Kyushu by car II (Miyazaki and Kumamoto)

Haniwa, a bit of a trip theme

ritual cleaning basin at Aso-jinja

Aso-san, recently burnt for new growth

clouds wisping out of the crater

I was reprimanded for not posting the "money shot" from the love hotel

Takachiho gorge

Takachiho-jinja

the waterfall at Takachiho

J pretending he's falling

more Takachiho

Down the river from the gorge, rocks are stacked vertically in Buddhist tradition, to make a safer and happier place for the spirits of the dead.

every direction you looked, as far as people could reach, there were stone piles

Ama-no-Iwato-jinja

NOoooo!

businessmen walking to Aoshima-jinja

Aoshima-jinja and an Obachan (grandma)

J investigating the Giant's Washboard

within Udo-jingu's cave

Udo's cliffs

a view down and into the cave

secret island cave shrine near Udo-jingu

views from the cave

Kumamoto castle

flowers and lantern

yukizakura (cherry blossom snow)

in my natural habitat

walking up to our final shrine in Kumamoto-shi

sakura petals

That just about wraps it up. From Kumamoto, we headed back home to Toyama. The return trip was a rainy affair, but we are back, safe and sound.

Next up is a Golden Week camping trip. Not sure if we'll head to Gifu's mountain area, or somewhere coastal and therefore warmer. I suppose it depends on the weather. Either way, we're doing cheap and local this time around!

Kyushu by car



Last Friday around 3 am, we woke up and headed down route 8 to the highway. J drove till nearly 4pm that evening, when we arrived in Shimonoseki, just north of Kyushu. We stopped, visited a few temples, had dinner, and did a bit of yoga in a nearby park with a view of the bridge we'd soon be going over to the last island we had to thoroughly investigate. The map on our wall is covered with pins marking where in Japan, J and I have visited over the past 7 (for him) and 5 (for me) years we've been here. Poor wall is going to look like Swiss cheese by the time we're out of here.

I won't go on an on, but will post pictures from the trip, with some short descriptions. Hope you enjoy!

so, they're a little fugu (blowfish) crazy in Shimonoseki

did I mention the fugu?

fugu fins posted to dry outside of a local store

Hōichi the Earless

inside the Akama Shrine


J's shot of the boat at Akama's gate


Miko sweeping at Tenman-gu


J captured a shot of a Miko training troupe


path to Tenman-gū shrine in Dazaifu


lest you think we take ourselves too seriously


shishi antics


raked rock garden


vampire dog (check out that cape!) at the shrine Saturday market


the one that J likes at Sofukuji in Nagasaki


"shattered glass" door design at Kokufuji in Nagasaki


J discovering Nagasaki in Ryoma Sakamoto's boots


me too!


don't mess with carpentry donkey/horse


Suwa Shrine from a distance


the approach to Suwa


wandering the hillside temples


my new friend and her mom next to the single tori in Nagasaki


the martyr's monument


yup... that's Kannon riding on the back of a massive turtle


he's yelling at you to remember about beef

learning about pork is also important


Nagasaki Peace Park (beefy statue in distance)


bask in his beefiness


J peeking out

tree after the blast


the tree's great comeback!


a fat pony at Yutoku


Yutoku Inari-jinja


sakura in full bloom


a very subtle love hotel advertisement we saw on the way to Aso


heading into the Aso-shi caldera


J playing kitchen wench at our cold-ass campsite on Aso-san


vegan sausage yum


J's moon shot


there was ice on the car and the tent in the morning

Alright, that's a little over 1/2 way. I'll save the rest for another post. It's off to study for now.