25/12/2015
"Finding me in Kyushu?"
Relaxing at a beach resort; pampering yourself at a spa, or joining a yoga retreat - these all are common ways we try to de-stress from our frantic modern city life, a life that seems to just spin on from one thing to another.
Originally from Hong Kong, I have also lived in New York, Shanghai, and Tokyo. So I believe I am quite a city person at the core. I had long heard about Kyushu's rich mix of nature and hospitality, but had never had the time to find out first hand... I was determined now to explore how Kyushu might offer a somewhat different way to unwind.
23/12/2015
Experience Kagoshima Like Us
When you visit Kagoshima like we do, you have to go to Ibusuki first.
The train to Ibusuki from Kagoshima Chuo Station is about 1hr15mins. We got a group discount for the ticket. Once you come in through Ibusuki station, you may get a one day bus pass at the tourism information desk to allow you to visit the entire area which has nice facilities like Cape Nagasakibana, the Nagasakibana Parking Garden (which has a number of animal, and a great petting zoo for children), the Flower Park Kagoshima (which is truly someplace you have to go to fully appreciate the "zen-ness" of it all), Lake Ikeda (where you can eat noodles spinning in circle, really fun!!!), and Healthy Land (which offers the famous sand bath, and other onsen experiences). Most of these can be rushed through in one day, but if given the choice, I would prefer spending the weekend in Ibusuki, just to be able to take my time and enjoy each experience as they were meant to be appreciated. One must bear in mind that the last bus leaves most locations at about 17:00 and accordingly, most of the places close around the same time. Once you're done and you are ready to head back to Kagoshima city, feel free to dip your feet into the foot onsen before boarding your train.
17/12/2015
Summer in Kyushu! Hakata Gion Yamakasa …
Having lived in Singapore all my life, I always thought hot weather is not a problem for me.
16/12/2015
Kyushu round island trip
清水竹灯り aka Bamboo light festival is an annual event in Ogi , Saga. Every year from 15Nov to 23rd Nov it will be held. This is my first time seeing Bamboo light up and was very amazed by how it's done. Not because they did the carving on the bamboos , but to light up so many candles every night for this event is a huge task, Yes it's not electric light bulbs but candles like those use in aromatherapy , there must be at least 1000s of it. and the grand finale is the light up at the waterfall. The other thing about visiting events like this in Japan is that , transport is well taken care of to prevent traffic jams. They provided free shuttle bus services at 2 different carparks to the event place.
13/12/2015
JAPANESE HOLIDAY IN KYUSHU (KAGOSHIMA) …
Two intrepid English pensioners took off from Manchester on Tuesday the 3rd November, to tour the southern Japanese Island of Kyushu (and to escape from the dark, damp English winter!), a delay possibly due to the foggy conditions but arrived in Munich in time for the connection to Tokyo Haneda. After a quick exploration of Tokyo left for the main part of the holiday in Kyushu.
Arrived by plane in Kagoshima and got the bus to the main station where our Hotel was, and was greeted by the sound of music, in the station. Here they are into a 2 week festival; unfortunately we had missed the fireworks. But the whole area still had a real buzz about it. The station was a real hub of activity with a department store, lots of shops and eating areas. A good information centre where we bought a ticket for 2 days whereby we had easy access on most buses. So after putting our cases in the hotel, went for a lunch. It turned out to be our dinner as much larger than expected, the specialist pork and fishcakes of the area. We were sat in front of the chef so he could make sure we got the right things. The same thing happened the following night, just wandered into a place just outside the station; we were greeted well, as you are everywhere in Japan, and given a seat overlooking the cooking area. This proved very entertaining for them and us. I did get a book out as they first tried to explain the food, then the chef got onto his i-phone, speaks into it and so of course an immediate translation, except with some of the translations into English we had still no idea of what we were eating. We started with a lot of raw fish, of which some we recognised. After many courses, out came cook your own food in the broth. However we were well supervised and the chef was putting the right food into the container over the burner at the right time. This eating experience was typical of our meals all over Kyushu cities. The resort hotels were very different, but more about that later. The first afternoon, took the circular town bus to get a feel of the area, and got off at Shrogama and had a good view of Sakurajima volcano; Kagoshimo is twinned with Naples, but the only thing they seem to have in common is the volcano.
12/12/2015
Ureshii! Ureshino (嬉野) – top three be…
Beauty - no longer a daily-topic just for the ladies, men too, are getting more receptive towards grooming.
If you are going to Kyushu and would like to indulge into a holistic retreat (be it as a solo or a family trip), you will never choose to miss going to:
Ureshino Onsen Town in Saga 佐賀Prefecture (northwest part of Kyushu Island): 1 of the top 3 beauty onsen in Japan!!!
I did a day-trip from Hakata ward of Fukuoka Prefecture/ City (so simple! so convenient to a gaikokujin/foreigner who doesn't know Japanese language) and it will not take you more than 100 minutes to reach the onsen town from Hakata.
So what is so happy and wonderful/ureshii about Ureshino? Ladies and gentlemen, vain or not, read on!
26/12/2014
The Smell of Kyushu is August
When some people think of Kyushu they think “Nagasaki Peace Park,” “Hakata Ramen,” “Kurokawa Onsen,” or “Mt. Aso and Sakurajima.” Of course, those are all wonderful experiences, but when I think of Kyushu, I think “nature.” I think long country roads, gushing waterfalls, rice-fields among forested mountains, and power spots.
I took a solo-road trip once through Kagoshima and Kumamoto. I had nothing by time, a car with a broken air-conditioner in the middle of a hot summer, and list of places I wanted to go, mostly a variety of waterfalls with a few other spots thrown in. I've been all over the world, but this trip holds a special place in my heart. Never in my life have I felt so at peace and happy. Nature brings happiness. Kyushu brings happiness.
I started out my tour with the beautiful Ryumontaki, a waterfall only about an hour drive away, hidden under the expressway and around a few tight corners. I reached it eventually and was so glad I did. It was summer vacation, but early enough in the day that the local kids hadn’t come out to play, or maybe they actually heeded the signs warning against swimming. I followed a gentle river to the bottom of the biggest waterfall I’d seen in Japan yet, and I love waterfalls, so I’ve seen a lot. The water gushed out from an alcove of giant rocks, forming a deep and enticing pool. Did I mention it was hot? I mean, really hot. It was easily 100F (38C) and more humid than any human should have to withstand and the air-conditioner in my little car didn’t work. With sweat dripping down my face just sitting in my car, relaxing next to a raging waterfall felt like heaven on Earth. Being alone, I heeded the warning signs and only went so far as to climb barefoot around the rocks and dip my feet into the cool, clear water; I wouldn’t want to be pulled into the depths with no one around to call to for help. After my refreshing half-dip, I followed a map to a path that I assumed would take me to the top of the waterfall, so I could gain a new perspective of the height and grandeur of the scene. Instead it led me through a forest filled with mosquitoes that sucked more of my blood than when I donated to the Red Cross a few years back. Spider webs crossed the path to the extent that if I was in any other country, I would think the path had been abandoned for months, but summer on Kyushu just has so many spiders that the webs are endless. The top of the path was confusing and overgrown. I could hear the waterfall clearly, but it remained hidden and out of reach. It was too hot for this, so I headed back down, hopped rocks back over the river and took my car up the mountain where other signs promised more waterfalls.
23/12/2014
Ceramics, Hikes, and Local Stories
KAMI-ARITA
Arita is a picturesque old town, surrounded by mountains, known for its ceramic kilns and pottery shops. The Kami-Arita train station is in the midst of the historic old section of Arita, where you can see tombei walls, made of bits of pottery and bricks from abandoned kilns. The main road between the Kami-Arita train station and the Arita train station is lined with pottery shops in historic buildings.