Daytripping

The customs and traditions observed for the arrival of each season here are a wonderful part of Japanese culture. Autumn offers welcome relief after the uncomfortable humidity of summer and is probably my favorite season here, characterised by sunny days with clear skies and crisp evenings. And just as locals go bananas in spring over hanami or cherry blossom viewing, so in autumn most Japanese go out of their way to enjoy kouyou (literal translation: red leaves), the stunning fall foliage found all over the place. Despite huge traffic jams & major crowds in some scenic spots foliage outings are still considered a must during this season, with the weather reports announcing the dates for the kouyou all over Japan. So what are a few gaijins to do but jump on this wagon and join in the foliage cheer :-)? Yukino volunteered to rent & drive a car and came up with an itinerary that would take us through three of Kyushu’s provinces in one day, yay! Her Aussie friend Matt, who arrived in Fukuoka only a few weeks ago, came along for the ride and contributed to the upbeat mood with his enthusiasm and comments like ‘I love Japan!’. In the end we didn’t actually get to admire many spectacular colours; it looked like many trees were either still green or had lost their leaves already... I guess Kyushu’s not the prime island for kouyou & the better spots are up north, but I was just happy to see the countryside, get some fresh air and listen to some truly inspiring Japanese car tunes (gotta love J-pop...).

Countryside on the ride to Oita province

This suspension bridge opened only a few months ago & is now one of the biggest in Japan. This might explain the truly gigantic amount of people that were there, all patiently lining up to walk across and catch a glimpse of the surrounding mountains & waterfalls. The huge crowd + the loudspeakers blasting out pop songs made me really appreciate the serenity of New Zealand wilderness: oh the joys of being alone in nature...

Matt, Yukino & Vaughan on the bridge

We had lunch in a great traditional buffet restaurant in the mountains, again because of Yukino's research :-).

On our way back to Fukuoka we made a detour in Kumamoto province and stopped at Kurokawa onsen, a famous spa resort in the mountains. I had been wanting to visit this town ever since arriving in Japan and it definitely lived up to my expectations! Would love to go there on a weekend 'mini-break' with Vaughan and soak up both the relaxing waters & the cozy atmosphere.

And here it is, the star attraction of the day: red maple leaves in full autumn splendor!

Last Thursday I took another day trip, this time to Kumamoto city to catch up with Yasuko & check out some of the sights there. The foliage again didn't really impress but who cares when you have this impressive medieval castle to look at :-)?