Not too long ago this year, we were in Japan for the Chinese New Year (
posted here). But here we are again (yes, "again" multiplied by many times). This time, we did a whirlwind cross-Kyushu road trip (
travelogue below), so we didn't stay in the same place for more than a day, save for Yakushima. But it whetted our appetites enough to want to return again. This is technically not our first time in Kyushu, since we'd been through Nagasaki City in 2017 (
posted here) but this was our first time exploring Kyushu proper!
Our actual first day was spent mostly traveling from Singapore to Fukuoka via Tokyo. We flew JAL, but not the direct flight. I can't remember the exact reason. All I remember is arriving in Fukuoka at night and feeling exhausted. We went out and wolfed down an amazing
gyokai-tonkotsu ramen at
Ramen Unari (
on IG here), which made me feel human again. Our first
proper day in Kyushu began the following morning, when we made the drive to a little city in Saga Prefecture called
Kashima. It was a little detour, away from our road trip route...however, we did it to see the picturesque
Yūtoku Inari Shrine...because I'm such a sucker for Inari shrines and vermilion-coloured
torii.
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| Yutoku Inari Shrine, Kashima (on IG) |
Over CNY this year was the charming Otome Inari Shrine (
here) which also has a cosy
torii tunnel. Yūtoku Inari Shrine is another lovely one, not large but with many beautiful details. Ultimately, Fushimi Inari Taisha is still my favourite, and though we've
visited a few times, I'll probably never tire of exploring it.
Yūtoku Inari Shrine is one of the 3 major Inari shrines in Japan, alongside Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, and Kasama Inari Shrine in Kasama. The shrine was built in 1687 at the request of
Manko-hime, the wife of
Nabeshima Naotomo, the
daimyo of the
Kashima Domain at the time. Manko-hime was from the Kazan'in family, a branch of the
Fujiwara Hokke family, a cadet branch of the Fujiwara clan. The deities
enshrined at this shrine are
Inari Okami,
Ame-no-Uzume-no-mikoto (also known as Omiyanome-no-okami), and
Sarutahiko Okami.
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| The roumon of Yutoku Inari Shrine (on IG) |
The features of the shrine that immediately leap out are the
roumon and the 18m tall vermilion scaffolding below the
honden. The
roumon is nicely preceded by a classic vermilion Japanese-styled bridge and a pond (the
kami-ike神池) filled with
humongous carp. They swim up, their mouths gaping, whenever anyone comes close to the water edge.
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| Beautiful details on the roumon, Yutoku Inari Shrine (on IG) |
The
roumon is a beautiful sight, ornate and elaborate with hand-painted, colourful details and metalwork lanterns. The 2 sculptures on the front of the
roumon are made of
Arita ware porcelain, the famed traditional craft of Saga Prefecture, where this shrine is located in.
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| Arita porcelain tiles on the roumon of Yutoku Inari Shrine |
The back of the
roumon is also decorated with floral pictures comprising of Arita porcelain tiles, one of hand-painted chrysanthemums, and the other of hand-painted peonies. The colours are amazing! So vibrant and colourful.
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| The honden of Yutoku Inari Shrine, Kashima (on IG) |
The other eye-catching feature is the vermilion scaffolding below the
honden. The current
honden is the 3rd structure, built in 1957, and the entire building is lacquered. It being mid-May, not long after the enthronement of
the new Emperor, prominently hung up at the
honden were the words
"Reiwa", the new
era name. In fact, every shrine or major site we visited this trip bore some form of announcement or reminder of the new era name. On a side note, in Japanese, "era name" is
nengō (literally "year number") or
gengō (literally "origin/beginning number"), which doesn't make sense when compared to the Gregorian calendar. It is a historical practice that was derived from ancient Chinese imperial practice, and has
cultural, historical, political significance, as opposed to functionality.
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| The honden of Yutoku Inari Shrine, Kashima (on IG) |
The scaffolding reminds me a little bit of Kyoto's Kiyomizudera (
here). Of course, there is no real, serious comparison, but this one has its own charm. (Déjà vu... I think I said the same thing about the
torii tunnel at Otome Inari Shrine vis-a-vis Fushimi Inari! Ironic.) I do marvel at the colours of the scaffolding, and how relatively well-maintained the structure is.
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| The kaguraden of Yutoku Inari Shrine, Kashima (on IG) |
Strolling through, my attention was also drawn to the
kaguraden, which seems fairly new. Apparently it is. It was constructed in 1979 of reinforced concrete! The vermilion lacquer and gold details made it look just like the other shrine structures.
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| Ema at Yutoku Inari Shrine, Kashima (on IG) |
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| Yutoku Inari Shrine, Kashima (on IG) |
After checking out the
honden, I wandered up the walking trails behind it, through the sections of
torii. Many of the
torii looked fairly weathered. A number of them looked sanded down, and there were restoration workers around parts of the shrine, so I think we came at a time when some restoration work is being done.
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| Yutoku Inari Shrine, Kashima (on IG) |
The path led on to a rather steep and rocky path that wound through various sub-shrines, statues. According to a nondescript signboard, from this spot, it was about 500m to the summit. We stood there for a while, internally debating if we wanted to make the climb. Yes, we did, in the end. Didn't regret it, but we had aching thighs to show for it! I gotta say, I did think it was worth it.
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| A rather worn kitsune statue with a faded yodarekake at the Sekihekisha at Yutoku Inari Shrine |
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| Yutoku Inari Shrine, Kashima (on IG) |
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| Yutoku Inari Shrine, Kashima (more on IG) |
The last few metres! We're pretty out of shape, and were almost pleading exhaustion by this point. I actually stopped and had an internal debate about whether we should just grit our teeth and get over the last bit.
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| View of Kashima from the top of Yutoku Inari Shrine (on IG) |
So we did make it, in the end, and were rewarded with this view of
Kashima City and the
Ariake Sea. There were some benches at the top, for which we sank down on gratefully. It was a fine day, there was a fine view, and a fine breeze blowing through. And kudos to the Japanese, because there was also a drinks vending machine!
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| Torii leading to Okunoin at Yutoku Inari Shrine (on IG) |
At the top was
Okunoin which enshrines the deity
Myobu Okami. Another lovely
torii tunnel here!
After taking a short breather (and a long swallow of chilled Pocari), we got up and made our way back down, all along the same rocky path, our legs shaking with exertion as we went. We did safely make our way back to the car, and went along to our next destination: lunch at Takezaki Kaisan in
Tara-cho.
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| Takezaki Kaisan, Tara Town |
A sort-of
kakigoya (oyster hut),
Takezaki Kaisan is run by a fisherman who farms Takezaki oysters and catches Takezaki crabs, the area's specialties. The place carries a
varied range of shellfish, such as Iwagaki oysters, various kinds of clams like
Hiougi clams, and scallops. We got a seafood platter, which consisted of Iwagaki oysters, scallops,
kuruma-ebi,
hamaguri, and a dish of buttered
asari. Part of the fun was cooking them over a charcoal fire, right there at our table.
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| Steamed butter asari clams at Takezaki Kaisan, Tara Town |
Everything was fresh, and for some reason watching the shellfish cooking...shells popping, juices bubbling and all...somehow makes the meal so much more enjoyable. The Iwagaki oysters do spurt quite a bit of juice when they pop open. (I don't want to think about how they were literally cooked alive.) I can see why grilling fresh oysters in a
kakigoya on the beach is such a
popular winter activity in Fukuoka Prefecture. (Well, in the global context, not just in Fukuoka. If I recall correctly, grilling and eating fresh oysters on the beach is a popular almost worldwide, especially in North America and quite possibly any country with a strong outdoor beach culture? I can so totally see the charm.)
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| Takezaki crab at Takezaki Kaisan, Tara Town (on IG) |
Of course, we also had to have
Takezaki crab, the signature regional specialty of the area, caught in the Ariake Sea, which was right at the doorstep. The female crab we had was chock-full of roe. The best season for the female crabs are said to be winter. But even at late spring, it was still delicious. But oh boy, as I wolf it all down, I so totally feel my cholesterol level rising sharply....
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| The Ariake mudflats at Tara Town |
After lunch, we drove along the coast, in search for the so-called undersea
torii gates. The tide came in by quite a bit compared to before we had lunch, and it's pretty amazing. The tidal range here in Tara-cho is the largest in all of Japan, at about 6m!
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| The torii of Oouo Shrine at Tara Town (on IG) |
And then as we were driving along, we saw them—the
torii in the Ariake Sea. The 3
torii are linked to a shrine,
大魚神社—Oouo Shrine, Taigyo Shrine, Kaichu Torii Shrine...I'm not entirely sure how it's read as I've come across a few versions of its name online. *Head scratching* I'm going to stick with Oouo Shrine. In any case, the distinguishing feature of these
torii is that they get partially submerged during high tide. Now doesn't that remind me a little of a wonderful and grand shrine I once visited...Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima with Shion-chan (
posted here)!
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| The torii of Oouo Shrine at Tara Town (on IG) |
The story behind the shrine supposedly goes back to around 1693. The area's residents invited the magistrate to a party where they plied him with loads of
sake, and then abandoned him on a nearby island. Apparently they didn't like him very much. The tide began to come in, causing the island to sink, and the magistrate pleaded to the sea god
Ryuujin for help. A large fish swam to the magistrate and told him to climb onto its back, so it could return him to the mainland. The magistrate was thus saved. Grateful, the magistrate built the shrine as a token of gratitude to the fish, and named the shrine after it. 大魚 literally means "big/large fish", so I am not entirely sure about his sincerity here. Does that fish not have a proper name?
The tide was creeping up, but was still low enough for us to walk through all the
torii. The shoreline was covered with tons of small pebbles and bleached shells, so every footstep we took crunched. At the end, the last
torii had a stone basin filled with coins and water... A little secret that is revealed only at low tide.
Our day ended with a drive to
Ureshino Onsen, for our night's stay at
Shiibasansou.
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| Shiibasansou, Ureshino |
A hot spring town in the Saga Prefecture, Ureshino Onsen is known as one of the 3 major hot spring spots for beautiful skin in Japan, as its waters are high in sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride, and is said to remove sebum, secretions and dead skin, making one's skin smooth. Apparently, the hot spring town first opened
more than 1,300 years ago, and it prospered as a
onsen post town along the Nagasaki Kaido during the Edo period. (I
posted about the Nagasaki Kaido previously, as Japan's Sugar Road. In Ureshino, the sweet made was a fish-shaped confection called
sugadai kinkatō.) Historically significant persons said to have been to Ureshino include German physician Siebold, noted for his
Rangaku contributions in Japan (
posted here).
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| Shiibasansou, Ureshino |
Shiibasansou, our
onsen ryokan for the night, is a traditional
onsen ryokan in a secluded location at the foot of Mt. Shiiba, by the Shiiba River. I was somewhat amused that there were porcelain tiles decorating the
tokonoma of our room, as opposed to the usual scroll. Well, we are in the Saga Prefecture after all.... Also in our
ryokan, I got a taste of Ureshino's 2 other specialties.
Besides being a
bihada no yu (meaning, beautiful skin bath), Ureshino is also known for its
green tea and
onsen yudofu (
onsen boiled tofu). The
yudofu is made with the
onsen waters, and is unique to the area. Ureshino's green tea is one of the finest in Kyushu, and production is said to date back to
around 1440.
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| Having some Ureshino green tea at Shiibasansou. |
After settling in, I made a small pot of Ureshino green tea, to sip alongside the complimentary
wagashi. The tea was light and smooth, and the brew was clear and a beautiful green. Now, sitting here at home, reliving my memories, I do regret not buying a pack to bring home.
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| Ureshino specialties: onsen yudofu and Ureshino green tea in soba noodle form |
Over the course of dinner at Shiibasansou, we had the pleasure of enjoying more regional specialties. We had a taste of Ureshino's other specialty, the
onsen yudofu. Shiibasansou's
yudofu is handmade in-house, in a basket. The tofu was served plain, with a small side salad of baby spinach leaves,
ice plant, tomatoes, capsicum and sesame seed dressing. The tofu's texture was amazing—smooth and velvety—and the flavour was so mellow.
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| Saga beef shabu-shabu! |
We had another taste of Ureshino green tea in the form of handmade soba noodles,
tsukemen-style, together with julienned fresh
yuzu peel, with tempura on the side. The tempura batter was perfectly light and crispy. And we also had a taste of
Saga beef, a specialty of Saga Prefecture, in
shabu-shabu for the main dish.
To be honest, we've had many delicious, superb
kaiseki dinners at
onsen ryokans, so dinner here was rather simple in comparison. However, we still found dinner, and the food quality, delicious and thoroughly enjoyable. After such a good dinner, we had a long, relaxing soak in the
onsen, and somehow just dropped off to sleep at around 9:30pm-ish. That's a really early night for us!
That's the end of Day 1, and the next day found us on the road to Yame (
Day 2), a small city in Fukuoka Prefecture also known
for green tea~!
Kyushu with Momiji, May 2019
✈️ Day 0 • Singapore - Tokyo - Fukuoka
🚗 Day 1. Saga Prefecture (Route) • Yutoku Inari Shrine (Kashima) • Takezaki Kaisan (Tara) • Shiibasansou (Ureshino)
🚗 Day 2. Yame (Route) • Kitaya Brewery • Shutei Gin no Ka • Iwatoyama Kofun • Yame Traditional Craftwork Centre • Yame tea plantations • Yabe no Mori
🚗 Day 3. Kumamoto Prefecture (Route) • Tsuetate Onsen • Nabegadaki Falls • Ikeyama Suigen • Sozankyo
🚗 Day 4. Aso (Route) • Kusasenri • Daikanbo • Akaushidon Iwasaki • KAI Aso
🚗 Day 5. Takachiho (Route)
• Takachiho Gorge • Takachiho Shrine • Ama no Iwato Shrine • Ama no
Yasugawara Shrine (skipped) • Kunimigaoka (skipped) • Solest Takachiho •
Restaurant Nagomi
🚗 Day 6. Aso & Kirishima (Route) • Kusasenri • Ramen Keika, Kumamoto • Kirishima Shrine • Kirishima Hotel
🚗 Day 7. Sakurajima (Route)
• 100-Year Cedar Garden • Maruo Falls • Arimura Lava Observatory •
Yunohira Viewpoint • Tsukiyomi Shrine • Sakurajima Michi-no-Eki Rest
Stop, Hinoshima Megumikan • Karasujima Viewpoint • Nagisa Lava Trail •
Nagisa Park Foot Baths • Kurokami Shrine • Kurokami Viewpoint •
Sakurajima Ferry • Kagoshima wagyu at Gyu-do!
✈️ Day 8. Yakushima (Route) • Yakusugi Museum • Ryujin no Taki • Senpiro no Taki • Tsukasaki Tidal Pool • Ohko no Taki • Seibu Rindo • Yakushima Seaside Hotel
🚗 Day 9. Yakushima (Route) • Shiratani Unsuikyo • Hachimanju Cha-en
✈️ Day 10. Yakushima & Kagoshima (Route) • Suginoya • Yakushima Airport • Kurobuta tonkatsu at Mansaku, Aira • Miyama District (Miyama Toyukan & Chin Jukan Touen) • Shiroyama Viewpoint • Richmond Hotel Kagoshima Tenmonkan • Ramen Kuroiwa
🚗 Day 11. Kagoshima to Fukuoka (Route) • Sengan-en • Teru-zushi, Kitakyushu
🚅 Day 12. Fukuoka (Route) • Kushida Shrine • Hakata Traditional Craft and Design Museum • Hakata Riverain • Tenpyodo • Iwataya Annex • Canal City Hakata (Shodai Hidechan at Ramen Stadium, Hamleys)
✈️ Day 13. Tokyo • Hoshinoya Tokyo • Shopping • Sushi Nanba Asagaya
✈️ Day 14. Tokyo - Singapore • Sushi Kimura
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