Kyushu with Momiji, Day 3: Tsuetate Onsen, Nabegataki, Ikeyama Suigen

Momiji at the public foot bath at Tsuetate Onsen (on IG)

We ended our 2nd day in Kyushu (here) with a well-rested night in Yabe, a remote mountain village in Yame. Day 3 began with grey cloud cover and the ominous promise of rain. As mentioned, it was the start of 3 consecutive days of rain, which put a little damper on the road trip. On Day 3, we didn't visit many sights as we made our way east, and then south, from Fukuoka Prefecture to Kumamoto Prefecture (travelogue below).

Tsuetate Onsen

First stop on Day 3 was Tsuetate Onsen杖立温泉, a hot spring town up in the mountains between Kumamoto and Oita Prefectures. The town’s hot spring has a legend that goes back to around 1,800 years. In its heyday, it was considered a posh and stylish "inner sanctum of Kyushu" for the rich and influential during the first half of the Shōwa period. Apparently, at its peak, the town led the area in introducing new games.

Tsuetate Onsen (on IG)

At first sight, we were rather startled because it felt like we had time-travelled. It really does seem like the entire town is stuck in some time warp, as the guides say. A kind of vintage gem, the whole town. Tsuetate Onsen's hot spring waters are around 98^oC, and thus one of the town's attractions is the steaming vents around the town. More on this below. Although we were here in May, we had already missed the town's annual koi nobori festival, another of the town's attractions.

The town has some interesting legends. One is about a pregnant Empress who was about to give birth nearby, and an old man told her to draw water from the spring for the baby's first bath, as the spring's magical waters would extend the prince's life. The other legend dates from the Heian period. The town's name, Tsuetate, is abbreviated from "tsue wo tateru", meaning "to leave one's cane behind", and comes from the story that Buddhist monk Kukai stuck his cane into the ground, and it sprouted branches and leaves. Supposedly, it is said the waters were so effective that after soaking in its waters, old people were able to walk without their walking sticks.

The free foot bath at Tsuetate Onsen (on IG)

The free foot bath at Tsuetate Onsen

We first visited the foot bath station御湯の駅, a free public bath near the Tsuetate Onsen Tourism Association (on Google Maps).

We arrived just as a bunch of people were leaving, and so we had the pleasure of having it all to ourselves. Thanks to that, we decided to stay for quite some time.

The foot bath is open-air but sheltered, and from a verandah there was a view of the Tsuetate River, the surrounding mountains, and the town itself.

The foot bath has 2 separate areas. One had warm water, and was laid out like a foot path. The second one, was a pool surrounded by wooden planks and wooden seats. The second bath had 2 fountains and the water close to the fountains were fairly hot, while the waters further away were cooler. The water in the second bath was hotter than the first.

The town's hot spring waters are said to be gentle on the skin and has beautifying properties. Well, I'm not sure if the legend about the effectiveness of the waters is true. But it felt really good sitting with our feet in the hot spring bath. Probably would've felt fantastic for footsore travellers!

Tsuetate Onsen, view from the foot bath

The town is also known for its rustic and narrow back alleys, called sedoya, which have retained that nostalgic Shōwa era charm. Unfortunately, we didn't because we weren't keen on walking around in the rain. It was surprising chilly too, and a rather grey and bleak day.

Lunch at Komatsu Shokudo, Tsuetate Onsen.

Sometimes, nothing beats a teishoku for lunch at a Japanese diner in a rustic town. Komatsu Shokudo, Tsuetate Onsen.

We stopped for lunch at Komatsu Shokudoこまつ食堂, a diner near the foot bath. Think it's fairly obvious that we didn't wander far because I dislike walking around in the rain. Lunch was simple but tasty, and was such a nice comfort on a chilly, rainy day like the one we had.

One of the steaming stations at Tsuetate Onsen (on IG)

So as mentioned above, there're several steaming stations around the town. Besides the Tsuetate pudding, the town's specialty is also steamed food, which make a good snack. It's free to use the steaming station.

Vegetables for steaming in the coin lockers (on IG)

The food items are stored in coin lockers at the dining area next to the steaming station. Simple fare, mostly vegetables and eggs. Apparently the sweet corn and sweet potatoes are the most popular.

A steamer at the Tsuetate Onsen

To partake, we're supposed to take one of the wooden steamers at the station, fill it with the food, cover it with a lid, and pop it back into the steaming station. With the hot spring waters at close to boiling point, it's pretty cool (and economical!) to use it this way too.

Nabegataki Falls

Nabegataki Falls, (on IG)

After Tsuetate Onsen, we made our way to Nabegataki Falls鍋ケ滝 in the nearby town of Oguni小国町 in Kumamoto Prefecture. The waterfall is 9m tall and 20m wide, and cascades like a beautiful white curtain down an overhanging ledge, surrounded by lush vegetation.

We walked down the steps and through the cave that was behind the water curtain. It was still raining, so the ground was muddy and slippery. (It really rains a lot in Kyushu!)

Nabegataki Falls, (on IG)

As we went down the steps that led to the cave behind the falls, I could feel the spray, and it felt pretty good, like a refreshing cool water mister. I liked the view up close, of the water falling over the edge, with the trees in the background and the sunlight on the threads of water.

Behind Nabegataki Falls (on IG)

I was rather surprised at how deep the cave was. Hubby jokingly remarked that this may be the Japanese version of the Cave of the Water Curtain in our well-loved Chinese classic Journey to the West. It does have a rather mystical quality, which the guides have highlighted. That being said, I'm not entirely sure the place evokes the same sense, being rather cozy, nestled in the surrounding vegetation.

The waterfall was created when the nearby Mt. Abe erupted, the same eruption that created the Aso Caldera, which we visited the next day (Day 4). The pyroclastic flows and magma from the eruption accumulated in the area and cooled, forming a layer of solid bedrock over soil. Over time, the flowing waters eroded the softer soil, creating the cave behind the waterfall.

A house of dolls in the town of Oguni (on IG)

After Nabegataki Falls, we drove to the next stop, and happened to pass by a house that was covered with dolls! It was unique, and definitely eye-catching, though a little bit creepy. Not exactly something that sounds right, coming from a doll collector like myself....

A house of dolls in the town of Oguni (on IG)

I wonder who the owner is. I think that person seems to have a sense of humour. He or she had set up a doll fishing by the roadside. I didn't really notice at first, and had to go back for a second look. When we first drove by, I initially thought it was actually a guy fishing. And then I remembered: this is farmland, there’s nowhere to fish!

Ikeyama Springhead

Ikeyama suigen, Ubuyama village, Aso.

Our final stop for the day was the Ikeyama spring head (Ikeyama suigen池山水源) at the village of Ubuyama産山村 in the Aso district (on Google Maps). The spring head is located 780m above sea level in the Aso district. It is a first class river water system and flows at 30 tons per minute.

We briefly stopped at an open-air station where one could have a drink of the spring water for free. The water was a naturally cool 14^oC, very clear, pure and soft. As Hubby and I were to learn on our Kyushu trip, Kyushu has many amazing natural springs of pure and soft water. So delicious and soft that so far, we've found ourselves quite unable to forget how good water can be. Now...if only I can find a way to bring back gallons of it.

Ikeyama spring head, Ubuyama village, Aso.

Admittedly, our stop was very brief, a quick touch and go. Mostly due to the rain, which though nowhere near as heavy as our tropical thunderstorms at home, was still coming down hard enough to be a real annoyance. So we definitely missed out seeing the pool of clear spring water, further back from the flowing stream and the water station we stopped at.

Sozankyo

Sozankyo, Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Sozankyo, Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture.

After our brief stop at Ikeyama spring head, we made our way to our accommodation for the night. A traditional onsen ryokan, Sozankyo蘇山郷, in the Uchimaki Onsen内牧温泉 area of the Aso district.

The ryokan looked like one of those old traditional ones on the outside, but the rooms have been modernised, and were very cozy and comfortable. For our room, we had beds with fluffy blankets, instead of futons.

Since we arrived and checked in earlier than usual (as said, rain, rain, rain), we had some time before dinner, to settle in, relax, etc. Had a nice soak in the room's onsen bath, a pebble-lined tub that overlooked the garden outside.

Even though we were in southern Japan and it was late spring, I was surprised that it was rather cold and very windy. Overlooking the garden, we could see the trees being shaken about by high winds. I swear the rainy weather has a way of changing things. (Not long after our trip, Kyushu was hit by torrential rainfall, at a record high, causing flooding, landslides, etc. Truly terrible news. It was something that we had not expected would happen, while we were there.)

The kaiseki dinner was very enjoyable, again with local produce from the region. The vegetables served were sourced from Ubuyama or the ryokan's own contracted farms, and Koshihikari rice, all grown on the Aso highlands. (Volcanic soil = fertile and mineral-rich = delicious!)

Dinner at Sozankyo, Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture.

The course that stuck in my memory the most was the grilled course, because we were served akaushi赤牛 (the Japanese Brown), as well as horse meat. The akaushi is a specialty of the Aso region, and we had more of it while exploring Aso the next day (Day 4). Horse meat, also called sakura-niku桜肉 ("cherry meat") in Japan, is a specialty of Kumamoto. Well, we are in Kumamoto Prefecture, which apparently has a wealth of horse farms and horse meat dishes (the latter includes intestines in miso soup).

Not our first time eating horse meat, as we tried basashi馬刺し in Matsumoto, back in summer 2015 (posted here). But we didn't enjoy basashi, so we were not keen to repeat the experience. I guess a part of the uneasiness I feel about eating horse meat is because it is an unfamiliar meat in my country's diet or our culture, despite horse meat being consumed by many cultures worldwide since prehistory.

Grilling akaushi and horse meat on Aso volcanic stone plate. Dinner at Sozankyo, Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture.

The waitress was both assured me that grilled horse meat is delicious, and an extremely popular protein among women in Kumamoto, because it is healthy, being low fat and rich in collagen. Not wanting to disappoint her (she is from Kumamoto), and not wanting to waste food, we tried it in the end. So, the ingredients were grilled on a volcanic hot stone plate, the volcanic stone from Aso itself. Must say Hubby and I were both pleasantly surprised. I did find the grilled horse meat delicious, with a light, faintly sweet flavour.

With the billionaire Kumamon, the face of Kumamoto. Sozankyo, Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Overall, we enjoyed our day, but kept it fairly short due to the rain. It was to be the start of 3 days of consecutive rain, which affected our visit to the Aso caldera (Day 4) and Takachiho gorge area (Day 5).

The rain was a huge damper on part of this road trip. However, that was nothing compared to what happened later in July, which makes me feel a mixture of emotions, being thankful that we were able to travel through Kyushu unharmed, and yet with a heart full of sympathy for the people in Kyushu who were terribly affected by the recent disasters, so soon after 2016 too.

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 * * *