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Neda pretending to be an anime character on the ferry Sometimes if you catch her at the right moment, Neda has this anime smile that she does. It looks like this: https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Mis...anime_neda.gif https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4087-L.jpg Not a tatami room on the ferry, but the Japanese people love sleeping on the floor! Neda grabs her Kindle and does like the locals do It takes about a couple of hours to get from Wakayama on Honshu to the city of Tokushima on Shikoku island. Plenty of time to catch a nap on the floor! Japanese people are so used to sleeping on the floor in their tatami rooms at home that the ferry companies always have to have a sleeping area on their boats, even if they're not lined with tatami mats. There's even a little raised platform on the edges that you can use as a headrest or pillow. |
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We arrive at the island of Shikoku! They let out the cars and trucks off the ferries first, which is both unusual and sucky... :( https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4092-L.jpg What that means is that all the motorcycles are stuck behind the lineup as we ride into the city of Tokushima. Oh well, plenty of time to idle and look around... at nothing particular... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1171-L.jpg An American car in Japan. A *VERY* unusual sight! You can see, behind the Corvette, the everyday cars of Japan. Very boxy, very utilitarian. *Very* space-efficient! Just the other day, we were chasing down a cool-looking black coupe racing down the expressway. It was a car I've never seen before, and when we pulled up beside it, I saw that it was some kind of Mazda. When I checked online later, I found out it was a hardtop version of the Miata called the RF. They just announced it a few months ago. I don't even think it's available in North America yet! I wish I had taken a picture of it. I remember in Thailand, we saw the CRF250 Rally when it first came out a couple of years ago. Because Honda manufactured them right in Thailand, we got to see them on the road before the rest of the world did. I love being at Ground Zero when new cars and bikes come out! |
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The view from our hotel room in Tokushima Although Tokushima is one of the larger cities in Shikoku (population ~260,000), it's nowhere as large as Tokyo (population ~13,000,000!), and the traffic is so much lighter here! This blog entry won't be too long because we are taking another rest day before we explore the rest of Shikoku. We were travel fatigued even before we got to Japan, so we want to make sure our journey through this magical country is as leisurely and stress-free as possible! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1159-L.jpg The fastest production pharmacy in the world! Also, in the city, there are more English labels here. Like on the toilet seat in our hotel! Finally we can decipher what some of the buttons in the super-hi-tech toilets (called washlets) do. Japan's washlets have become world-renown for their array of comfort features. Most of the technology is embedded in the toilet seat, and you can retrofit your existing toilet by just buying the seat. Basic heated seats cost $200. The top-of-the-line full toilets with bidet sprays and wireless remote controls can cost upwards of $10,000 USD! There's a bit of an arms race between the manufacturers to see who can pack the most features in their washlet seats. It's gotten so bad that the industry has been forced to come up with universal icons for each feature that all the manufacturers must use because gaijin like us can't read the descriptions written on the buttons. Here are some of the buttons and their related functions you'll find on a Japanese washlet: - Heated Seat - Temperature control (+,-) to set the seat heat - Small flush (for #1) - Large flush (for #2) - Bidet (heated water - rear spray) - Bidet for women (heated water - front spray) - Temperature control (+,-) to set the bidet water heat - Bidet water pressure/pulse action for bidet spray - Swivel action for bidet nozzle - Music to mask the sounds of splashdown - Volume button (+,-) for stealth-mode - Choice of which music/sound to play during stealth mode (replica sound of a toilet flushing is one popular option, because after a while, the music will eventually become associated with splashdown anyway - true story!) - Deodorizer spray to mask the smell - Blow dryer (!!!) - Blow dryer strength/temperature (+,-) control |
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Here's one I found on the Internet with a wall-mounted remote control. Comes with integrated speakers for the stealth-tinkle-doo-doo music. The name of this model roughly translated to English is, "Good Luck, Gaijin!" Add to this: energy-saver features like only turning on the heat only when someone enters the washroom (basic heated seats are on all the time). Automatically opening and closing lids. Also, self-cleaning nozzles. This last feature is nicknamed the "Marriage Saver". There are more electronics in a Japanese washlet than on the latest BMW R1200GS motorcycle... I've heard stories of visitors who have spent some time in Japan, and upon returning back home, immediately order a washlet seat from Japan. They just cannot stand sitting on a cold toilet seat ever again. This is going to be us after we leave Japan. If we ever do... We'll have to apply for a loan at the bank though, because I want to get that top-of-the-line model with the music button. So sick of hearing Neda dropping the kids off at the pool every morning... |
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One nice thing about being in a bigger city is the availability and choices for places to eat There are some really expensive, touristy restaurants around the hotel, but with a little poking around, we manage to find some places within our budget where the locals also go. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1157-L.jpg Over the next couple of days, we find a great ramen place, and also a cafeteria-style Japanese curry house. Their curry udon is even better than CoCo Curryhouse! :) So many things to love about Japan, from its food to its washlet seats. In that order. Chronologically speaking... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...1_094116-L.jpg Walking around town, we spot a couple of figurines on a pedestal. They look like they're doing some kind of martial arts? |
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And then further on, we see the same figures in silhouette on the road. Is this a special thing in Tokushima? Upon closer inspection, these two figures were everywhere, on store windows, posters, etc. I looked up "Awa Odori" on the Internet and discovered that Tokushima is the site of an annual music and dance festival, held at the end of every summer. Legend has it that in the 1500s, a feudal lord sent sake out to all the villagers to celebrate after completing construction of his castle in Tokishima (which back then was called Awa). The villagers all got drunk and started stumbling through the streets in a haphazard fashion. From then on, every year people danced on the streets in drunken fashion. There's a specific dance movement, which requries raising your right arm and right leg, then your left arm and left leg, exactly like those figurines found all over the city. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...79/L/awa-L.jpg The Awa Dance. Not my pictures. Taken from the Internet These days, hundreds of dancers will take to the streets dressed in colourful costumes. Tens of thousands more come from all over the country and the world, all to take part in the annual drunken dance. Because it's not enough just to spectate. During the dance, everyone chants in Japanese, "It's a fool who dances and a fool who watches! If both are fools, you might as well have fun dancing!" HAHA! So cool!!! Just like the huge Fire Festival in Kumano, we are slowly finding out that Japan is home to dozens of these crazy festivals held all over the country at various times of the year. We've now made it a mission to see and take part in at least one of these over-the-top festivals during our trip. It's the next item right after Neda's "Cherry Blossom Festival" on our Japan bucket list! That was an excellent rest day in Tokushima. We're off to explore Shikoku now! |
We liked Shikoku to drive along the winding rivers. And yet again some nice temples :)
The ferry to Kyushu is convenient, just take the shortest one. But there is also the option to exit North via some nice bridges to Onomichi. We didn't do that, but it should be a really nice route with nice views. |
Thanks for the tip! :)
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Celebrating today with our sporadically annual tradition of cake and candles!
If you had asked us when we first set off on June 14th, 2012 where we thought we'd be in seven years time, I doubt our answer would be: "Still riding around the world on motorcycles!" The last couple of years have been a tumultuous roller-coaster of ups and downs, wonders and tribulations. Sending a big thank you to everyone who's following us and left us a comment or sent us an e-mail or PM, supporting and encouraging us as we continue our journeys around the globe. It's made us feel like we're riding with a whole bunch of folks on our back seats, looking over our shoulders and sharing in everything that we're seeing and doing! Love you guys, Neda and Gene! https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Mis...versary-XL.jpg |
Gene and Neda,
I have been following your "many year" trip in ADV which I am not a member and I am now at the Japan part and your first Sushi meal. What a wonderful adventure you have undertaken. My two KTM's sitting in the garage and myself only wish I could have done a ride like this. Fantastic. Thank you for the adventure. |
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Our blog is really behind, but I'll try to post up what I have. |
Updated from Apr 01 2017: Surfs up, Japan!
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map399-L.jpg We're riding the island of Shikoku today. The plan is to simply follow the coastline south-west from Tokushima and just check out what's along the way. So no plan really... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4109-L.jpg A little shortcut through the mountains. Virtually no traffic once we're outside of Tokushima! We like that. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4101-L.jpg Quick photo break! The bikes are handling nicely and I think I'm finally starting to get used to the sporty seating position It's still pretty cold and overcast as we break through the heavily forested mountains. The twisty road we're on quickly descends down to Shikoku island's shores. We're greeted by the sight of sandy beaches along the coastal route. |
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Along the coast, we pass by several groups of hikers on the road dressed in the same white jackets we saw in Koya the other day These hikers are actually on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. There are 88 temples scattered all around the island of Shikoku. Pilgrims have to visit all of them in order, traveling a total of 1,200 kms! To show your progress, you get your Temple Stamp Book marked with a red stamp found at each temple. So it's like a religious scavenger hunt! People from outside Japan may not be aware, but there is a bit of fad going on with these Goshuin (temple stamp books) in Japan these days. Temple stamps can be found all over the country, not just on Shikoku. We're on a lot of Japanese Facebook groups, and we've seen so many posts of people's goshuin showing off rare stamps from hard-to-reach temples. For a lot of young people here, if you're going on vacation or on a business trip to a different part of Japan, you must always make time to visit one of the temples in the area to get your goshuin stamped there, so you can post a picture of it on Facebook, to the envy of everyone else! |
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Back to the pilgrims though. There is a traditional pilgrim's outfit that consists of a white coat, purple scarf, conical hat and a wooden walking stick Most of the pilgrims today undertake the pilgrimage by tour bus, but a small number still do it on foot, which typically takes six months to complete. This is something I can totally see Neda doing... Despite all this preparation, many pilgrims don't actually complete the full 88-temple, 1,200km pilgrimage. They say most give up around Temple #30, in Kochi, because of its hot temperatures, frequent rains and it's distance from civilization. I guess at that point they hop on the tour bus with the rest of the other pilgrims... Since the pilgrimage can be done any time of the year, early spring is probably the best time to undertake it, as the weather hasn't gotten too hot yet on the island, and the snow is already disappearing from the mountains. On our southern route down the east coast of the island, we pass throgh Minami, where we spot a large temple from the road. This turns out to be Yakuoji temple. It's #23 on the Shikoku 88. We stop to investigate. |
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At the temple in Minami, we see the cartoon sign for food, the mascot with the noodle bowl on his head. Must be a restaurant inside? No restaurant. And embarassingly, I find out that it's not a sign for food at all. The cartoon figure is actually Koya-Kun, a monk who is the mascot for the town of Koya, which we visited a day earlier. The reason the Shikoku 88 pilgrims were in Koya, was because that is where everyone traditionally goes to prepare for the trek. So I guess that's not a noodle bowl on his head... Oops... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1190-L.jpg Some more ema cards with wishes written on them. So cold, someone gave the statue of the monk a knitted cap... not a noodle bowl... |
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Buddhist swastikas adorn the temple roofs overlooking the town of Minami and the coastline of Shikoku https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_1262-XL.jpg Passing by many small shrines, each a little house for a diety At Yukuoki, there is a local custom where people visiting the temple leave coins on the steps just beside the railing for good luck. I haven't seen that in any other temple. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1287-L.jpg Closeup of the white jackets that the Shikoku 88 pilgrims wear. Emblazoned on the back is name of the Buddhist monk, "Kukai", who is associated with the pilgrimage |
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Various people and statues around Yukuoji templ https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...0/M/fish-M.gif Orange and white koi fish swim in little channels and pools found around the temple Koi is Japanese for carp. Typically carp is grey in colour, but when it was first brought over to Japan, breeders brought out various bright colours in the fish. The koi fish are a symbol for love and friendship because "koi" also sounds like the word for "love" in Japanese. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1185-L.jpg Aha, we spy the first Cherry Blossoms! Neda is sooo happy we are finally seeing them start to bloom! Our elation is short-lived though. There is a chart on the Internet which shows when the cherry blossoms bloom in each part of the country. However, we've just heard that Tokyo has had a bout of unusually warm weather lately. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom right now where we just left! Dammit! We traveled for a week and a half just to catch the beginnings of the bloom in the south and it's already well underway back in the north! :( |
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Prayer candles and cherry blossoms https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SCN4135-XL.jpg Back on the road, heading further south. I love the Japanese writing on the tarmac I have no idea what it says, but it's a constant reminder that we are in Japan! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4171-L.jpg We pass by many of these huge ramps that led to nothing in particular Japan has a long history of earthquakes and tsunamis. The last big earthquake/tsunami was in 2011, and that one caused the Fukushima reactor meltdown. During that disaster, a 30-meter tidal wave of black water slammed the north-east coast, killing 18,000 people. Since then, many countermeasures have been put in place to prepare for the next big earthquake and/or tsunami. Vast underground tunnels have been carved beneath Tokyo to allow the flood waters to drain. In the coastal areas, these ramped tsunami evacuation towers allow people to climb high enough to avoid killer tidal waves and being drowned in the resulting floods. There were about 4 or 5 of these mega structures in each town we passed through. Crazy! |
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Road rises up so we stop to get a glimpse of the coastline from above https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1311-L.jpg Neda says the rocky coast here reminds her of California While we are sightseeing around the area, we catch a glimpse of a stray dog running across the road in front of our parked bikes. A closer look reveals that it's not a dog at all... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1323-L.jpg It's a monkey! A Japanese macaque, specifically. We stare at them up in the trees. They stare back at us. |
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And then back down to sea-level https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1374-L.jpg We make another stop to visit some cool-looking rocks by the beaches https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1390-L.jpg This one has a tree growing on top of it! Cool! |
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This lady walking by us was funny. She had no control over her dog. It was walking her! Laughing out loud, Neda says to me, "Our dog is *never* going to behave like that!" https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1454-L.jpg A bit further down the road, we see people in the waters. Not just any people... surfers! |
I'm not a big surfer, but I've never heard of Japan being a great surf spot. I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise that there is surfing here in Shikoku with all the tsunamis and typhoons that hit the south-eastern shore of the island.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1411-L.jpg A surfer crosses the highway to get from the town to the beach https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1401-L.jpg Surfers enjoy themselves on the rivermouth swells, in front of a wall of concrete tetrapods At first I thought these concrete blocks were a form of tsunami countermeasures, but then I read that these giant tiddlywink-shaped concrete blocks are called "Tetrapods". They're piled up on the beach to prevent erosion of the sand by the pounding waves. It's a very artificial design, not found in nature, its special shape forces the water to flow around them, dissipating the wave impact and preserving the sands beneath them from washing out into the ocean. |
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Walking down to the water The south-east coast of Shikoku has a unique geography and climate contributing to excellent surf conditions. Because of the abundant rainfall, rivers from the mountains in the middle of the island create sandbanks on the shore when they spill out into the sea. Then during typhoon season, the huge waves break on these sandbanks creating what's known as "rivermouth swells". Typhoon season is normally July-November, which makes it the best time for surfing. It's still too early for the good swells, these must be all the locals in the area that surf year-round. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1435-L.jpg Hangin' Ten on the baby waves in Shikoku |
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Parked beneath a statue of Kukai, the Buddhist monk at the center of the Shikoku 88 Pilgrimage. Beneath the statue is a temple where they train new priests. By the time we've reached the tip of Cape Muroto, it's well past lunchtime. There's a visitor centre off the road and when we peer inside, we find a cafeteria with a marvelous view of the coastline. Score! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4167-L.jpg We're lucky they are still serving food this late in the afternoon. We order the classic chicken donkatsu (breaded chicken with curry and rice). So Japanese!!! |
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The sun comes out while we eat lunch. The rocky shore is too enticing for Neda to pass up. After lunch, she drags me out for a hike https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_1460-XL.jpg So windy at the tip of the Cape! Large waves slam into the rocks around us We love the isolation of Shikoku! What a peaceful, laid back island, especially when compared to Honshu. Pilgrims hiking along the side of the road, surf bums out on the beach, virtually no traffic on the road... perfect! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/400.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map400-L.jpg After our long day on Cape Muroto, we spent the night in an AirBnB in the town of Kitatakamicho, about half-way through Shikoku island. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4189-L.jpg Once again, our bikes have a roof over their heads. Back on the road westwards, we see a cavalcade of sidecars! The weather is getting warmer. Perhaps it's a combination of us heading further south or the spring season coming into full swing, but we're seeing more motorcycles on the road now. We all wave to each other enthusiastically, happy that we're all able to enjoy being back on two again. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4180-L.jpg Continuing westbound, skirting the southern shores of Shikoku |
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After a couple of hours, we end up at the port town of Yawatahama. It's ferry time once again! Shikoku is the smallest of the four Japanese islands, we were able to traverse it comfortably in a day and a half, mainly because of No Traffic! So nice. Now we're hopping over to the next island: Kyushu! Island hopping is fun! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4207-L.jpg Oooh, this ferry is fancy, they have wheel chocks for our motorcycles! Neda assumes the Japanese rest position for the two hour crossing The ferry spits us out in the city of Beppu, and we are starving! So before checking into our hotel, we ride around town until we find our favorite food. It doesn't take us very long to find... |
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Sushi! Seems we are off the Gaijin Trail once again, because: no English. Also, everything is automated so Neda has to use Google Translate to decipher the menu. There are some languages that Google Translate does well with. Japanese and other Asian languages are a terrible fail. The poor Translation Apps only serve to confuse you even more. At least some of the translations are entertaining... Thankfully the tablet-driven menu has pictures, so we are at least able to select what we want to eat. Confirming the order and paying are a different matter entirely, and we throw the whole automation system out of whack by having to call someone over to help us with the buttons on the tablet. Unfortunately, this sushi was not the best we've had in the country. I didn't know you could order bad sushi in Japan... Oh well. |
At least we're not hungry anymore, so we find our hotel and check in.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4225-L.jpg Our hotel is very comfortable and they seem to cater to Gaijin as well, because some of the signs are in English... or maybe they're in Jamaican... One of the selling features of this hotel, and the main reason why we booked here, is because it has an onsen! An onsen is a hot spring bath. Nobody in Japan takes showers, they all go to the public hot baths, it's a social thing. There is a shower in our washroom, but it's probably just for gaijin. So we're not doing that. Instead, we find these folded up neatly in the closet: https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SCN4229-XL.jpg These are the Japanese equivalent of terrycloth bath robes, to wear before and after visiting an onsen. They're called Yukata. So cool! We had to Google the proper way to wear them. Like all things Japanese, there's a right way to do things and a wrong way, and plenty of people around to judge you if you're doing it wrong! These robes are called Ryokan Yukata (Ryokan is a Japanese Inn), even though we're not really staying at a true ryokan, more of a hotel. Neda is sporting the Chabaori, which is a half-jacket you wear over a yakuta during the colder months. The Yukata is meant to be worn while you are staying in the Ryokan or hotel, walking the halls, at meals, etc. If the town you are staying in is an onsen town, it's even acceptable to wear it outside in public. Although Beppu is a pretty well-known spa resort town (over 2000 onsens here!), it's also a fairly large city, so we'd look pretty silly wearing these outside... |
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Neda is off to her onsen! I've read so much about onsens, and the ones I've seen have all been these outdoors natural hot spring pools, but the one in the hotel was just a swimming pool. Well, actually two pools, one hot and the other one VERY HOT! I was the only one in the onsen, so I totally could have brought my camera in and taken some pictures. I might do that next time. Don't get too excited guys, onsens are segregated by sex... So much to describe about the onsen experience, but I'll do that later when I have some pictures to share. Since Kyushu is actually known for its hot springs, I'm sure all of the places we're going to stay in while on this island will have an onsen. Hmmm... Sneaking a camera into a public bath house... what could possibly go wrong? |
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The next day, we're off to explore this new island! Leaving Beppu, riding past some farmers fields to head south. In addition to hot springs, Kyushu is also known for agriculture because of its sub-tropical climate. And because of that warm climate, it's the only island where you can motorcycle all-year-round! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1491-L.jpg Just outside of Beppu, we stop at the Iwashita Collection (motorcycle museum) We poked our head inside. The entry fee was a bit expensive and it looked kinda junky from the reception area, so we decided to opt out. Instead, we took the opportunity in the parking lot to admire the mountains of the Oita Prefecture, and also to take off our rain suits, which have been doubling as a cold-protection layer. Because for the first time since we've arrived in Japan, the temperature has hit 20C! YAY!!!! Spring is finally here! |
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Sweet motorcyle riding in the twisty mountain roads without our bulky overclothes! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4280-L.jpg We are entering the Aso-Kuju National Park, right in the middle of Oita Prefecture. The road we're on will skirt the eastern edge of Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan, which is in the mountain range that we are seeing in the distance ahead of us. But then we'll veer east, back to the coast. The peaks are magnificent and the plan is to visit Mount Aso on the way back up on the western side of Kyushu. The weather is changing so quickly these days. It might be warm enough in a weeks' time, that we may be able to head up into those mountains... fingers crossed. |
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We stop for a little break next to a little roadside topiary https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4292-L.jpg And then back to do more basking in the sun while hitting some twisties. What glorious weather we're having! |
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Another pitstop https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1516-L.jpg This time at some kind of mini-farm, they had horses, goats and many dogs. We saw a bag of sardines lying around, so we took a few fishies and fed them to the doggies Good thing Neda has no tankbag on this motorcycle, otherwise it'd be more than just sardines that she'd be stealing... |
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Okay, the RideDOT.com doggy feeding session is over. Back to hit those mountain roads. Speaking of, they are beautiful in the background! Just outside of the town of Ogata, we stop because there are a lot of tour buses and cars pulling into a parking lot. So we stop as well to check out what all the fuss is about. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1534-L.jpg A suspension bridge leads from the parking lot to... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1539-L.jpg Harajiri Waterfalls, nicknamed the Oriental Niagara Falls because of the shape. Yeah... but like 100 times smaller! :) Canadian pride... This waterfall literally sprang up overnight, when Mount Aso erupted some 90,000 years ago. The lava flowing from Aso carved through the flatlands in this area, creating this geographic wonder. |
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Rare picture of the two of us. A Torii Gate rises out of the water https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1567-L.jpg Harajiri Falls is a very popular tourist attraction in the area https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1571-L.jpg Neda is always stopping and taking the time to smell the flowers Okay, back on the bikes! We are now leaving the Oita Prefecture and heading to the Miyazaki Prefecture. |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/401.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map401-L.jpg We continue our ride southwards through the Miyazaki Prefecture, on the island of Kyushu. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4305-L.jpg We love the mountains in Miyazaki! So scenic! 12% of the land in this prefecture is devoted to National Parks! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4312-L.jpg Tokubetsuto Senmaida (rice terraces) in the background. Not as grand as the Maruyama Senmaida we saw a few days ago, but still very pretty! The senmaida sit empty waiting for planting season, which will probably begin about 4-6 weeks from now. From here, we head towards the town of Takachiho, in the northern section of the Miyazaki Prefecture. |
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Drama in the parking lot of the the Ama-no-Iwato shrine. There's a lot of mythology set in Takachiho. Although this angry dude looks like he's going to drop a rock on my head, he's actually one of the good guys. Legend has it that the Goddess of the Sun, Ameterasu-omikami, was once driven into a cave because her brother, the God of Storms, was bullying her. Such a timeless tale! Anyway, her retreat into the cave deprived the land of light, which co-incidentally explained why there was a total eclipse of the sun at the time. A bunch of other gods threw a party outside the cave to draw her out, and finally, the God of Strength and Power, Ame-no-tajikarao, lifted the rock blocking the cave entrance and the Goddess of the Sun came out again to grace the land with her light! What did he do with that rock? He dropped it on a random motorcyclists' head! So *not* a good guy in my books... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1649-L.jpg Higashihongu Shrine near the entrance. There was a guy dressed in traditional robes talking to everyone. Not sure if he was a priest or a guide... I'm so ignorant! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1629-L.jpg Pale half-moon sits above the temple roof, paper cards with wishes written on them hang from a board outside the srhine. |
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As pretty as this temple is, it's actually not the main shrine https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_1655-XL.jpg You have to walk into the forest a few hundred meters, past a river... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1666-L.jpg The path ends at Ama-no-Iwato, which means "Cave of the Sun Goddess". Hey, you mean the story is real?!? The path leading to the cave and the cave floor itself is littered with rocks of varying sizes and visitors have built little inukshuks (I only know the Inuit word for stone people, not sure what the Japanese word is) all over the place. |
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Kids building an inukshuk on the path leading to Ama-no-Iwato https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1675-L.jpg This is the real temple of the Sun Goddess! We hike back to our bikes. It's going to be a very short ride to our next destination. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4300-L.jpg Zooming through the heavily forested mountains roads in the Miyazaki Prefecture. So awesome! We really appreciate these mirrors posted up at each corner in the tight and twisty mountain roads, we make use of them all the time to see if there's any oncoming traffic. |
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Less than 15 minutes ride and we arrive at Takachiho Gorge. Takachiho Gorge is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Miyazaki Prefecture. However, we're arriving so late in the afternoon that all the tour buses have already left. We park on the sidewalk next to a scooter and the parking lot attendant walks right by us and ignores our bikes. *shrug* Cool. Free parking once again! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1698-L.jpg Clear blue sky refected off a pond at Takachiho Gorge. Neda says the duck looks like a painted wooden statue! It was real. The Gorge was carved out during the same lava flow that created Harajiri Falls that we visited earlier on, about 90,000 years ago when Mount Aso erupted. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_1747-XL.jpg A popular activity is to rent boats and take a leisurely ride beneath the small waterfalls that flow into the gorge. Very pretty! |
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Our daylight hours are short enough as it is! The mountains are no help at all when the sun disappears below them at 4:30PM! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1743-L.jpg I can totally picture the lava cutting through the rock when I see these striations on the gorge walls https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_1750-XL.jpg Beautiful reflections on the Gokase River's waters We are one of the last people to leave the Gorge as we climb back onto our bikes. There's about 140 kms we still need to cover if we want to make it to the next populated centre further south. So ironic that in the Land of the Rising Sun, it always feels like we are racing against the setting sun every evening. |
Although the days have been getting noticeably longer since we arrived in Japan, this was quite a long riding day and we pulled into the city of Miyazaki well after sunset. We haven't booked any hotel or AirBnB yet, plus we are starving (!), having eaten nothing since a late breakfast.
Just as we cross into the city limits, we see a large lit sign by the side of the road with pictures of well-marbled red meat! Yes! We are totally in the mood for meat! Also, we can sit down in a warm restaurant and try to find a place to sleep tonight. Usually we would have taken the time to search for a cheap Japanese chain restaurant, like a Yoshinoya or Coco Curryhouse, but today is a special day. It's Neda's birthday, so we are treating her to a nice dinner! Fifth birthday on the road! :D https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4320-L.jpg Taking our shoes/boots off is a regular ritual before entering any building in Japan. Once we're in, we treat ourselves to a meat fest! You can see Neda is straightening her chopsticks the proper Japanese way - with two hands. She is so nerdy that way... Yakiniku is Japanese BBQ. It's heavily borrowed from the Korean BBQ restaraunts where they bring you plates of raw meat and you cook it yourself over a personal grill set in the middle of the table. It's not really traditional as Yakiniku only came to Japan after WWII, but it's very popular here, especially in Miyazaki because they are known for their Wagyu beef in this prefecture. What is Wagyu beef? It's a special way of breeding cattle so they have lots of marbled fat in the meat. VERY TASTY! But very expensive. We only ordered a small plate to taste (it was delicious!), and had regular meat and seafood to fill ourselves up. I've heard Wagyu cattle get regular massages by Japanese women and then are fed a steady diet of beer to raise their fat content, but wikipedia says this is a myth. That's too bad, because massages and beer totally sounds like a place I could stay at for awhile. Um... minus the slaughter at the end of the stay, I guess... |
During dinner, we hopped on the Internet and found a budget business hotel situated right in the centre of the city. So off we go! But as soon as we depart the restaurant, it's freezing once again because the sun has disappeared. Thankfully, it's a short ride into town at city speeds and traffic is sparse because it is so late at night. We circle around the deserted streets of Miyazaki in the dark, searching for the hotel.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4326-L.jpg Street parking in Miyazaki The hotel doesn't have covered parking for our motorcycles. There's a paid parking lot across the street, but the staff just told us to park outside the front door. For the first time in Japan, we're just leaving the bikes out on the street! 8O This doesn't concern us too much. Japan is probably the safest country we've ever visited. Really enjoying our travels through the Land of the Rising Sun! |
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https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map402-L.jpg Miyazaki is the furthest south we'll venture in Japan. Today, we're heading to the north-west corner of the island of Kyushu. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4363-L.jpg Passing by a Suzuki shop. I'm way more aware of Japanese brands now that we're in Japan Suzuki doesn't have that large a presence in Canada, but there's a Suzuki shop and signs everywhere in Japan! It's a pleasant, if not a bit chilly, morning's ride through the mountains of Kyushu. The road we're on offers us some scenic riverside views. The town of Hitayoshi is about an hour west of Miyazaki. We stop to grab a quick brunch before doing some exploring. |
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We heard about this great gyoza shop in Hitayoshi, so we dropped in for some dumplings The guy who ran the place didn't speak any English, so we just pointed at the pictures on the menu: some chicken, some beef and some veggie dumplings. The plates come with 15 gyozas each and because we hadn't had breakfast yet, we scarfed them all down in a matter of minutes. They were delicious!!! Our gyoza guy came out to see how we were doing and he was very surprised we had finished them all so fast. He grunted out a very Japanese "Hoi?", just like an anime character in all the shows that we've been watching lately, which made us LOL! We ordered another plate of gyozas and took our time with the second helping of dumplings. Because the place wasn't that busy, our gyoza guy came to "talk" to us. He had seen our bikes parked outside so he showed us pictures on his phone - he was a motorcycle rider as well, riding some kind of Japanese cruiser. Cool! The brotherhood of bikers transcends all language! |
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There's a shrine nearby we want to visit. On our ride over, we see cherry blossoms! We've been enviously reading the news about the early cherry blossoms sprouting up in Tokyo due to the unusually warm weather they've been having. Now they've finally bloomed here in the south! So beautiful! Neda is very happy, this is what she's been waiting for all this time we've been in Japan! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4340-L.jpg Outside the Aoi Aso shrine https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1860-L.jpg Neda feeds the ducks in the river outside the shrine. There's a little self-serve kiosk nearby where you can leave a ¥100 coin in exchange for a small bag of crumbs |
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Cherry blossoms in front of the very pretty red bridge outside of Aoi Aso shrine https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1849-L.jpg Inside Ao Aso shrine, we see a priest walking into one of the buildings He's wearing the purple robes which signifies he's high-ranking. Lesser priests wear lighter blue. The black hat he's wearing is called a kanburi, which is part of the formal-wear worn by ancient nobility. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1845-L.jpg Shinto priest giving a blessing So I found out that these Shinto priests bless not only people, but possessions as well, since they believe that everything including inanimate objects has a spirit. It's popular to perform this ceremony on everyday items like cars and cellphones, to protect them from bad luck, like being in a car accident or dropping your phone in the toilet when you're using them while sitting on a high-tech washlet! :) This totally reminded me of the Hindu puja ceremony in India, where our Royal Enfield motorcycles were blessed against bad luck. Looking back on that trip, it didn't help... |
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We already know walking through these red torii gates signify a transition to the sacred. The thinking here is that if one is good then a whole bunch in a row is even better! The Japanese seem to love multiplying artifacts, be they flags on the side of the paths and stairs, to torii gates! When it comes to good mojo, you can never have enough, it seems! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4346-L.jpg Some scenes around the Aoi Aso shrine https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4349-L.jpg Family of tiny Shinto statues |
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Saying goodbye to the cherry blossoms and Hitayoshi With our bellies full of gyozas, we hop back on our bikes. From here, we are heading north up the western side of Kyushu island. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4357-L.jpg Another hour of riding and we enter the outskirts of Kumamoto, Kyushu's largest city. Cherry blossoms along the side of the road welcome us. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4378-L.jpg We can't find any free motorcycle parking in downtown Kumamoto, so we pull into one of the private buildings to park in their lot I spotted a scooter and bicycle parked underneath a building, so I slid my motorcycle beside them. In the picture above, Neda says, "You're going to get towed for sure. I'm parking here, under these trees". Hah! I think *she's* going to get towed for sure parking over there. We'll just have to see when we get back... Game on! |
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Walking through the streets of Kumamoto We're actually not here to see the city itself. The Kumamoto Castle is right downtown, so we're making our way over there. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1890-L.jpg We enter the park where the castle is and are greeted by blooming cherry blossoms. Nice! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1903-L.jpg Cherry blossoms and Kumamoto Castle We're a bit disappointed because we can't go into the castle. In April 2016, a 7.0M earthquake hit Kumamoto and the castle as well as many other buildings in the area were destroyed. In the last year, reconstruction efforts have been underway to rebuild the castle. On the grounds, we saw bits of the castle on the grass, all labeled with numbers so they could repiece it together again. The Japanese are so efficient! |
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That doesn't stop many people (and animals) from walking around the very pretty grounds and taking in the cherry blossoms https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1949-L.jpg Neda in her element! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1929-L.jpg Shops and stalls outside Kumamoto Castle |
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Kumamoto Castle through the cherry blossoms https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1970-L.jpg Back outside in the city, we walk along the moat surrounding the castle grounds https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1938-L.jpg It's lunch hour and people stream out from the office buildings nearby |
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This is Hanami! Hanami is defined as the "Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of cherry blossoms". It is a national past-time during the early spring, where you grab a bento box, find a cherry blossom tree and sit underneath and enjoy your food and the view. If I could draw a parallel, it's as traditional as an American going to a baseball game and having hotdogs and beer. There's a funny saying around Hanami: "hana yori dango". It means "dumplings rather than flowers" and pokes fun at people who enjoy the eating of the meal more than sitting and admiring the cherry blossoms. That would be me. If I went to a baseball game, it would totally be for the hotdogs and beer... And the briefness of cherry-blossom season is about as short as the Maple Leafs playoff schedule. I don't know anything about baseball. Did I say that right? https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...5_174204-L.jpg Strolling along the moat surrounding Kumamoto Castle amongst the cherry blossoms |
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Taking pictures of cherry blossoms is also a national past-time. Just like scarfing down dumplings, it's an activity that I can totally get on board with as well! We walk back to our bikes to see which one of them got towed. :) To our surprise they were both still there! Either two-wheelers get overlooked for parking violations or the Japanese just don't think anyone would willfully break the law like that... No matter, we head out of Kumamoto in the late afternoon to try to beat the big city rush hour. We're only a little bit successful. Although the GPS says it's only another hour or so to get to our next stop, we arrive in Aso just as the sun begins to set. We are starving and can't find a restaurant that's open. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4384-L.jpg After riding around a bit, we find this very small family-run restaurant The lady that runs it is very nice, but she doesn't speak any English at all, which we're totally used to by now. I don't think we even ordered anything, we just sat down and did a bit of sign language to indicate we were hungry and then these plates appeared in front of us after a little while. It was very tasty: grilled beef with rice and miso soup. I love Japanese food! Good thing we know the Japanese word for Asahi beer. It's "Asahi"... :) After dinner, we try to find our guest house in the dark, navigating through very narrow streets of the tiny community by headlight only. The housekeeper lets us in and shows us to our room: https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4390-L.jpg To our delight, it's a tatami room! Finally after almost a month in Japan, we are able to see some cherry blossoms for Neda. Had some great food today and we're sleeping in a cool tatami room tonight. What an experience! We are loving Japan! |
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https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map403-L.jpg We are taking another rest day. Two in fact. The pace over the last couple of weeks since we left Tokyo has been relentless. We're just not used to this constant movement, especially in our fatigued state. But because we're on rental bikes, we keep pushing ourselves to make the most of it. Although we're enjoying Japan immensely, there's a lot of pressure to press forward and that's not very fun. I wished we owned these bikes right out instead of renting them. That way we wouldn't feel so rushed. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1974-L.jpg Our guest house in Aso Thankfully, when we awake this morning, it's pouring rain. Yes, you heard right. We're actually thankful it's raining! Because now this justifies our decision to stay put for a little bit. During our stay, we meet other tourists who check in and out of the guest house. Many of them are hikers, who are planning to climb nearby Mount Aso. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1972-L.jpg Rainy days means I get to stay in and work on the blog Since we've been on the move, there's been no time to edit pictures and write. So now I take the opportunity to type up some entries. Sometimes I get a bit discouraged that the blog is so far behind. Oh well, it'll get done when it gets done. It's cold up here in the mountains! I sit myself beside a space heater, crank it up and start to type. |
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Taking a break to go out and grab some lunch. Neda takes some pix of the flowers around our neighbourhood https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1999-L.jpg This is where we're staying for the next couple of days. Nice view of the mountains in the background https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_1983-L.jpg We found a great restaurant just around the corner, funky decorations hang from the ceiling https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...6_122654-L.jpg My little feast in front of me. Neda tries some "yama-imo" or mountain potato Yama-imo is finely grated raw yam. It becomes very gooey and then you can serve it over salad, soup or noodles, since it doesn't have a very strong taste. The Japanese love it because of it's slimy texture. Just like natto! In fact, there's a name for the Japanese love of slimey food. It's called: "Neba Neba". Other examples of neba neba are raw egg yolks served over rice or in a soup, slimy seaweed, okra, gelatinous mushroom caps. If you want to eat like a Japanese person, you have to embrace neba neba! Also, I've also noticed that the Japanese like to compartmentalize their food. They don't like different flavours touching each other, so they must each be served in individual plates or bowls. I'd hate to be a dishwasher in a Japanese restaurant! |
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Another day, we venture further out to find somewhere else to eat. Still so cloudy outside, you can't even see the mountains around us. Our host at the guest house tells us that there is a market in town where we could get some food. Over the last couple of days, we've gotten to know her a little bit. Every day during lunch, she walks into town to take an onsen break, soaking in the hot mineral waters and then she returns back in the afternoon to check in guests. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4394-L.jpg The little market in town, right beside the onsen. The triangle-shaped rice balls are called Onigiri and are very popular in Japan It was good to take a small break from riding and touring. When we finally do check out of the guest house, it's still a little damp outside and the air is cold. Perhaps not the best weather to ride up Mount Aso, but this is the only opportunity to do it. We can't wait around forever waiting for sunshine. Neda wants to bypass Mount Aso, since we can't even see the top because of the thick cloud cover. I've got a case of FOMO, so I try to convince her, "It's kind of on the way, just a small detour. Maybe the weather will clear up when we get there..." We negotiate the long, windy road up the mountain. The summit is less than 30 minutes drive, but as we climb higher, the haze in the air turns to fog. It gets thicker and large water droplets form on our visors. Cold too!!! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4415-L.jpg At the summit, there's a little parking lot and a lookout. Unfortunately, not much to see... :( This is a bit disappointing. There's supposed to be amazing views into the caldera of Mount Aso, but alas, it was not meant to be. Neda gives me the "I told you so" look. I hate that look. |
We descend the mountain and head further west, back towards Kumamoto.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4429-L.jpg Some kind of roadblock on our route. The sign is in Japanese and we don't know if the road is closed or not. There are hours listed... Neda pulls out her Google Translate app and aims the camera at the kanji characters, hoping for a good translation. All that comes out is gibberish. There's a long-ass detour that by-passes this road but it adds quite a bit of time and I'd hate to do that if it's not absolutely necessary. I wish I could read Japanese. What do those hours mean? I postulate that maybe the road becomes a single-lane and the hours dictate which direction you can travel in. Since we're on motorcycles, we can perhaps slip past oncoming traffic if we get the direction wrong. Feign ignorance if the police stop us... So we decide to ride past the road block and try our luck. 15 kms later, we run into construction. The entire road is closed and that same sign we saw earlier is posted here as well. There's a ski resort and a hotel where we've stopped, so we ask someone if the road will open. They tell us that the hours in red are closures and the hours in blue are when it's open. *DUH* Of course... We just missed the lunch-time window for crossing and it would be several more hours until the road re-opened again. DAMMIT! If only Google Translate worked properly! We double back and take the detour. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4425-L.jpg Ran into a bunch of motorcyclists out for a group ride in the mountain roads. We join their gang for a little bit until they turn off towards Mount Aso. The detour wasn't that bad, nice and scenic with a few entertaining curves to keep our sporty-bikes happy. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4433-L.jpg A few kms after the detour re-joins the main road, we approach a larger town called Kikuchi. Cherry blossoms greet our arrival. |
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The main road takes us past a very pretty park, and it's full of cherry blossom trees. We have to stop here! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2020-L.jpg More hanami scenes When Neda first told me about this "Cherry Blossom Festival" held in Japan, we thought that it was held at a specific time and place. It was only when we arrived here we found out this "festival" was held all over the country as the blooming season moved from south to north. The festival is wherever you can find a cherry blossom tree! Cherry blossoms are called "Sakura" in Japanese, and sakura season is a huge deal here, despite being so short. It takes one week for the flowers to reach full bloom, and a week later, the petals are already falling off. Our plan is to catch the beginning of the sakura in the south and basically travel with the blooming season as it moves upwards, so we're surrounded by cherry blossoms for much longer than a couple of weeks! There are ads and signs everywhere celebrating sakura. In every grocery and convenience store, it looks like someone popped a gigantic bubble gum balloon inside and got pink colouring on all the shelves and merchandise. Almost every product in the stores during sakura season is clad in pale pink packaging! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...L/sakura-L.jpg Pink Sakura Pocky sticks! Even the non-Japanese brands get into Sakura season! You go, Makudonarudo! |
The origins of the Cherry Blossom tree are quite contentious. Most people agree that they originally came from South Korea. But lately, China has also laid claim to the birth place of cherry blossoms. But the reality is that it was the Japanese that cultivated this historically unloved tree which bore a sour fruit eaten only by birds. This tree which flowered for only two weeks out of the year was ignored by every other country but Japan, which celebrated its ephemeral nature and made its appreciation part of the fabric of Japanese life.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2038-L.jpg A family enjoying a picnic under a sakura tree. This is Japan in a nutshell. While cherry blossoms have gained popularity around the world in the latter 20th century, particularly after WWII, the Japanese have been planting sakura trees all over the country since the 7th century. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2054-L.jpg The recent rains have left a little present upon the sakura petals https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2125-L.jpg Neda is having a hanami moment |
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I am day-dreaming of all the gyozas I am going to eat tonight https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4408-L.jpg Leaving Kikuchi Park. This motorcyclist approaching us was getting his lean on! Nice! You know the weather is getting warmer when you see so many bikes out. We ride to the town of Nagasu at the edge of Ariake Bay. We can catch a ferry here that will bypass the urban centres on the northern shores and take us across the bay towards Nagasaki Prefecture. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4436-L.jpg We line up for the ferry with more bikes! Here's a hotted up Honda CRF, just like the 250s we had in Thailand. Dual exhaust, Showa forks... maybe not *exactly* like our 250s in Thailand... |
These ferries are a real godsend. We'd be stuck in so much traffic if we weren't able to cross the waters. Just a scant 45 minutes later, we're in the port town of Taira in Nagasaki prefecture.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4450-L.jpg All of the bikers deep in the hold of the ferry, checking out each others ride and waiting for the ramp to come down to let us off We haven't had lunch yet and we're starving. On all the Japan Facebook groups I'm on, I've read some good things about Mos Burger, which is Japan's largest burger chain. Of course there's one waiting for us in Taira. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4460-L.jpg Neda is not a burger fan, but I manage to convince her to try it out. Verdict: Thumbs down. You don't go to Japan for burgers. Give me neba neba anyday over Japanese burgers. Shimabara is less than 10 kms away and we stop once again to check out some Samurai Houses! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2176-L.jpg There's a pedestrian street in Shimabara lined with traditional Samurai dwellings from the Edo Period (1600s-1800s) |
Some of the houses are open to the public as museums. Here are some pictures of Neda photobombing the nice Samurai families who live there:
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2162-L.jpg The warrior class was considered the elite of Japanese society, so their houses were better quality than the rest of the population These houses are decorated not very differently from the tatami rooms where we've been staying: rice paper sliding doors, tatami mats on the floors, and dark exposed wood beams overhead. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2172-L.jpg These houses focused less on the military aspects of the Samurai and more on how they lived at home. So no bushido masks, lacquered armor or multiple-folded steel swords here! More tea cups and urns... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2211-L.jpg Neda sharing a meal with a Samurai family |
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We are feeling right at home here! Minus the creepy mannequins, of course... |
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https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map404-L.jpg From Shimabara, we head towards our rest place for the evening, located on the west side of the peninsula. To get there, we have to drive over an active volcano: Mount Unzen! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4462-L.jpg Heading towards Mount Unzen, and then onwards to Obama Yes, there's a town named Obama. It means, "little beach" in Japanese. Although it's not named after US President Barack Obama, he is *very* popular in Japan. When he was inaugurated in 2008, there was a huge celebration here in Obama, Nagasaki. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4465-L.jpg Twisty roads up Mount Unzen We love mountain roads, we always find enjoyable twists and turns that we can attack with our sportybikes. However, I'm a bit worried about roads around active volcanos though. Mount Unzen's last major eruption was in 1972, when landslides and tsunamis kiled 15,000 people. We tip toe on these curvy volcano roads, careful not to set off another eruption... |
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Heading towards the peaks ahead in the distance https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4468-L.jpg As we get higher, fog obscures the way. Near the summit, 1500m above sea level, we stop to look at the clouds below us https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2231-L.jpg Road is one-way around the summit of Mount Unzen |
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Near the top we find a resort: Unzen Hot Springs Onsen Resort This isn't fog anymore. We are enveloped in steam emanating from the ground. Hot, smelly sulfuric gases seep up from all around us and makes us gag as we walk around the boardwalk that the resort has put up around this hellish rocky landscape. In fact, the Japanese name for this place is "Unzen Hell". Although these gases aren't poisonous, you have to hold your breath the entire time that you walk around otherwise you'll throw up from the smell. *blech* Finally we had enough and we scramble back onto our bikes to escape Unzen Hell. Back down the volcano we ride until we reach Obama. Looking at the map, this is the western-most point of our travels in Japan. From hereonin, we start heading back east. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2234-L.jpg This is our hotel in Obama-cho - we have a tatami room. Yay! A pretty tea set awaits us on the short-legged table (chadubai) This part of Kyushu island is very geologically active, and there are many onsens in the area. Pretty much every hotel and ryokan in the area has an onsen. Including ours! |
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Donning the yukata provided to us in preparation to take a dip in the hot pools Neda is not allowed into the onsen. Back when we first started our trip, she got a huge tattoo on the side of her ribcage to celebrate riding across Canada. But now we've discovered that tattoos are frowned upon in Japan because only gangsters get inked. Tattoos are linked to members of the underground criminal organization known as Yakuza. They're like the Japanese version of the Mafia. In almost every onsen, there is a sign that reads "No tattoos allowed". There is hope for tatted-up individuals though. There are a few onsens that will allow you in if you cover up your tattoo. We've been trying to find a stick-on bandage that covers Neda's bodyart, but there is nothing that large. So everytime we go to an onsen, she takes her chances hoping nobody will catch her. Cause she's gangsta like that. OY (Original Yakuza). https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4489-L.jpg All set to head down to the onsen! Since onsens are separated by sex, we go our separate ways. I wish Neda good luck and hope she doesn't get picked up by the police. |
Most onsens in hotels are just swimming pools, fed by hot springs water piped up from the ground. However, the nicer establishments make their onsens look as natural as possible.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4497-L.jpg Oooh, so fancy! Yes, I brought a camera into a public bath house... What could possibly go wrong? I figure if Neda will be kicked out for her tattoos, I might as well get into the gangster action as well. Thankfully, the onsen is empty when I go in, so I'm able to snap some shots. Just like most things in Japan, there is a strict etiquette in how to onsen. The pools are not chlorinated at all, so everyone who enters has to wash and scrub their bodies vigorously before they go in so there are no stray hairs or body oils floating around in the onsen. There are many wash stations situated around the onsen, equipped with soap, shampoo, wash clothes, buckets and a little shower head. When you enter the onsen, you're supposed to put your towel on your head so it doesn't get wet. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4498-L.jpg Performing the pre-onsen cleansing ritual. And then... aaaaaaahhhhhhh! Onsen etiquette is a very good example of the Japanese culture of conformity. These wash stations are always situated around the onsen in plain view of everyone in the pool. They're not hidden away. This is so everybody can scrutinize you scrubbing your body clean before you enter the onsen - a sort of policing by peer pressure: "Hey Gai-Gene.. you missed a spot!" Everyone's behaviour in Japan is always for the benefit of society, whether it's wearing a facemask in public so you don't spread your own germs, using an umbrella condom so you don't drip water everywhere when you carry your brolly indoors, or scrubbing your butt clean so you don't pollute the onsen. Disregard for others is seen as deviant behaviour and there is huge pressure to conform to this code. And extreme shame and ostracism if you don't. https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Mis.../S/japan-S.jpg Japanese Proverb This is in stark contrast to the western way of thinking, where personal liberty is placed ahead of the common good. There, the prevailing attitude is: "Everybody's got rights - and my rights are more important than yours!" I hate that kind of mentality. In Japan, there's a pendulum swing to the other extreme, where there's a narrow set of behaviour that's tolerated in this society. Maybe it stifles individualism, creative thinking, experimenting with different ways of doing things. But personally, I prefer that over the rampant selfishness, callousness and disregard for others that I see in the west. Rant over. |
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In this Japanese version of Turn Down Service, the maids come in and actually make the futons for you! So cool!!! |
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We decide to take another rest day to explore Obama. Because it's raining once again. :( https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4507-L.jpg Not fog. The city is shrouded in steam on this cold spring day. It's like the entire place is sitting upon a lid covering a cauldron of boiling water. Steam escapes through vents and short chimney stacks set right on the sidewalk. It even seems like it billows out through open windows in the buildings around us. All of it hangs heavy in the air around us, indistinguishable from fog. It all feels so... volatile... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4515-L.jpg All the businesses here make good use of this geothermal activity. Here we walk by restaurants using it to steam cook their food. |
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We find a nice seafood restaurant. Kind of ironic with all this geothermally cooked food everywhere, we're opting for sushi. So goooood!!! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4524-L.jpg After lunch, we continue walking through the steamy city. More vendors, keeping their food warm by geothermal heat https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4505-L.jpg We head down to the shore, to Obama Marine Park. So funny seeing Obama everywhere, it almost seems like they are milking the relationship to the US President I just found out that in front of Obama Onsen, there is a mannequin of Barack Obama welcoming visitors in. Totally milking it! |
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At Obama Marine Park, we stumble upon a long roofed structure... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4530-L.jpg It's a 105 meter long foot bath called... Hot Foot 105 - of course! There's a little stand where you can rent a bucket and a towel The geothermally-heated water is piped in from the ground and it feels super hot when you first dip your feet in. But on this cold spring day, it takes no time at all before you get acclimatized to the heat, which then radiates up through your entire body making you feel warm and cozy all over! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...itter404-L.jpg Haha! What a way to spend a cold rainy day outside! We didn't want to leave! |
Back in our hotel room, Neda chows down on a cup of noodle soup while reading her Kindle. This is our go-to quick-prep meal here in Japan. My personal favorite is the Big Curry Noodle Cup - I'm addicted to it! Everytime we stop for the evening, we make a pit-stop at the konbini and pick up a couple of noodle soups for dinner. Cheap and delicious!
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SCN4561-XL.jpg The theme for this blog post is "Steam", like on Neda's glasses! :) |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/405.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map405-L.jpg The fog has turned to rain as we pack our stuff onto the bikes to leave Oabama-cho. We could stay another day, but the clock is ticking on our motorcycle rentals and we're only half-way through our travels across Japan. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4569-L.jpg Neda surveys the light drizzle from the shelter of our warm and dry hotel :( Our route today will take us out of Nagasaki Prefecture, north to the neighbouring Saga Prefecture. Due to the rain and fog, there aren't many pictures of our wet ride up. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...1_105147-L.jpg In just over an hour, we arrive in the town of Kashima. And cherry blossoms are everywhere!!! :) |
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Of course we have to stop and take lots of pictures https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4580-L.jpg Getting ready to suit up again, we spy a Miko walking down the street https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_2246-XL.jpg A miko is a shrine maiden, which means there must be an Inari shrine nearby |
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Riding around Kashima beneath a wonderfully pale pink cherry blossom sky https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2276-L.jpg Despite the cold and wet weather, Neda is absolutely loving the cherry blossoms! |
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We find the shrine and the parking lot is covered with a welcome mat of pink petals. Arigato-gozaimasu! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2.../L/405-1-L.jpg Spider caught my eye |
What an inspiring story, I can't believe you've made it so far! Keep up the adventure!
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Thats amazing, and stunning how beautiful. Save travels
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Thanks! Appreciate the kind words! :D
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Inscription in the stone https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2.../L/405-3-L.jpg Kashima-Jingu Shrine https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2279-L.jpg Before we hit the shrine, we walk around the manicured gardens |
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Cherry blossom season is regretfully short. It takes one week for the flowers to bloom and then another week for them to fall from the branches A light wind is already taking some of the petals off the trees and scattering them on the ground. The short sakura season is such a spiritual time for the Japanese, it symbolizes the ephemeral nature of life - brief and fleeting. During WWII, Kamikazi pilots painted sakura flowers on the side of their planes, the falling petals mirroring their own suicidal dives - the young pilot's lives just as brief and fleeting. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2337-L.jpg Walking underneath the torii gates and up towards the temple https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2353-L.jpg Yutoku Inari Shrine across a narrow river |
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The most striking feature about the Yutoku Inari Shrine is the lattice-work of crimson beams supporting the main building https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2.../L/405-7-L.jpg Quackers https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2367-L.jpg The Inari deities are associated with foxes, whose statues guard the shrine |
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We love Japan! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2373-L.jpg Tourists come from all over Japan (and the world) to see the shrine |
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While some may need shelter from the falling rain... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2428-L.jpg others revel in the shower of petals |
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Inside the Yutoku Inari Shrine https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2404-L.jpg Walking around taking lots of pictures We don't often time our travels very well. Snow and ice chased us out of Alaska and we spent a year and a half following the rainy season through Latin America. But our timing through Japan is impeccable. Cherry blossom season is #1 on Neda's list of things to see and we've now reached the beginning of the season right at the southern end of Japan. Although sakuras may only bloom over two weeks, we're going to slowly follow the blossoming season as the warm weather travels north. We'll definitely get more than two weeks of cherry blossoms! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2408-L.jpg |
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In Japan and in other asian cultures, this orange-reddish color, vermilion, is the colour of life The colour wards of evil spirits, bad luck and danger. It reminds me of the vermilion-laquered furniture of my family home in Malaysia. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2437-L.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_2438-XL.jpg We walk around Yutoku Inari Shrine with petals in our hair. When we get back to our bikes, they too are covered in pale pink snow |
At least the rain has stopped as we climb back on our bikes. We've only got another hour's ride north to the city of Fukuoka, but as luck would have it, shortly after we leave Kashima, the sky opens up cold rain on our helmets. At least we've kept our rainsuits on as we brave through the elements.
As we reach the outskirts of Fukuoka and I spy the welcome orange-and-black sign of our favorite fast food place: Yoshinoya. I tap on the communicator and ask Neda if she wants to get out of the rain and get some warm Japanese food inside of us. It's a rhetorical question, of course... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4595-L.jpg Ugh! So miserable... We burst into the restaurant like wet dogs dripping water all over the place. At least the place is empty because it's mid-day, right in between the lunch and dinner crowds, so we don't cause too much of a commotion as we slip off all of our wet layers and hang them on various chairs and tables around us to dry. We feel so un-Japanese, making such a mess. The staff, in response, are typically Japanese, very gracious and accommodating and trying not to make us feel self-conscious. Which makes us even more self-conscious... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SCN4592-XL.jpg We feel we deserve an extra-special treat today, so we both order the extra-large bowl of Unagi (BBQ eel) rice! Aaaahhh! So yummy! Normally unagi is much more expensive where we're from, but here in Japan, they're surprisingly moderately priced so we don't feel so guilty getting the extra portions of eel. We savour our hot meal inside the warm and dry restaurant, watching and waiting for the rains to subside. Which it doesn't. |
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So back on the bikes in the pouring rain to go look for a place to sleep tonight We've been staying at hotels and guest houses the entire time in Japan. Some of the places have tatami rooms, so we get the flavour of sleeping in Japanese-style accommodations. But none of them have been true "ryokans", which is a traditional Japanese Inn, where the entire building is wood and tatami mats everywhere. Until now! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4601-L.jpg First thing you do in any Japanese building is swap out your outside shoes for inside slippers The Japanese are fastidious about dirt, and keeping it out of the living area. There are outside shoes, inside slippers and even toilet slippers. When you enter any washroom, you leave your inside slippers out in the hallway and don special toilet slippers. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...L/toilet-L.jpg |
We are really looking forward to a nice, hot onsen bath! This ryokan we've found is a budget inn. Most of the ones I found online were very fancy and expensive, which we can't afford. But this one is right in our price-range, which means we have to be prepared for basic and no-frills accommodations. But it does have an onsen onsite - which, saying this out loud, makes for a nice alliterative marketing slogan... for gaijin. So maybe not...
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...N4566-4K-L.jpg *shrug* Wuz a little bored, I guess... After checking into our very basic and no-frills tatami room (which had a very strong grassy smell from the mats), we each went off to our separate onsens. I think we spent more time in the hot baths than we did riding to get here! :) https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4603-L.jpg As mentioned, our tatami room is very basic and no-frills https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4605-L.jpg But it did look better with the lights out. A nice touch with the backlit paper cutout shadows! Hopefully tomorrow it will be less wet outside. Oyasuminasai! (Good night in Japanese) |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/406.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...L/map406-L.jpg Well, the sun is shining outside, and quite brightly, as well. But this is how my day starts off: https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4607-L.jpg My left boot is leaking and is still a bit soggy from yesterday's ride. Plastic bag sock condom to the rescue! So remember how down I was on Internet web forums, because nobody seems to be using them anymore? I actually got a response from one of the Japanese motorcycle forums I'm on! Dale is an American ex-pat living on Kyushu island, and he replied to one of my posts, inviting us out to breakfast before he headed out for work. He told us to meet him at a diner in Kitakyushu, which was less than 40 minutes away from our ryokan in Fukuoka. Cool! We get to meet another fellow motorcycle rider! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...2_111230-L.jpg Dale brought all of his maps with him and helps us to plan our route through Japan Seems like Dale is a regular here. He was conversing quite fluently with the owner! I'm a member of a Facebook group for ex-pats in Japan and from all the chatter on there, it seems that the default job for gaijin is to be an English teacher. But now we're meeting so many people that have other jobs as well. Dale is a technical writer for Yamaha! We spent a lot of time talking about his experiences in Japan and motorcycling specifically! He said that on Kyushu, you never have to put away your motorcycle for the winter. Well then, Kyushu has automatically jumped up the list for a good place to settle! :) |
Dale had to take off to go to work, and we thanked him for the warm welcome and for all the information.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4613-L.jpg Dale rides a Yamaha, naturally! MT-09 Tracer! We asked one of a bunch of Japanese ladies passing by to take our picture. After she did, the group of ladies also wanted to take our picture. Well, not of us, just of them and Neda! It seems that a gaijin girl on a motorcycle is quite the curiousity in these parts, same as I was in Latin America! :D https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN4615-L.jpg I took a shot of them with my camera as well! Neda towers over most of them! :D |
We rode out of Kitakyushu, heading east across the bridge back onto the main island of Honshu. The road we're on takes us through Mine City in Yamaguchi Prefecture. This plateaued area is called Akiyoshidai and is littered with thousands of limestone karst formations on the ground around us. Very scenic!
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2444-L.jpg Stopping to take some pictures of all the rocks https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2448-L.jpg The visitor centre at Akiyoshida There is also a 9-km long limestone cave nearby, it's the longest one in Japan. The first km is open for tourists but there's an entrance fee which we don't want to pay. Because paying to hike a kilometre is just insult on top of injury. They should be paying *me* to go hiking! :) https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2461-L.jpg Plus these cool-looking rocks are free and we're riding around them on motorcycles. No hiking involved! |
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Carps, blowing in the wind Further along the way, we cross a bridge and see dozens of these carp-shaped wind socks blowing in the wind. These are called koi-noibori and are usually put up to celebrate the national week-long holiday called Golden Week, where the whole country goes on vacation. It's similar to Ferragosto in Italy, which we had the misfortune to run into. Golden Week starts in a couple of weeks, so this time, we're going to try to finish up our Japan tour before the holidays begin because it'll be impossible to find accommodations while on the road since everyone has booked their hotels and ryokans months in advance, plus there'll be heavy traffic jams all over the islands! Congestion around the big cities in Japan is bad enough normally, I can't even imagine how bad it gets during Golden Week! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_2466-L.jpg Fellow two-wheelers on their daily commute |
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Ha ha, we know that feeling, we were organised to leave in May for Russia, Mongolia and parts in between, not now so our trip will be much the same as yours now
Gino & Fiona |
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I can't imagine people being stuck in the middle of their tour right now! Or just starting out and having to turn back and go home. |
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