The Great Japan Pilgrimage 2 - Part VIII: Kyoto and Shiga

View from Kiyomizudera

Touching back down on the mainland of Japan for the first time in 2 weeks, we took no time in finding crap to take pictures of (I am of course skimming over the bus ride from Itami airport to Kyoto, navigating our way out of Kyoto station, lugging bags up numerous flights of stairs, Henry taking pity on my utter lack of upper body strength and lugging my bag up stairs for me….).

 Word of warning for travellers to Japan - there are a LOT of buildings and tourist attractions that are partially to totally out of commission as the country preps for the 2020 olympics. Kiyomizudera is one of them. Despite hearing that the main hall was covered in scaffolding, a friend had reassured me that it was still worth a visit. Maybe it was the satisfaction of having survived the walk up the crowded street of stalls, or the cream puff that gave us a sugar boost, or the stunning view of Kyoto from the top, but the friend wasn’t wrong.

Kinkakuji - the Gold Pavilion

On our first full day in Kyoto we ventured out early to visit kinkakuji, the golden pavilion. Built initially as a retire crib for Shogun AShikaga Yoshimitsu then converted into a Zen temple following his death, it seemed a like a good way of ensuring a cushy retirement and zilch inheritance for your kids. Having said that his grandson did the same thing, building ginkakuji (the silver pavilion) which was also on our list for the day. It is a stunning and peaceful complex to stroll around (could see myself having a happy retirement there) and, out of the many temple that we visited that day, was a personal favourite.

Ginkakuji - the Silver Pavilion

Other’s that we ventured to included Shimogamo shrine, after which we strolled down the philosopher's path (blissfully quiet due to winter being the only season in which it doesn’t look stunning) to Nanzenji, possibly more impressive than the temple was the sodding

great aqueduct chillin in the vicinity.

Nanzenji Aqueduct

Along our strolls we stumbled across the old railroad that was used to transport cargo ships between lake Biwa in Shiga prefecture and Kyoto before stumbling upon a delectable burger restaurant.

We strolled along the river which lead us into the main city, locating an okonomiyaki restaurant. One solid feed of okonomiyaki (and one recuperation beer) later we went via a second hand camera shop (one of many on the trip) and checked out Hanatorou the lantern lit restaurant street before trudging our weary feet home.

With the desire to beat the flocking tourists giving wing to our heels, we arrived at the Fushimi Inari Shrine gates early Sunday morning and began winding our way through the ongoing string of vibrant orange and red. The magic of the place that one feels after watching the likes of Memoirs of a Geisha evaporates somewhat upon realisation that the gates are effectively a bribe to the god inari from companies who have paid exuberant amounts wishing for good business.

Lake Biwa from the Biwako Ropeway

Regardless we continued our climb through the gates up the hill, the hordes of visitors growing steadily thinner until we reached the lookout over Kyoto. Feeling somewhat shrined-out after our many visits the day prior, that afternoon we stole away to Shiga prefecture to look out over Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake, from the Biwako ski area.

Content with the stunning winter scenery, leisurely lakeside stroll (after the not so leisurely trudge up the hill to the ropeway) and the fact that we had crossed another prefecture off the list within one cheeky afternoon outing, we returned to Kyoto and boarded a local train to Osaka for the last leg of our holiday.

Fushimi Inari

The Great Japan Pilgrimage 2 - Part VII: Ishigaki and Taketomi

Kabira Bay

This was what my little frostbitten heart had been yearning for. With the windows of our fourth gutless yellow plate rental car rolled down, we cruised along the gold and turquoise coast of Ishigaki. I would highly recommend getting a rental car for at least a day if you’re travelling to the island. Though it is small, the stunning scenery stretches right from one end of the island to the other and it is so worth making the effort to see all of it.

My memories of Ishigaki consist of a blissful collage of coral beaches, tropical forests and clear blue seas. Thanks to the suggestion of friends who had visited previously, we took a pair of goggles with us to Yonehara beach. Just a few meters away from the shore we were surrounded by all manner of tropical fish, in the middle of winter!

Sunset Beach

Even for those who aren’t keen on swimming the beach itself is worth a visit. Laden with layers of bleached coral it sounds like glass when you run your fingers over it.
With a lazier start on our second day,we spent a total of 2 days cruising around the Island. Making stops at the famous Kabira bay, where we tried handmade soba one day and the slightly less traditional doner-kebab the next, Mt Nokoso, Yaeyama palm groves (be sure to try the guava and sugar cane juice!) making our way all the way up to Hirakubo lighthouse before watching the sun descend at the appropriately named sunset beach.

On our third and final day in one of the southern most parts of Japan, we boarded yet another ferry and disembarked on Taketomi island.

Yaeyama Palm Grove

Once again avoiding the tourist buses in favour of exploring the island on foot, we pottered our way through the sandy streets, lined with houses, Shisa shrine dogs sitting vigilantly over their doors, until we found the water buffalo carts.

I’m not sure of an appropriate title for the Jiisan that headed the short tour as the water buffalo pulling our cart knew the route by heart and appeared to be both driver and guide. The slow paced leisurely ride felt incredibly therapeutic after all the charging around we had been doing. Terracotta coloured roofs and seashell decorated fences breezed past as our Jiisan sang a traditional song from the island accompanied by his shamisen.

Shisa of Taketomi

Having gained an overt distrust of animal treatment in Japan it was heartwarming to see the care and affection with which the Jiisan treated the water buffalo. Once the ride was over he undid some of the ties from the buffalo’s harness and allowed the animal to flick the rest off of his own accord. Later that day as we were making our way back to the ferry terminal we watched as the Jiisan walked one of the buffalos home, just the two of them down a sandy path.

Following the buffalo cart ride I introduced Henry to kakigori (shaved ice), desiring a little more down time before we got back on our feet again. Making our way to the beach we strolled along the waterfront, familiarising ourselves with the Aza fruit  and locating an area to wade out into the crystal clear water. The water stayed little more than knee deep for what felt like miles.

Taketomi

If there’s one thing that I’ll remember from Taketomi, it will be the old man, walking barefoot through the shallows, singing and playing his shamisen. His calm voice carried across the beach and his graceful steps (quite the contrast to my own ungainly hobbling over the sharp and knobbly shells) suggested years of strolling barefoot. Wearing swimming attire I had no camera or phone to record the moment on, which in a way made it all the more special. I had to imprint the moment into my memory. This man was surely the epitome of ‘Island life’.

Mangroves, Ishigaki

Aza Tree, Taketomi

The Great Japan Pilgrimage 2 - Part VI: Mainland Okinawa and Tokashiki

 Welcomed with the bright purple blossoms of orchids as soon as we stepped foot off the plane, Okinawa reminded us we were in a totally different part of Japan before we even left the airport.

Disembarking the monorail we found ourselves in a city that screamed western influence and rapid development. Contrary to mainland Japan, Naha was full of drunk salarymen stumbling down the litter strewn streets, bouncers in flocks outside strip clubs and all manner of bodily fluids being expelled into gutters. Disclaimer, it turns out we were staying in a rather colourful area of Naha....

Grabbing breakfast on the go from lawson, we sabotaged Japanese etiquette and ate while meandering our way to our car rental. Okinawa really messes with your sense of distance. Our first stop saw us driving half way up the island and each time we checked our progress on the GPS we were surprised by how far we had travelled.

Fukagawa Waterfall

Our first stop on our daylong road trip was the Fukagawa waterfall just out of Nago. The bush we walked through was nothing like I had ever experienced, it had a much more tropical feel that New Zealand’s ferns and Akita’s pines. And in this jungle like scenery, we found the little oasis waterfall and its stunning blue-green pool. The weather may have been substantially warmer than Tohoku, the temperature of the water however, was an abrupt reminder that it was still winter.

We veered via nago for a combini lunch on the go before returning southwards to Futenma-gu Shrine. With restrictions on the number of visitors allowed in the area at any one time, this was certainly one of the more peaceful areas we visited on the trip. There is a large outdoor shrine building at the site, however the main attraction is the small shrine in a cave toward the rear of the compex. To visit the latter you must approach the staff at the office window and fill out a short form. The staff then lead you down a path to a small door that takes you under ground before you descend into the small cavern decorated with Stalagmites and stalactites. Despite few other people there (there was only one other when we visited) it’s one of those places that is so calm that you don’t want to break the ‘no photos’ rule even if you had the chance.

Sefa Utaki

It was back to feeling like a tourist at Nakagusuku castle, hearing English being spoken here and there as we wandered our way through the ruins and took in the views from the hilltop. With the clouds starting to roll over we continued south to Sefa-Utaki, claimed as one of the most sacred sites in Okinawa. It was on this site that many of the indigenous Okinawan religious rituals and ceremonies were conducted. We were taken aback by, despite the importance of the place, how boisterous and indifferent they seemed. Hollering across the path to family, pulling peace signs and taking selfies, it was to the point where Henry and I wondered if it was us taking the place too seriously that was the issue. Regardless, I found myself once again enchanted by the jungle-like foliage and towering rock features with simple alters nestled at their feet.

With the temperature dropping and sky growing steadily greyer, we made our stroll to cape Chinen a brisk one, returning to the car to chow down on the 6 different flavours of Okinawan donuts that Henry had invested in (including pineapple, pumpkin, sesame, salt, chocolate and one or two others that had caught his attention).

Cape Chinen

Losing the race against the rain, we returned to Naha and opted to spend the evening indoors, strolling through the pokemon shop before finding an Izakaya for our New Year’s eve dinner. Caution: when the menu states a large beer - they mean large! We were served brews that I kam convinced were nearly a litre so we were feeling sufficiently buzzed by the time we finished up and strolled down to the city beach to count in the new year. Henry’s curiosity of seeing in the new year the traditional way was smothered when he saw how long the line for the temple was, so armed with snack and sake, we found a spot on the beach, and listened to the ship horns blaring across the harbour as it ticked over new year.

Having slept through the 2017 new year in Asahikawa after an over indulgent night we felt quite chuffed with ourselves after managing to stay conscious to see in 2018.

Tokashiku Beach

Feeling a lot fresher on the first day of 2018 than we had done in 2017, we boarded the ferry to Tokashiki Island. We opted to avoid the tourist bus that seemed to shepard visitors rapidly between points, biff them out for photos and then herd them back on with little time to smell the roses, embarking instead on the 45 minute walk across the island to Tokashiku beach.

With the sun beating down on us it didn’t take long to shed our layers, baring my still-pasty white limbs and relishing in the cool breeze (Akita has 2 types of wind - howling icy gales in winter, and puffs of humid air in summer that is about as refreshing as an old man breathing on your face). We reached the top of the hill to be presented with the stunning turquoise waters of the bay below us. After dedicating an hour or so to beach lounging we continued uphill again to a lookout. Back at the port our curiosity (and hunger) led us to a cafe on the second floor. The store fit the feel of the island perfectly. Jack Johnston played calmly in the background, Henry was chuffed with his bowl of ramen and I was absolutely stoked with my bowl of granola (the things that make you happy after 18 months in Japan….). Somehow I look back on it as a perfectly relaxed day, despite having walked over 8 kilometers of hilly roads…

Once back in Naha we made our way to the airport for our flight to Ishigaki.

The Great Japan Pilgrimage 2 - Part V: Chiran and Sakurajima

Along the main street of Chiran

It was nice to have someone else to do the driving. After trundling south from Kagoshima for an hour we arrived in Chiran, renowned for its well preserved Samurai district and gardens. A stark contrast to the snowy landscape of Akita that I had recently departed, the Samurai homes had their sliding doors flung open, letting the warm winter sun (see THAT wouldn’t be a thing in Akita) flow beautifully into the tatami matted interiors.

We found a tiny local okonomiyaki restaurant (お好みカフェ 翔 Okonomi Cafe Ryu) where we over indulged in both okonomiyaki, takoyaki and then coffee (nearly a week here and Henry was still excited about the food).

Chiran Samurai Residence Gardens

Back in Kagoshima city we found ourselves at a lavishly decorated bar (B.B13 Bar), which after discovering the ￥1000 seating charge, we decided to dedicate ourselves to for at least a couple of drinks. To their credit, the snacks provided as part of the seating charge were delicious and the staff were wonderful. As we were leaving one of the bowtie-clad barmen came to the table to see us off and wish us well in Japanese, asking that we visited Kagoshima again. He then asked me how to say this in English so he could repeat it to Henry himself, which just warmed my heart.

Samurai Residence, Chiran

On our last morning on Kyushu we caught our next ferry of the trip across the strait to Sakurajima. Our week of travels starting to catch up with us (or rather me) we opted for a leisurely stroll along the Nagisa lava trail followed by resting our well worn feet in the foot onsen with a view of the volcano in the background.

Carting our suitcases across the city on the trams we found the bus that would take us to the airport, ending our time in Kyushu and seeing the start of our holiday in Okinawa.

Sakurajima

After reading Number9dream I was under the impression that Kagoshima was a smaller, harbour city. Wrong. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it is right down the southern tip of Kyushu that lead both Henry and I to believe it would be that small. We were surprised to find that it was actually the largest city that we had visited in Kyushu and fell into the ‘small enough to have character but big enough to have shit to do’ category that I lovingly bundled Sapporo and Kanazawa into.

After a whirlwind of beaches, shrines, mountain roads and izakayas, our time in Kyushu had come to a close.

The Great Japan Pilgrimage 2 - Part IV: Yakushima

Yakushima

Ever since reading Number9dream by David Mitchell I had wanted to visit Yakushima. This desire was only deepened upon seeing photos that my friends had taken there. The hotel in Kagoshima kindly agreed to store our luggage for us while we spent a night away on the island so armed only with backpacks and a lawsons breakfast we boarded the first ferry of our trip.

On our arrival we collected our rental car, chowed down on a bowl of donburi/ramen (Henry was responsible for the ramen consumption, after over a year here I have learned that one bowl a week is my limit).

Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine

Racing against what little daylight Japan offers in the winter months we wound our way inland to the Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine. Many of the islands cedar trees were felled for shingles during the Edo period, now however the island is a dedicated national park with some areas declared natural world heritage sites (which Japan has a LOT of, see mock article: http://www.therisingwasabi.com/unesco-adds-whole-of-japan-to-world-heritage-list-to-save-time/ )

It is supposed to rain ‘35 days a month’ on Yakushima, so it seems we were incredibly lucky to get almost 2 days there with beautiful weather allowing us to traipse through the ancient cedar forests. Both Shiratani and Yakusugi land have nicely laid out routes, ranging from around 30 mins to a full day hike. We took on the loop tracks that were about 1~2 hours in both areas. I don’t think I’d seen that much green since leaving NZ. The layers and layers of fallen trees, moss and plant matter on the forest floor told of the age of the forest, the serenity of it all made it obvious as to why the Island had been an inspiration for the Ghibli film Princess Mononoke.

Oogawa Waterfall

After our trek through Shiratani we visited some mildly unimpressive ‘lava pillow rocks’, and indulged in a stunning meal at a small izakaya-style restaurant in the main town (じいじ家
 jiijika- wonderful atmosphere). Well fed we prepped ourselves for a late night drive down to
Hirauchi Kaichu Onsen. The onsen is based on the seaside, open to the public and asks for a ￥100 entrance fee for maintenance which you leave in a donation box. With nothing but the sound of waves it took until our eyes adjusted a little (though thankfully not too much) to realise that there were a couple of naked men wandering between the different pools. In the darkness we had to glance at the row of shoes left at the start of the path to gage how many other bathers there were before we too continued barefooted to the steaming pools. Usually bathing suits are prohibited in onsens (how’s that for culture shock) but given the hour we ventured there and the lack of light we snuck in with our togs on (and as it turned out there was a Japanese couple there that had done the same, so maybe we aren’t at risk of getting smote down by kami-sama). With waves tumbling nearby and a sky of stars overhead, it was absolute bliss.

Road Blocks

We ventures out early the next morning to make the most of our last few hours on the Island. Our first stop was Yakusugi land for more shinrinyoku before we set off on a loop of the island. Our journey was certainly not a rushed one, due mainly to the narrow winding roads, as well as the numerous road blocks along the way. By road blocks i mean deer and monkeys that simply sat in the middle of the road and refused to move until out tiny k-car was practically on top of them.

Relishing the knowledge that we weren’t going to be behind the wheel for the next couple of days we nabbed a couple of Asahi’s from the vending machine at the port while waiting for our ferry back to the mainland (Japan has a zero-alcohol policy).

Back in Kagoshima we grabbed a complimentary beer from the Izakaya attached to our hotel and wandered round to the waterfront for a sushi train dinner.

The Great Japan Pilgrimage 2 - Part III: Miyazaki, Kirishima and Kagoshima

Udo Jingu, Miyazaki Coast

Driving down the highway in Miyazaki, coffee at the ready while blue seas and palms trees flashed by, I got that same anticipation and excitement for summer that I had last year during a drive down the Niigata coast. Just the promise of summer leaves you feeling so content.

There were many ocean views to be had on our drive down the Miyazaki coast to Udo Jingu. Arriving at the Shrine site we breathed in the fresh sea air before diving into the forest, clambering over rocks and roots and descended into the gaping mouth of a coastal cave that housed a small humble shrine. The peacefulness and lack of other tourists at the smaller shrine made approaching the main shrine a little jarring, but the breath taking view of the coast, and challenge of throwing clay pebbles into a rope ring for good luck made it worth it.

Kirishima Shrine

From Udo Jingu we veered inland to an onsen in the Kirishima mountains. It was closed. But we found a pretty sweet waterfall instead!
After climbing back up the hill, through the pine forests to the car we continued to Kirishima Shrine, blazing orange in the setting sun. As the light left the day we arrived in Kagoshima city, found black pork ramen for dinner and a small bar to indulge in a mojito or two before calling it a night.

The Great Japan Pilgrimage 2 - Part II: Christmas Day: Mt Aso and Miyazaki

Road to Mt. Aso

Our Christmas day was certainly not your usual family and food filled celebrations. We opened a couple of presents in our hostel room and dined on a breakfast of combini finds as we wound up way up the ‘milk road’ so named due to the number of farms in the area.

We continued through to Mt. Aso, the already chilly weather growing colder and colder as we climbed until shallow puddles and marshes were frozen over and I began to regret my choice of attire. The refreshing sight of rugged hills and unused land was welcome after living among rice paddies for so long, it was reminiscent of home. The Ropeway to the famous crater lake was closed due to damage during the earthquake and volcanic activity but we were still able to see the plume of gas rising from the depression.

Ama-no-Iwato

Our next destination took us from Kumamoto through to Miyazaki prefecture where we visited Ama-no-iwato. We strolled past the main shrine, and followed the path that lead us down and along a river until we reached the main attraction. According to Japanese mythology (which I studied at uni and was the main reason we were there) the sun goddess Amaterasu was weaving with her maids when her brother Susanoo flung a flayed horse through the roof. Versions differ as to whether Amaterasu or one of her maids (who subsequently died of her injuries) accidentally stabbed themselves down yonder with a weaving shuttle and whether it was from humiliation or distress that she fled and hid herself in a cave, plunging the world into darkness.

Not your usual Christmas dinner

The gods convened in a cave (Ama-no-iwato) and plotted how to lure Amaterasu from her hiding place and restore light to the world. In short this was achieved by a ballsy goddess named Ama-no-Uzume performing a humorous strip tease (which in some accounts involves her shoving her kimono obi in certain places…) which caused the gathered deities to laugh so loudly that Amaterasu peeked out of her cave to investigate.

The path leading up to the cave was lined with hundreds upon hundreds of piles of rocks and pebbles that visitors had left, a sort of natural, anonymous graffiti.

Takachiho Gorge

Our next stop in Miyazaki saw us winding our way down to the Takachiho gorge. We wound our way along the edge of the basalt chasm, catching a view of the waterfall and paddle boats from above, before dropping down to the river side for a leisurely Christmas day row.

Christmas dinner consisted of Izakaya delights in a tiny shut off booth (I’m talking about 1.5x2m squared in a totally enclosed area with a thin bamboo curtain separating us from the next booth).

One of our favourite days of the trip landed on Xmas day as a happy accident. Though I love being able to see so much of Japan our trips together, I caught myself thinking - I’m looking forward to a proper kiwi Christmas next year.

The Great Japan Pilgrimage 2 - Part I: Nagasaki

As Konoura is buried deeper in more snow than the town has seen in years, and brutal snowball fights at the elementary school quickly identify which students are on the baseball team it seems about time to recount our Christmas trip to the warmer, sunnier south.

Nagasaki Peace Park

A little more than half asleep I stood at Haneda International airport awaiting the arrival of a very tall, very sun kissed Henry. After numerous hours of haunting Haneda Domestic terminal on my various trips I was able to make a beeline for Starbucks after checking our bags in - a western breakfast, so few and far inbetween.

Though Henry had just come from the warmest Wellington summer in a while, Akita was once again under a good couple of feet of snow and as a result I relished being able to explore Nagasaki with my pasty white arms exposed to the world.

We visited St. Mary’s Cathedral and the various peace monuments as well as the atom bomb museum. That evening we took the ropeway up Mt. Inasa for night views of the city before treating ourselves to a (rather flash) Izakaya dinner and a stroll along the Dejima wharf.

Dejima Wharf

Many of Nagasaki’s tourist attractions appear to be related to one of two points in history; the atomic bomb in 1945 and Nagasaki’s role as the only international trading port in Japan during the countries self imposed isolation in the Edo period. We explored the latter on our second day in Nagasaki. 

After eating a combini breakfast on the wharf we meandered through the various parts of town that had been influenced by the presence of the Dutch, the only westerners permitted in Japan during the 200 year isolation who were restricted to the man made island of Dejima. Western style buildings with tatami mats under western furniture offered a snippet of the mixing of cultures during this period. 

Glover Garden

Finishing our stroll through the Glover Garden we indulged in a delectable pork bun before stumbling upon a small waffle cafe (I nearly jumped for joy when Henry said he wouldn’t mind western food). The cafe had the appearance of a small English pub (from what little I know about them) with a dark wood interior, complete with owner donning a waistcoat. 

Our pot lapsang Souchong tea (which I had tried for the first time in New York and hadn’t had since then) was served wrapped in a tea cosy - incidentally this shop was the epitome of cosiness.

Eight Flag Tea Shop

The outside however was not. Just as we left the cafe the heavens opened and we were caught in a torrential 15 minute downpour, leaving us slightly soggy as we picked up our rental car and began our journey east, hitting many closed roads (due to the April 2016 Kumamoto earthquake) on our way to Aso.