Around Kyushu

I know that this is really late to start, but I am going to start posting about places where I enjoy eating in my corner of Aso, near the Aso/Oita border, and maybe some other joints in Kumamoto that I like. Tashiroya- for the bombass Okonomiyaki Let’s start off with a place that my friend … Continue reading »

Sailing opportunities in Japan have proved elusive, and so I jumped at the chance to go this Saturday in Sasebo, Nagasaki. The weather was beautiful as we pulled into Huis Ten Bosch– a Dutch-themed theme park/marina. I know almost nothing about the theme park because we stayed on the boat for the whole time, but … Continue reading »

This weekend I had to work, and so I missed the last hash with our group in Kumamoto. I hope it went well, and that you all had to swim through the brown dirtiness that is the Shirakawa River. It rained all weekend long, which was a good thing. I did more this weekend then … Continue reading »

The view from the top of the caldera was unusually clear yesterday. In case you’re up here, the rest stop on the 339 right before it T intersects with the 45 sells awesome takoyaki.

This one looks like the golden idol that Indiana Jones steals in the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It looks like he’s not happy about something. Something tells me that that isn’t a hatchet used for chopping wood. Dude looks ready for battle.

Takachiho, located in Northern Miyazaki-ken, is a beautiful, mountanous area. I have heard that bears can still be found in the surrounding forest, but have yet to see one. Also the aincent Kagura dance, the dance that represents the creation of Nippon (including the part about luring Amaterasu out of hiding in a cave in … Continue reading »

In my neck of the woods of Japan, finding a statue of buddha is an everyday occourance. They are everywhere, and not all buddhas capture my eye. This one, in Taketa-shi, was remarkable. It blows my mind that I have been living here for almost two years, and I still haven’t found every spectacle within … Continue reading »

After visiting the Oka Castle Ruins (in Taketa) I stumbled upon a sign that lead me to “Oita’s Niagara Falls”. I guess it is kind of reminiscent of Niagara, but I was disappointed that they built a bridge across the top that acts as a dam, preventing water from cascading down the full width of … Continue reading »

My favorite thing to do in Kyushu is to drive. I love driving in rural Kyushu for the following reasons: *having the roads all to myself *cutting around curve after curve after curve *the rush of adrenaline I get from a well executed pass *the smell of mountain air rushing in from my fully open … Continue reading »