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From here we head some to Takachiho, located in Miyazaki prefecture.

Takachiho has a beautiful gorge where you can do some short walks and row a cute boat along the bottom of the gorge. It is not a big area but very quaint.

Next stop was Mt Aso

Now this is a remote area with very few buses running to the lookout and no English signs. For the first time ever, we hitchhiked up as we had to wait 2 hours for the next bus!! Luckily for us a grandma and grandpa couple picked us up in their flash sedan and even though we could barely communicate we were treated so kindly with continuous supplies of chocolates and hot chips being passed over the back seat! Only in Japan……If the weather is not good, then you can not take the ropeway to the top and not much can been seen – this happened to us. But friends who have also visited Mt Aso were in luck and raved about the walks and views from the top.

After a night in Fukuoka we made our way to Beppu. Beppu is a famous onsen (hot spring) town where we heard that the mud onsen is something not to be missed. Travelling around Kyushu is not as easy as Honshu due the less frequent trains and lack of English but it is still a great destination.

The mud hot spring we got into was actually MIXED (both males and females in one area) and outdoor. For 3 girls this was all very daunting and new. The etiquette is to take of the modesty towel before entering but I have to say that we broke this in the mixed onsen as we got in with our towels on and then unveiled Great experience and the thick/warm mud felt amazing. Definitely recommend getting past the embarrassment to try this out.

The other thing to do while in Beppu is visit the `8 Hells’ which are 8 different types of hot springs, no swimming allowed and are all different colours and style. One even has crocodiles! They all have their own mascots as well which is fun for a photo op. Generally they are only to look at but some have a small foot hot spring that you can enjoy while eating eggs boiled in the hot waters.

Trying to see the most of the country that I could with this ticket as I could, my friends and I decided to go south, to Kyushu. From Nagoya to Hakata was something like a 14 -16 hours train trip, starting at about 5.30am. You really have to plan ahead which trains you need to take because to give you an idea we had to change about 8 times on this leg!!

A great website to do this is `Hyperdia’http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/hyperWeb.cgi

First stop was Fukuoka which is a lovely city famous for fresh crab, blowfish and Ramen. Of course I ate my way around as well, must try everything on the way!! Blowfish looks just like this (below) if you have as sashimi. I didn’t think that it had too much flavor but I don’t think that my palate for Japanese food wasn’t very refined at this stage

When we ordered it though, a man came out with a net and grabbed one out of the pond in front of us and we could see the chef in the kitchen slicing it up for us – talk about fresh! Before we knew it, it was in front of us, body also on plate as a decoration….

If you are the type of traveler that likes to see all but doesn’t have the deep pocket to take the 1^st class options, then I recommend travelling throughout Japan with the `Seihun Juuhachi Kippu’ which means Youth18 tickets. This is not available all year round but if you happen to be in Japan in the times below then you can take full advantage of this. Despite the name, travelers of any age group can purchase this ticket

It is sold as a 5 Day Pass, which means that you can use this for any 5 days, from the beginning of the day till the end but one thing to be careful with is that you can only use it on local, semi-rapid and rapid trains so you do need to have a lot of TIME

*These tickets can be purchased only in Japan*

FUNNY TALES….. 

Hitch-hiking

In most countries I would never think to hitch hike but Japan (in a rural area) I think can be a great form of transport. Had the day planned to see Mt Aso, volcano in Kumamoto Prefecture but be warned the transport in the this area is very few and far between hence we found ourselves in the freezing cold with nothing open with a 1 hour wait for the next bus to take us up. 3 young girls thought `Should be okay to hitch hike or at least try…’ At first hesitant to put the finger out soon came more easily. After only 10 minutes a lovely sedan pulled up and to our surprise and relief an elderly couple greeted us. We could speak enough to let them know where we wanted to go and they seemed more than happy to drive us there. As if this wasn’t good enough, from the front seat the `obaasan’, grandmother, proceeded to pass over hot chips, chocolates and Japanese sweets. After a short trip up the hill, a brief photo op and a smiley thanks, we waved them goodbye.

Ahhh…sweet memories!

FUNNY TALES….. 

Beef upon beef….

Took a great trip down to Beppu, famous onsen city located on the East coast of Kyushu, to experience a mud onsen! Arrived late in the afternoon and after checking into our hotel we headed out for dinner. We came across a small yakiniku restaurant which had a table so in we went. It was a challenge to order as the menu was in kanji and none of us could speak Japanese. Through the dictionary and pointing at the table’s food next to us we finally ordered and looked forward to some beef! As the plates of beef came out the hunger grew and looked amazing. Plate after plate came out and we all started to panic. We had enough beef on the table to feed 10 people and there were only 4 of us!! As we couldn’t send it back and explain the situation we called our friends to come and help us eat it. I did not want to see the bill…..

Finally we did our best and requested the bill. Total 28,000 yen, about $400.00!!

Note to all travelers: Learning the basics of Japanese language is essential when going to a rural area

FUNNY TALES….. 

Flower time

It is always a lovely idea to say `thanks’ with flowers however in Japan you have to be a little more careful about what flowers you select than in Australia. One of my friends made the mistake of buying a lovely bunch of white flowers for his Japanese grandmother but when he gave them to her, her face went white as these are flowers to be placed at graves!!! His mother quickly jumped in and pointed out that they were actually intended for their grandfather (who had passed away), nice recovery! The thought doesn’t always count.

FUNNY TALES….. 

Eating is such an enjoyable experience in Japan with all the endless amount of choices of the freshest ingredients but it can sometimes be a challenge to understand what is to be eaten with what??

Sauces galore – a friend of mines family came to Japan and was looking forward to a `set lunch’. When the trays came out they were full with numerous dishes which smelt and looked great. Whilst my friend was busy talking to her mother the father started with gusto. When the waitress returned to the table just a few minutes later she had a look of horror on her face which made my friend look at her father, he had drank the whole bowl of dipping sauce thinking that it was black TEA!

Another one…..

Do you know Edamame beans? You should pop out the beans inside not eat the whole thing! The texture will be rough, tough and dry. They do look like a large snow pea so be careful!! I have done this one

There is a lot more to see and do in Hiroshima if the Peace Park and Museum is not your style. On Miyajima Island the World Heritage site of Itsukushima Shrine is one of the main attractions closely Hiroshima Castle. If travelling with a JR Pass the short ferry trip from Hiroshima to Miyajima is covered.

The difference between this shrine and others in Japan is that the `torii’ gate (entrance gate) is located in the water instead of on land. At high tide it is as per the photo but at low tide you can walk right out to it. It is not only a unique structure but a unique experience.  You can make Miyajima a day trip from Hiroshima or you can stay a night or two. Traditional Japanese Inns, ryokans, are the most common form of accommodation on the island. Travel Japan staff are more than happy to organize this for you!

There are also walks, cable car and many traditional arts and crafts shops to enjoy whilst on Miyajima

In Osaka they go crazy for their `Takoyaki’ and in Hiroshima it is the `Hiroshima-yaki’. This is similar to in Osaka as well with the cabbage, meat and vegetable pancake but it also has noodles inside. There are many small shop fronts that welcome tourists to try their specialty and believe you me, after a Hiroshima-yaki and beer you will be feeling very full and content!

Hiroshima `Manyu’ sweets are also a yummy treat to try. They are shaped like a `momiji’ maple leaf, and have sweet beans inside. They are definitely not as sweet as Australian biscuits or cakes but good nonetheless

I hope that you get the chance to head west in Japan. It is well worth it!

Travel Japan can organize a day tour of Hiroshima and Miyajima

http://www.traveljapan.com.au/tours/hiroshima-daytours/hiroshima-miyajima-1day.html

Until next time enjoy your travels…….

Explore Western Honshu with Sakura Hiroshima and Miyajima

Every positive value has its price in negative terms… the genius of Einstein leads to Hiroshima.
Pablo Picasso

Part ONE

If you are in the West side of Japan, I really recommend making the trip down toHiroshima. It is an easy trip from Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka on the JR bullet train and an easy city to navigate. It is hard to imagine the devastation that was caused here in 1945.

The Memorial Peace Park and Museum is located a short tram ride from Hiroshima Station or within walking distance from Hiroshima Castle. The green lawns, trees and open space create a peaceful atmosphere. Once you step inside the museum this feeling changes dramatically

The displays and writings of the throughout the museum are accurate and sometimes very confronting, not so much the images but the facts and amount of fatalities.  I believe everyone should visit this museum at least once to truly understand the history of the Atomic Bomb.

They are some beautiful stories told including the story of `Sadako’ who started the making paper cranes that Japan is so well-known for nowadays. She believed that if she could make 1000 cranes then she would not die. There is a site within the gardens where school children have made 1000 cranes and they are displayed, which is very beautiful and the precision of the folding is incredible.

On August 6^th each year there is a service to commemorate the victims.

I recommend to book accommodation and flights well in advance to avoid disappointment as this is the busiest time of the year in Hiroshima.

Hiroshima is an easy city to sightsee independently however if you would like to join a tour, Travel Japan offers a full day tour of Hiroshima and Miyajima. Please contact your friendly staff for further details.