Category Archives: Sightseeing

JP 2017 Dec Kyushu (Part 3)

Nagasaki

Visited Glover garden and took a brief tram ride. The Glover garden was the residence of a Scottish merchant in the late 19th century. Together with other foreigners’ residences it was worth a visit. 

 

 

Unzen onsen

Left Nagasaki and drove uphill to Unzen onsen. It was freezing cold up there with frost along the mountain road. Had a very nice stay in onsen ryokan. Both meals were sumptuous and great service. Again in cheap room rates.

 

 

After checkout, drove up to Nita-toge for nice views of Shimabara Bay and Fugendake.

 

 

 

===>  Part 4  ===>

 

JP 2017 Dec Kyushu (Part 2)

Kujukushima

Kujukushima literally means 99 islands and that refers to many islands off the coasts of Sasebo in NW Nagasaki Prefecture.  Visited a few observation points including Kouzakibana Koen (garden) which is the most western point in Japan mainland including Kyushu. 

 

 

Took the Pearl Sea cruise outside Sasebo after lunch in 50min. Though it was windy and drizzling, it was the most beautiful sea cruise we ever had including Matsushima Bay in Miyagi and Shimoda in Izu. Even on a cloudy day, some of smaller bays was in turquoise.  There are over 200 isles in that area.

 

Views from two different observation points.  The photos taken in Ishidake was in next morning on a sunny day. It was the place where shots of the movie The Last Samurai were taken.

 

 

===>  Part 3  ===>

 

JP 2017 Dec Kyushu (Part 1)

Visited Kyushu in 1 week in mid-Dec. This was our 5th visit to Kyushu though second time by car. Apart from the first and last day in Fukuoka, we visited by car with high level itin below.

D2 – the Arita Porcelain Park in Saga Prefecture, stayed in Ureshino onsen

D3 – Kujukushima in Nagasaki Prefecture, stayed in onsen resort in Sasebo.

D4 – Nagasaki city and stayed in Unzen onsen.

D5 – Nita-Toge, Shimabara, took ferry to Kumamoto pier and drove to Kami-Amakusa for onsen resort.

D6 – Returned to Fukuoka, stopped by Yanagawa for few hours along the way.

 

Arita Porcelain Park

Arita has been producing porcelain for centuries.  We visited this park for about 2 hours including lunch. The buildings looked aged. Loads of tourists from mainland China were constantly ferried in – for lunch and shopping.

 

Ureshino onsen town

Drove to Ureshino onsen town after lunch. The town was small and quiet. There was a public onsen facility but we did not soak in it. Relaxed in a local coffee house with small garden inside. It was cosy and comfortable. 

 

 

Ureshino onsen stay

Picked a ryokan with 3 premises in town, including one on the hillside. As we stayed overnight we are allowed to enjoy onsen for free in all its premises. We headed to the hillside rotenburo by car in about 15min. It was huge with mountain stream flowing below. Chatted with a local who flew from Tokyo to Kagoshima and drove all the way there.  My original intention was to stay in this hillside ryokan but it was closed during weekdays, due to insufficient demand.

Overall, this onsen ryokan served nice meals, great onsen and service.  Stayed in a spacious twin bed room with garden view. Room rate was so cheap that would be almost impossible in neither Hokkaido nor in Honshu.

 

===>  Part 2  ===>

 

JP 2017 May Osaka

Returned to Osaka/Tennoji and checked into hotel in Abeno Harukas.

headed to Expo ’70 park in northern Osaka. Roses have passed its peak blossom and most have started pelting due to hot temperature of 30C over past few days. While in another corner, hydrangea have started to bloom.

Expo ’70 Commemorative Park

 

Kurama/Kibune

Headed to Kurama and Kibune as day trip in northern Kyoto for first time.  Took Eizan rail to climb uphill and arrived at Kurama, whose temples were built along hillside. As we have planned to hike over to Kibune, we took a cable car about halfway uphill.

 

Hiking to Kibune

This took about 45min from Kurama Honden (Main Hall) via Okuno-in uphill then downhill. Bumped into a bunch of school kids who were in outing.

 

Kibune

As it was almost 1pm when we arrived at Kibune we went for Kawadoko ryori (dining) in Hirobun, about 15min uphill from Nishi-mon.  Along the mountain stream platforms are built during the summer months till September so visitors can enjoy a meal while stream flows underneath.

Although it was on a weekday, the queue for the famous “Nagashi-somen” took 1 hour. Thus, we opted for one of the lunch courses instead – with somen anyway.  The lunch set was nice – better than expected and it was truly refreshing and relaxing sitting next to a mountain stream, when day temperature exceeded 30C.

After finishing lunch, we headed downhill to visit Kibune Jinja.   Then headed downhill for bus and trains back to Osaka via Kyoto.

 

Views from hotel room and Observatory in Abeno Harukas

 

 

 

JP 2017 May Shirahama

Stayed in onsen ryokan in Kii Katsuura. On next morning, drove along Wakayama coastline westward to Shirahama.

Coastline from Kii Katsuura to Kushimoto

Stopped by Hashigui-iwa Rock prior to Kushimoto. Reached the southernmost tip in Honshu again.

 

Shirahama

Visited Sandanbeki, the white sandy beach and Engetsu Island again before checking in luxurious onsen hotel.

 

==> Luxurious onsen hotel stay

Returned car in Shirahama (without drop-off fee) and took JR Kuroshio express train back to Osaka/Tennoji in about 2 hours.

==> Osaka/Kyoto ==>

 

JP 2017 May Kumano Kodo

After checking out from Ichijo-in in Koyasan, we drove to Kumano Taisha almost 90km away in almost 3 hours, along narrow mountainous road downhill. There were some beautiful scenery on the way.

Kumano Hongu Taisha (熊野本宮大社)

 

 

Kumano Hayatama Taisha (熊野速玉大社)

It was a very hot day at well over 30C in the area. Had a quick soba lunch and drove to coastal town Shingu for Hayatama Taisha.

Before we left, dropped by Jofuku Koen (徐福公園).  The legend of Jofuku (Xu Fu in Chinese) is that he led 3000 boys and girls by sea to a fairy island to look for longevity herbs, by order of the First Emperor of China during the Chin Dynasty around 200 B.C.  After landing, he found the place fertile and in good climate. So he stayed behind and passed on agricultural and fishery skills.

 

Kumano Nachi Taisha (熊野那智大社)

2nd visit since 2013. Though it was not in our plan, as we finished early in Shingu dropped by again while driving en route to onsen ryokan in Kii Katsuura. Visited the Nachi Fall – the tallest in Japan.

 

 

==> Shirahama ==>

 

 

JP 2017 May Wakayama

Our 2nd visit to Wakayama since 2013. This time we visited World Heritage Koyasan and 3 Kumano Taishas before returning to Shirahama and Osaka.

Our overall itin – KIX > Wakayama > Koyasan > Kii Katsuura > Shirahama > Osaka/Tennoji, day visits to Kyoto/Kurama, Kibune
Driving itin –  Wakayama > Koyasan > 3 Kumano Taishas including Shingu > Kii Katsuura > Shirahama

 

Picked up rental car in Wakayama city and drove uphill to Koyasan. Visited Garan, Okuno-in and Kongobu-ji. Stayed overnight in temple for the first time.

Koyasan (高野山)

 

 

Temple stay in Ichijo-in (高野山 一乗院)

This was our first temple stay, which has been held up as most temples do not offer room with own toilet and bathroom, until we found Ichijo-in which does. Though we are well used to shared bathroom as in onsen ryokans, not having a toilet in a room is a big NO. 

Vegetarian meals were served. Dinner was served from 17:30, which is the earliest dinner we ever had in Japan – luckily we checked in after 4pm or else we might have missed it !  At 6am on next morning bell rang to summon all for morning prayers while room was prepared for breakfast serving. The morning prayer lasted for 1 hour and was attended by about 30 people.

 

==>  Kumano Kodo   ===>

 

JP 2013 Dec North Kyushu (Part 3)

Yabakei (耶馬渓)

stopped by while driving en route to Karatsu. Yabakei is an area of strange rock formation and is famous during koyo season, though too late in late Dec. Drove onward to Tosu Premium outlet for lunch break.

Karatsu (唐津)

a seaside town we last visited in 2008 from Fukuoka as day trip by train. This time we stayed in seaside hotel overnight and visited nearby Yobuko morning market. Unfortunately the Karatsu castle was under renovation so we could only strolled around. As we arrived at the morning market quite late, the market had almost finished.  We then went for early lunch in nearby live Ika (Squid) restaurant.

 

Karatsu Seaside Hotel

 

Hakata – Xmas illumination

 

 

 

JP 2013 Dec North Kyushu (Part 2)

Yufuin (湯布院)

Yufuin is another famous onsen town that we last visited in 2000 and 2008. As Yufuin and Beppu were pretty close, we had more time to stroll along the main avenue for many cool shops and to Kinrin-ko, a small pond. The snow-capped Mt Yufuin could be seen from town as long as its views were unblocked.

 

Shoya-no-Yakata

 

Kurokawa onsen (黒川温泉)

On next morning, drove uphill to Kurokawa onsen in Kumamoto Prefecture. This onsen town is much smaller yet traditional. Streets were narrow and better to stroll in the hilly town.

Kurokawaso

 

==> Part 3 ==>

 

JP 2013 Dec North Kyushu

Visited North Kyushu in late Dec with close relatives. Rented 2 wagons for 10 adults + luggage.

Overall itin – Fukuoka > Beppu > Yufuin > Kurokawa > Karatsu > Fukuoka.

Fukuoka

had sumptuous dinner in local restaurant serving fresh yet inexpensive seafood, though sake was the weakest link.

 

Beppu (別府)

On next morning, picked up rental cars and drove to Beppu. Took about 2 hours via expressway. Beppu has about 8 different onsen sources. In 2000 and 2008, we visited a few of them for daytime onsen and stayed in Kannawa and Kankaiji onsen.

Visited 2 Jigoku (地獄, Hells) out of several of them. The Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell) is of boiling, bluish onsen. OTOH, the Chinoike Jigoku (Blood pond Hell) is of reddish brown. Stayed in an onsen ryokan in Kannawa onsen area with its own source – Oniyama Jigoku, that we last stayed in 2000. The rotenburo is so huge that it’s roughly half of a standard swimming pool.

 

==> Part 2 ==>