stop was Yupopo Onsen. An onsen is a Japanese hot spring. Onsens come in many varieties – some are big, some are small; some are old and traditional, while others are new and modern. They are all designed to have a relaxing effect on mind and body, and nearly all of them are gender separated. There’s also very specific protocol that must be followed when preparing to enter the onsen.

The Yupopo Onsen is a big modern complex with two huge bathing areas – one for men and one for women. Since I was going in alone, Luke had to explain everything to me before we separated.

After getting strict instructions on onsen etiquette, I entered the women’s locker room – ALONE!

So, I walk in, and it’s kind of like when the bad guy enters the bar and the music stops playing. While I think that the women here are generally discreet, they made no secret of the fact that they were checking out the gaijin in their onsen.

I totally stripped down to reveal tan lines, tattoo and belly button ring – all of which are totally objectionable in Japanese culture. But no one would ever give you a dirty look or say anything. They stare, to be sure, but showing any discourtesy is considered even more offensive than whatever you’re doing to attract attention.

Anyway, I gathered all my toiletries and towels and headed into the bathing area. The first thing you do is scrub down – and I mean scrub. You have to be squeaky clean to enter the tubs. But there is no privacy in which to bathe, just a bunch of little stations with stool, tub, spout and showerhead. This particular onsen provides soap for hair and body (you even have to wash your hair!).

So, I looked around for cues and observed women taking a lot of time to be totally thorough and I followed suit, despite the exhibitionist quality of the whole experience.

After I sloughed off my gaijin filth, as it were, I looked around for a suitable first tub. I picked a warm, but not hot bath, stayed in there a few minutes and then went into a cold “exercise” pool. After that I made the huge mistake of getting into the electric tub (I don’t think I’ve yet recovered). When I got in I didn’t notice anything, but an old woman pointed to some jets on the side. I put my hand in front first and it seemed okay, so I moved my back over the panel and, “Owwww!” It shocked me from head to toe. I am sure the old woman got a good laugh when I bolted to the other side of the tub to escape the current.

After that I headed outdoors to try the open-air tubs. It was nice to sit outside, as the sun was actually shining just before it dipped below the horizon. Then it was back in to try the cold tub. This was, by far, my favorite – so refreshing.

Keep in mind that all the while people are looking at me like I’ve got three heads. Like it wasn’t uncomfortable enough to be naked, I’ve got women peeking around corners to get a look at me.

I finished up with a soak in a mineral bath that smelled like vegetable soup, and then to get rid of the smell, I hopped in a bath that had a stream of water overhead to massage your neck and back. It was fabulously relaxing!

Finally, it was back to the showers where I again washed up in public. I’d say the whole experience took a little over an hour and I can’t wait to do it again! I can see why this is such a huge form of recreation here – it’s social (if you have friends and can speak☺), it’s healing and relaxing, it’s cheap and it’s everywhere.