6 Days In Kyushu

[Michael]

As sun sets very fast during winter, we headed back to our hotel for dinner.
There was no shops or anything in this part of town, just a nice traditional hotel.



Unlike a normal room, there was no beds and just one flat floor for us to walk and sleep on.
Yes indeed, tonight, we are sleeping on tatami mattresses.
These things are heavy, but the hotel staff would lay it out for us while we are having dinner.

[Michael]

Once the tatami was laid out and dinner was over, it was time to hit the hot springs.

Wait, did I say hot springs?

Yes indeed. It's an outdoor pool covered with pretty flowers and bushes to prevent people peeping in.
With water flowing down, the sound of the water and the warmth of the water, both are sure to relax you.
Warm indeed, it's a sizzling hot 38 degrees C that emits smoke on the surface of the water in such cold weather.
Not to mention the red colour dyed by the wine that is added into the spring.



And so, I set off to the hot springs in my yukata, a thin and comfortable cotton robe.
Yukata is actually derived from the words "yu" (bath) and "katabira" (under clothing).
From ages ago until today, it is still commonly worn when heading to festivals or baths.

*** Do not comment on model or photographer! ***

[Michael]

Method of taking a dip in the Hot Springs

The Japanese are very particular to this certain procedure.
It is often done especially since the hot springs are clean water.

#1. Relieve yourself before going to the baths.
#2. Wear loosely and lightly, the yukata provided.
#3. Before entering the pool, clean yourself with soap and shampoo.
#4. Do not dip your towel as you enter the hot spring.
#5. Stay inside for approximately 4-5 minutes and get out once you start to sweat.
#6. Rest, cool down, before repeating the procedure #5 several times more.
#7. Once you are done, dry yourself with a towel and head out.
There is no need to shower again as the pool is "supposedly" to be clean.

[Michael]

Super Practical & Innovative

If there was another thing I love about the Japanese, that would be their innovation.
Normally, after going to the toilet, one would have to wash their hands.
Well, in Japan, the water used to top up the tank is clean and thus, logically, can be used to wash hands too!



I really love their seat warmers, it makes you want to just sit there forever, especially when the weather's cold.
Furthermore, some of them come with odour remover and have lots of buttons you can play with.
In some cases, one can have the option to select "Male" or "Female" standing/sitting position as well...



Kudos to them for practicality!

[Michael]

Your 80mm TS is very useful.

More like the powers of PhotoShop CS3 :p

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Moved the photos over to PhotoBucket where they do not expire.
Did some minor editing.
Day 3 will resume after I wake up.
Going to sleep now.

[Michael]

Departing the Shimabara onsen hotel, we took a ferry to Kumamoto.
The ferry is not really large, but it is able to accomodate two coaches inside.
Leaving the vehicle, we proceeded up the stairs where a two-tier lounge awaits.



Proceeding up the stairs, one will find a bar serving you.
Drinks can be ordered and enjoyed by the side where comfy couches are.
The best are the window seats that allow you to look out to the sea.

[Michael]

Heading back to the rear of the vessel, the cold salty air hits you.
With winds howling, it doesn't take long for your fingers to freeze.
Keeping them into your pockets, you can see the mountains shrink out of view.



And after close to an hour's ride, we near Kumamoto's ports.
Seagulls and other birds sweep the area looking for fish, disturbed by the boat's wake.
As swarms of them fly around in a magnificent display, people hold out food to feed them.

[evershine]

Nice photos and narration...    I know what to expect if i do go... have not been to Japan.......

[Michael]

ho ho ho... i took notes and brochures from every place...

got videooooo summore hor...

[Michael]

After a short ride on the coach, we arrived at Kumamoto Castle. Kumamoto Castle's construction started when Lord Kato Kiyomasa moved into the province and decided to build a new castle to replace the old existing one. Taking approximately 6 years to built and completed in 1607, the two main towers stand at 6 and 4 storeys high.



When I visited the place, it was somewhat under construction and the top most floor was sealed off. However, majority of the insides have been converted into a museum displaying the names of the people living in the castle, as well as several items of history. Armour and artifacts of war used during that period were also displayed, along with a model of how the castle and its surroundings looked when it was first completed.

[Michael]

Directly outside the castle, an area thrice the size of a soccer field lies Ni-no-Maru Park, where kindergarden children are brought to during excursions. On the day itself, there was a group of 5-year-old kids having a picnic in the area. Taking off their shoes and wearing as little as possible, they settled down beneath a tree and started to have their lunch. Take a look at the lunch box, pretty huh?

[Michael]

The next stop on the list was Suizenji Jojuen (Garden of Elegance), a landscape garden completed in 1671. The garden reproduces in minature form, what one will see when travelling along the Tokaido, an old major road, that connected Kyoto to Edo (present day Tokyo).  Totalling 15 acres in size, the park consists of several beautifully sculpted lakes of carps and birds as well as hills, including one made to look like Mt. Fuji.

[Michael]

However, the origins of the garden started when Tadatoshi Hosokawa, the administrator of Kumamoto, built the Buddhist temple Suizenji in 1632.

Currently, the temple is run by several shrine maidens in their traditional dresses.
These chubby  mikos oversee the maintenance of the shrine by carrying wood for burning, as well as sweeping the floor.
One of them attends to a shop next to the temple, selling talismans and accessories of blessings.



It is normally a tradition to drink the water of the nearby pool for good health.
Then, head up to the shrine and toss some cash into the offerings box.
Clapping your hands three times, close your eyes and pray.
Your prayers will often come true...



Many tourists and Japanese travellers often come to visit this historical site.
They purchase some wooden panels and hang it on a board next to the offering box.
Written on them are the hope and dreams, wishes and fantasies of each individual...

[Michael]

Lunch was a Japanese steamboat, also termed as shabu shabu.

Shabu-shabu (Japanese: しゃぶしゃぶ), also spelled syabu-syabu, is a Japanese variant of hot pot. The dish is related to sukiyaki in style, where both use thinly sliced meat and vegetables, and usually served with dipping sauces. However, it is starkly different in taste; shabu-shabu is more savory and less sweet than sukiyaki. It is considered a winter dish but is eaten year-round. WIKI



And after lunch, we did a little bit of grocery shopping.
The Fuji apples sold in Japan are large, juicy and sweet.

[Michael]

In downtown Kumamoto, two shopping belts Kami Tori and Shimo Tori band together to form one long chain of shops selling handphone accessories, shoes and clothes. Bookstores, fast food outlets and telcomm providers dot the area. Even shopping centres such as Parco, the one we have at Bugis Junction, are in abundance along this long stretch.



The two belts are separated by a main street of 8 lanes, yet when you travel along Kami Tori and Shimo Tori, small roads end up like tributaries to a main river, funneling people into the main district. It will take about an hour to walk from one end and back, and that is not covering the slip roads that connect to the main walkway.