26/03/2022 / Last updated : 18/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Ebino Plateau and the 3 Lake Course Hiking　えびの高原

December, ’21 A bright full moon and a very cold night. Ebino Plateau We set off on a beautiful morning for the Ebino Plateau, making sure to buy supplies on the way before getting into the mountains. It is often difficult to buy food in very rural areas. Around midday, we arrived at a large car park of Ebino Eco Museum Centre. From here we could see the snow on Mount Io and Karakunidake glistening in the bright sunshine, there was, however, a bitterly cold wind whipping across the open space. The 3 Lakes Course　池めぐりコース We had planned to hike around the three crater lakes, but part of the route […]

27/08/2019 / Last updated : 02/02/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Kirishima Open-Air Museum 霧島アートの森

December 2017, Kirishima Open-Air Museum On a trip to see the eruption of Shinmoedake in Kirishima volcano, we discovered the Kirishima Open-Air Museum. This was a real surprise. As you wander around a large, pleasant park of grassy expanses and a woodland of spindly trees, you can view the work of a variety of artists. Being an open air exhibition, it is sculpture based. The works are, however, of wildly different concepts. They range from the outrageous pop of Kusama Yayoi’s huge polka-dot shoes, to the enigmatic, sinister yet vulnerable “Insiders”. Antony Gormley’s frail figures lurking in the thin trees. There is perhaps something for most tastes, solid stone, spindly […]

17/08/2019 / Last updated : 02/02/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Ohmi Shrine and Kimigayo rocks　大御神社

December 2017, Ohmi Shrine Kimigayo rocks　　大御神社さざれ石 Our first stop of the day is Ohmi Shrine. This is a pleasant place in a small cove at the end of a long sandy beach. The Shrine is a modest, unadorned, wooden structure perched on an interesting rock formation. Basalt columns, I guess. There is also a large rock called ‘Sazare-ishi’ garlanded with a ceremonial rope that, D. was surprised to discover, features in the Japanese national anthem. The rock is a large lump of conglomerate, that stands next to a natural, circular pool that was important in Jomon era dragon ceremonies. All this and a sandy cove too! A short walk through […]

15/08/2019 / Last updated : 02/02/2023 d.d Temple / Shrine

Cape Toi, Udo Shrine and Aoshima　都井岬、鵜戸神社、青島

December 2017, Cape Toi We set off for Toi-misaki(Cape Toi), which has good views, a lighthouse and wild horses(Misaki-uma). We visited this place on a motorcycle trip 30 plus years ago and had fond memories of it. Especially the minshuku, or B&B. This place, despite our initial reservations, (it looked like a very tacky café) provided superb sea views, opera on the radio and excellent food. We were surprised to find you now have to pay 400 yen to enter the cape and a further 200 yen to view the lighthouse. The cape does offer a spacious area of short, horse nibbled grass and wonderful seascapes on all sides. Then […]