Thanksgiving in Kyushu (2nd time)

Two years ago, in 2022, we spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Kyushu visiting Fukuoka, Sasebo, and Nagasaki. We really liked Kyushu so this Thanksgiving we decided to visit again. This time we went to Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Takachiho, Miyazaki, and Nichinan.

Our route made a big loop around the southern parts of Kyushu, starting and ending at Sakarajima!

We flew to Kagoshima, arriving late in the afternoon, but hoping to get a sunset view of Sakarajima which was right across the bay from our hotel, the Kagoshima Sheraton. Unfortunately, we ended up spending a ton of time at the rental car office trying to explain that we had a SOFA drivers license rather than an international drivers license. By the time we got it all worked out (with the help of no less than 5 employees at the rental car office), it was late and we were exhausted. So went to bed early and decided to so see the view in the morning.

The next morning we visited the Shiroyama Park Observation Deck. Althought it was cloudy, we had a great view of the volcano. At first we didn't realize the that white clouds hanging over Sakarajima were actually vapor and smoke coming from the crater!

The view out over Kinko bay was spectacular, but I don't think I would live there. Too close for comfort.

Our next stop was to visit Kirishima Jingu. The mountains in and around Kagoshima and Takachiho are very connected to the creation mythology of Japan. The legend goes that Ninigi No Mikoto landed on a nearby mountain, bringing with him the three items of Japanese imperial power - the sword, the gem, and the mirror. Ninigi married and local princess which made him mortal. From their union came the Japanese emperors. Kirishima shrine was built to honor Ninigi No Mikoto. It was first built in the 1300s but then rebuilt (as it is today) in 1715.

Our ultimate destination for the day Takachiho, but we planned stops to see Maruo Falls and Kumamoto Castle. Its a funny thing, but Japan's waterfalls all seem to be in the "Top 100" most beautiful waterfalls. It seems like that just can't be true, but how can you dispute any of them. They are all so beautiful!

Kumamoto Castle was very interesting to visit. In 2016 there was an earthquake that casued considerable damage to the castle and buildings around it. You can still see many effected areas, but they are actively working to repair and fortify the castle keep and other buildings.

The main part of the castle was reconstructed in 1960, but some of the other buildings on the grounds are original construction (from 1607).

In this area (Kagoshima - Kumomoto) many large battles were fought during the Samurai period, including the final or "Last Samurai" battle. Lots of history in this area!

Side note - it had been raining quite a bit all day, but when we arrived at the castle, the rain stopped for a bit and we had a beautiful blue sky backgound for a few minutes!

After a long day in the rain we were craving some hot, delicious ramen. This little shop in downtown Kumamoto was just what we were looking for. We each got a bowl of ramen, and Kimball ordered a side dish of horse over rice. I tried a bite, it was very good (like super tender beef) but I just couldn't eat a second bite. The mental work to overcome my issues with eating horse was too much!

Early the next morning (we arrived in Takachiho the night before), we drove a short distance to the Kunimigaoka mountain view spot to watch the sunrise. If conditions are right (cold temp, clear day, no wind) a cloud layer will form in the valley making the view from Kunimigaoka look like a "sea of clouds". It didn't quite get cold enough to create the effect on the two mornings we were in Takachiho, but we didn't regret getting up to see that view. It was one of the best and most peaceful views I have ever experienced. LOVELY.

Later that morning we had a coveted row boat rental reservation for the Takachiho Gorge! You can reserve a row boat and row down the gorge a ways until you get to the Minianotaki Waterfall (obviously Top 100!). The row boat reservations sell out online in a just few minutes after opening the slots for the day, so we were lucky to get one. But in real life - the experience is not quite as romantic and fun as the pictures might lead you to believe haha. It's somewhat crowded (several boats out at the same time), hard to maneuver the row boat, and not really very far from the dock to the falls. Oh well, it was an adventure, the rain stopped while we were on the water, and we didn't tip over - success!

The thing is - you can see the falls and take some great pictures from above on the bridge overlooking the falls, and walk along a beautiful promenade. So you really don't need to take the row boat out. But it was an iconic Takachiho Gorge moment.

There are so many bridges in the Takachiho area - they are literally EVERYWHERE! In the pic below you can see three different bridges crossing back and forth over the gorge, each one a unique style.

For lunch we found a great local place that served the regional special, Nanban Chicken. It lived up to the hype. Very good!

Along with the Nanban chicken, Mango soft serve (or Mango anything) is another regional specialty. This electronic billboard cracked us up!

We visited the Takachiho Shrine. It is supposed to be the King of the Shrines in this whole area. Later that night, we returned for a special performance (see more about that below)

We also visited the Amanoiwato Shrine where Amaterasu, the Sun goddess hid from her brother in a cave. Amaterasu is the grandmother of Niniji no Mikoto. Because of the sacred nature of this cave, we had to join a special tour group to be taken to see it and no photographs are allowed.

After seeing the cave, we walked through the woods to Amanoyasukawara, which is another cave where many deities gathered to discuss how to get Amatersau out of the cave she was hiding in. The legends started to get too complicated for me (more on that below). At this cave people have made thousands of rock piles. The pictures can't capture the look, it's impressive! I'm not sure why, but I had the urge to knock them down. (of courses I did not)

That night we returned to the Takachiho Shrine for a 1 hours performance of the Kagura. The Kagura is a collection of 33 dances that tell the WHOLE story of the Sun goddess, her brother, son, grandson, etc...It's done to the music of a taiko drum and a flute type instrument played by the priests at the shrine.

The dancing is almost in slow motion. I read one review that said it was interesting more than entertaining. I agree with that (zoom in to see the masks). It is quite similar to Kabuki in the way the dancers move and do the snap thing with their heads. Kimball maintains it is NOT choreographed - they just move around up there in whatever way they feel. Hum?? not sure about that.

The place was packed! Luckily our hotel provided us with sitting pads.

We only watched 3 of the 33 dances. During the spring, the full Kagura is performed over many consecutive nights.

One other thing we loved about the Takachiho area were the terraced rice fields. Classic looking Japanese country side.

Our next destination was Miyazaki. We stayed near Aoshima Island, with a great view of the island from our hotel window. The fascinating thing about Aoshima Island is the rock formations that surround it. The area has eroded over centuries and because the rocks are of different hardness, it make this washboard type effect.

We timed it out so that we arrived at low tide in order to get the best view of the Devil's washboard. Of course there is a shrine on the island. We walked around the entire island and visited the shrine.

Next up on our itinerary was a hike in the Kaeda Valley (in the Miyazaki Natural Recreation Forest), but first we had to get a dinner reservation. Most places in this part of Kyushu require a reservation for dinner - no drop ins. I had heard good things about a place called Hidemaru, right near Aoshima and our hotel. Interestingly, when we made the reservation they wanted our dinner order at the same time. I guess they prepare exactly what is ordered in advance. We both ordered the sashimi and tempura set (very fresh seafood!)

The Kaeda Valley hike was amazing. It was also the first and only hike I have been on in Japan that did not have stairs of any kind. It was basically flat and we later read a sign saying this was a former railway bed used to haul out timber.

Along the hike we saw many indications of something that was digging up the ground. Based on a sign we read at the beginning of the trail, warning of certain animals to watch out for, we think the digging was done by wild bore. I did not want to run into a wild bore! (and luckily we didn't)

But, as we were walking back, Kimball thought he heard a dog barking. As we listened and got closer we realized there were wild monkeys all over the hillside across the river from us. There were so many! We tried to capture them on video, but of course, right when we started to take the video they disappeared into the deep forest. But the video does show them a little bit.

The hike took us a little more than 3 hours, so by the time we finished we were starving. The food at Hidemaru was to die for!

I woke up early the next morning and pulled the curtains back just a bit to look out at the ocean (it was still dark). I was surprised by what I saw. There were flashing lights all over the horizon and moving towards shore. Then I realized they were fishing boats coming back with the catch of the day. It was incredible how many there were! (with the darkness I couldn't get a good pic)

Here is a view from the hotel room of Aoshima Island.

After breakfast we took a walk along the shore. You can see our hotel in the far background.

Before we left Miyazaki behind, we wanted to drive into the town itself and see some sites. We chose to visit Miyazaki Shrine (on the recommendation of our friend Fuminao) and Heiwadi Park.

It just happened to be a special day at the shrine where the little girls and boys dress up in traditional clothing and participate in a ceremony (3-5-7). So many cute kids! But we hated to intrude and be obviously taking their pictures. Not cool. I zoomed in on a couple of the pictures to give you a feel for the families/kids in traditional dress.

Heiwadai Park has a large Peace Tower built with stones sent from around the world. Interestingly, this peace tower was built in 1940. Not a peaceful time in Japan and the world!

The tower was built to commemorate the 2600th anniversary of the ascension of Emperor Jimmu who was a direct descendant of Ninigi no Mikoto! (everyone's related in this area)

Also in this park is a collection of over 400 Haniwa (burial statues). These are replicas of statues that have been uncovered all over this area. At first Kimball thought this was some kind of weird modern art, and he had NO respect for it. But once I explained what I had read about them he changed his mind and granted they were interesting.

Our plan for the day was to make our way back to the Kagoshima area by driving down the coast to Nichinan. There is a place called Sun Messe Nichinan where they have replicas of the Easter Island statues (the only authorized replicas in the the world, according the pamphet). It was a very quirky place, but on a beautiful, sunny day, the drive there and the view of the ocean was well worth the stop!

Had to try out some of the blessed Mango soft serve. Pretty good!

Very near the Sun Messe place is the the Udo Shrine. This shrine was built to honor Yamaschihiko, who was the father of Emperor Jimmu. The shrine is built in a cave right along the coast and the view is just beautiful! It is believed Emperor Jimmu may have been born in this cave.

Now in a race against daylight, we headed to the Obi Castle ruins. Sadly, we tried to pack a little too much into one day. The Obi Castle area is full of many different building and museums that show what life was like in the Samurai period. By the time we got there, it was just past sunset. Most things were closed, but the castle ruins are open any time. It was a bit eerie to walk through the ruins with no one else around. But we have visited so many castles that the layout, walls, moat, etc.. all looked familiar.

You don't often see a statue with glasses now do you?

On the way to our hotel we stopped by SushiTora. Its a high-end kaiten sushi restaurant and we loved it! Sorry no pics, but if you are ever in southern Kyushu - get some!

Our last day was dedicated to exploring Sakarajima up close. We started out the trip with a view of Sakarajima form the Kagoshima side. We were now on the opposite side of the volcano in Tarumizu. During a major eruption in 1914, a land bridge was formed between Sakarajima and Tarumizu. It makes it nice because you can drive onto the island/volcano from this side, rather than taking the ferry from the Kagoshima side.

View of Sakarajima from our hotel in Tarumizu (back side from when we stayed in Kagoshima).

There are three main lookouts on the island. The first one we stopped at was Kurokami Observation area. Here there is a torii gate that was nine feet tall but when the volcano erupted in 1914 it was buried in ash almost to the top. The people dug out most of the houses, but decided not to dig out the torii gate so that everyone could remember how bad the damage had been.

You get a good look into the active crater from this spot.

Below is a picture of a shelter in case of an eruption. These shelters are everywhere on the island. BTW, I didn't realize until we drove onto the island that many people still LIVE there. Quite a few people, actually. There are schools, and stores, and gas stations. The school children wear helmets when they walk to school, because eruptions happen often enough that they could have some rock fall on their heads!

As we continued on around the island, we began to notice people along the road that looked "official". Then we noticed tables set up with water cups and bit by bit, we pieced together that there was a major race taking place that day! By the time we got to the Kagoshima side where the main ferry port is located, it was packed with people. It turns out, we had just driven into the middle of the race starting line madness!

Right as we found a place to park we heard the gun go off for the start and saw hundreds of runners take off down the street we just drove in on!

Luckily, we were headed the opposite way of the race. We popped in the Visitors Center and then headed for Yunohira Observatory, the closest observation point to the crater. From this spot we had a view directly across from the pics we took on our first day in Kagoshima at Shiroyama Park.

Our third observation stop was Arimura. At this stop you can walk through some of the lava rock that flowed down the side of the mountain in the big 1948 eruption.

We should have learned our lesson about over scheduling from the day before, but we didn't. Instead we added a couple more stops to our way to return the rental car and get to the airport.

I read about a place called Thousand Gingkos that was supposed to be a very pretty spot to see the yellow gingkos. It was very crowded and not really that impressive. Nice day though so it was good to be outside and enjoying nature.