throwback 002 : 9th Dec 2010

I can still remember exactly how I felt the very first time I was in Japan. This is still one of my favorite days ever. Now when I read back on all these feelings and thoughts about Japan, I just can't seem to grasp it completely. My feelings towards Japan is so different now, tainted.

Promises kept, promises broken. Feelings grown, feelings lost. 

So much has happened since then, it's funny where life brings you and the people you let into your life. I feel indifferent. I would never believe that two years later I would have known who I know now. For the first time, I've actually set down and thought about it and it feels strange, so strange.

Kumamoto/Miyazaki >>


9th December 2010, Thursday :

After breakfast, we set out to Takachiho Gorge in Miyazaki, because I am so careless and forgettful, as usual, I left my phone in the hotel room. So I had to go to the front desk to retrieve back the hotel key and dash to the room to get my phone because we change hotel every single day ( we're in a different prefecture everyday). It was about a 4 - 5 hour drive, with several stops along the way, at tiny convenient stores.

Some scenery I took while I was on the bus.

Up the mountain was rather breath taking, and because it's going up a mountain, the bus is literally going round and round in circles, I could see small lakes, villages and so many things I don't get to see at all, because we're living in shitty Singapore with nothing but highrise buildings.

Driving through the mountains en route to Takachiho Gorge, I was telling little sis how much this place looks like the setting for Princess Mononoke. We were imagining and talking about all sorts of rubbish, like how I'm gonna set out in the middle of the night to find the Deer God and little Kodama ( tree spirits) , so if she suddenly finds my bed empty, she'll know where I am. We sound like such otakus, but really, that was our converstation.

Until, really, Suzuki, knowing how much we love Ghibli films, told us that this place is the real actual setting for Princess Mononoke and where Hayao Miyazaki got his inspiration from, and even wrote the script for the film here. I was too shocked to say anything, I just teared. I was overwhelmed by the fact that it's really here and I'm actually looking at this place. Studio Ghibli and their films mean the world to me, you have no idea how much I spend my time reading, researching and watching their films over and over again.

Almost reaching to Takachiho Gorge, we saw statues of Yubaba from Spirited Away and of course, my favourite half demon, Inuyasha in his red, fire rat robe glory. I was literally jumping up and down my seat, too much extcitement to contain. Next to the statues were a ton of models for trains, they were really cute, too bad I couldn't get any pictures because we were on the bus and moving too quickly for me to even take out my camera.

Reached the gorge at about 1 in the afternoon, immediately when we got down of the bus, I was too happy and excited, so I started to take pictures right away.

Screencap from Princess Mononoke to compare with the actual place.


The very first thing you see when you get down from the bus.

And we still had to walk down so many flights of stairs for lunch.

The scenery while walking down.

This is just outside the place where we were gonna have lunch! Takachiho Gorge, Gokasa River.

The other side of the bridge/ Takachiho Gorge and myself too excited that I just had to get a picture taken while everyone was dying to have lunch.

So we had lunch at this little inn next to the gorge, the place reminded me of an anime I used to watch when I was really young, say, 10? called Flame of Recca or Rekka no Hono in japanese.

I can't help but to google images of my fave anime to put here, I had this poster in my room for a few years when I was still a kid. Otaku much?

The place where we had lunch somewhat resembled Kagero's ( Recca's mother) place, with a little fire heater in the centre of the whole room and 2 rows of tables at the sides of the room. It was a very traditional lunch and nothing like I've tasted before.
In my mind I was saying : Finally. This is the reason why I've come to Japan. To experience all these traditional meals, culture and whatnot.

My lunch set, a ton of vegetables, long beans,mushroom, pumpkin, carrot and tofu skin. Pickled vegetables, which are my favorite, especially the yellows ones. Miso soup, some fish, tea and rice. The carrot was really sweet, even sis who hates carrots, loved to eat them in Japan.

The "pots" to hold tea is made out of bamboo shoot ( the thing mom is holding ) and the " tea cup" is made out of bamboo. It was a rather interesting meal.

Yes, we were really happy with lunch.

After lunch, we set out to Takachiho Gorge and all of its surroundings. There were so many cliffs. We were walking in between all of them, just beside Gokasa river. It was so breath taking, and the air's amazingly fresh in this area. For one of the very rare times in my life, I did enjoy the sun and its warmth.

I just couldn't resist to get a few more shorts before continuing on our trail.

The bridge that I'm standing on.

Little sis and I on the bridge.

After a ton of photo taking, we set out. The trail was rather long, but I think all of us enjoyed ourselves. The place just had some sort of ancient feel about it. I thought for a second that I was actually walking into an anime, or more over, Princess Mononoke.

I can't remember the number of times my jaw dropped on this day. The color of the water of Gokasa River soooo pretty. I wonder what it'll be like if it's completely frozen.

What I see on the ground and a tiny waterfall.

I think we walked close to an hour. I didn't even keep track of the time because I was too engrossed into taking photos, and looking at this eden in its entirety. So we walked until we reached yet another place right next to the gorge and river. There were people rowing boats on the river,  I was kind of jealous because basically, I wanted to be in a boat too. It'll be the icing on top of a very very very, very sweet cake. But sadly, we didn't get the chance to.

The river and gorge was so beautiful up close. I was just too happy to be there, honestly.

The gorge which was created by lava erupting from a volacno millions of years ago. I love the detail on this.

Little sis and I on the stairs near the gorge, and the little gate marks the end of our trail at Takachiho Gorge.

I was a little upset we were leaving so soon, but where we were going after this made me equally excited. So, we got on the bus and drove down the mountain, in circles again, but  I was happy to greet Yubaba and Inuyasha once more, before heading to our next destination.

It took a couple more hours to get to the summit of Mount Aso. Going up yet another mountain, we could see even more tinier mountains along the way, herds of cows and horses, some snow that had fallen off and even more wonderful scenery. Mom, sis and I were just ecstatic to see snow for the very first time in our lives. Mom is already 55 and haven't seen snow, so I guess it was really a joyous moment for her.

We reached Mount Aso close to sunset, there were tiny patches of snow all over the parking lot. When we got down from the bus, I just had to jump and touch them. Suzuki headed to the ticket counter, and we all waited for her return.

We got on the ropeway at about close to 4, and it was packed with tourists and nothing else. I was standing infront of these korean ladies and they mistook me for one of their own and starting speaking to me in korean and I got confused. Heh. I seriously had an identity crisis when I was in Japan. Until, I somewhat understood them ( helps that I've had a korean friend, Su In, for years, I basically can understand a little of their language), they asked where I'm from and I said Singapore, tried to be polite and greeted them in Korean  with " Ahn-Nyeong-Hah Seh-Yo ". Passed little sis the camera while we were on the cable car because I was no where near the window.

The way up itself to the summit of Mount Aso was fully covered in snow, I've (obviously) never seen that much snow in my entire life.

I wished we stayed or at least could see snow during Christmas, it would be great for once to have a snowball in my hand and greet everyone a merry christmas, but alas, I'm not that lucky. Anyway, when we finally reached the summit, the very moment we got out of the cable car, it was freezing balls. For once in my life, I admit defeat to the cold. It was so cold that my hands went completely numb. Even the heat packs in my pockets didn't help much.

Now thinking back,  I really wonder how I even managed to get quite a decent amount of photos in the open air cold and so near to the sulphur basin. The sulphur actually made most of us cough and tear like mad when you get too close, but lucky for me, it didn't affect me much until after a while. Little sis and mom had to stay away while I was busy snapping pictures.

The smoke coming out of the mountain is sulphur.

 I especially like this picture. I love how the snow is sticking to the wooden fence, and how I can see the spirals on the wood itself. Thanks to my awesome canon camera for having the "close up" option.

A closer shot at the sulphur.

We didn't stay there for long because the sulphur and the cold was getting to us.

On the way down the mountain in the cable car.

So we went onboard the bus and the tour guide was nice enough to ask the driver to drop us for a while somewhere along the road where you can see the full mountain from afar. It was really pretty and all the trees covered in snow really made me felt like christmas's coming.

After taking some more pictures, it was only 5 in the evening, but the sun was completely down. We took about an hour or so to get to the place that we were gonna spend the night. If I'm not wrong it was a little inn somewhere near the mountains. They had onsens on the first floor, an indoor and outdoor one, and even a little onsen for your aching feet only. The inn was really cute and cosy in its own way.

We had dinner at about 7, and we had to dress in Yukatas. It was surprisingly warm for just one layer of clothing.

Dinner was traditional again, YES! But first, us in our yukata...

Dinner was supah yummeh! I think this was my favorite dinner from the entire tour.

After dinner, we decided to walk around the area, but ended up using the onsen for feet only. We sat there for a good half an hour and tried to waste the other half hour away before heading to the actual onsen. Yes, we had to wait for an hour before going in.

At first, going into the changing room was kinda weird seeing everyone (female, of course) just strip infront of you. I have to admit, I am shy about my erm... parts? But after awhile, I realized that no one actually cared or bothered or even judged you, so I eventually stripped as well and went into the onsen.

After so much thought of how am I gonna contain my own embarrassment of my own body, I could not actually see anything surrounding the onsen, it was so misty, we could hardly make out anything. So first, little sis and I tried the indoor one, after about 15 minutes, we went to the outdoor one because it seemed more " fun " which it was kind of... in a way.

After it got a little too crowded, both of us decided to head back to the room. I was light-headed when we got out of the onsen, I guess thats what happens for beginners? At first I thought the onsen was nothing spectacular, or so I thought it was kind of dumb just to soak myself in hot water. But after a while, I could feel the effects, suddenly all my backaches (as if I'm that old) and tiredness was almost gone, I really understand now why the japanese are so crazy about it.

It was only 9plus though, so little sis and I talked somemore, before finally falling asleep on the tatami and futon. The futon was shockingly comfy, especially the blanket. It was so soft I just couldn't believe it.

And of course, being me, I fell right to sleep at about 10, and woke up in the middle of the night at about 2 or 3am and couldn't fall back to sleep. I fail at sleeping anywhere else but my own bed. Sigh.