(7) Kyushu Trip: 20-22 Dec 2016 - Takachiho / Aso

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20-December-2016

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We woke up very early and we could see the sunrise from our apartment. Below is the sea-view from the balcony.

We checked out of the apartment and had buffet breakfast at the lobby.

Then we set off northwards. First stop was the Aya Teruah Suspension Bridge.

This suspension bridge crosses over the Aya River in Miyazaki Prefecture. The bridge was the highest conventional suspension bridge at the time of its completion in 1984. In 2011, the bridge was renovated.

Could be rather intimidating to cross this suspension bridge for a first-timer.

A view from the bridge. Its the Aya River.

We proceeded on the journey and arrived at Takachiho in the afternoon. We proceeded to visit the Takachiho Shrine.

Takachiho Shrine (高千穂神社, Takachiho Jinja), located just west of the town center, is nestled in a grove of tall cedars. During the day the shrine's nondescript, unpainted buildings blend in naturally with the surrounding trees. The light that filters through, brings with it an air of calm, peaceful reverence.

We proceeded to check-into a very nice Airbnb abode near to the Takachiho Shrine.

Soon it was dinner time, and Yukiko-san, the owner of the Airbnb abode, kindly recommended and guided us to a nearby restaurant where they served delicious BBQ beef.

After dinner, it was back to the house to settle down for the night, and had a good time chatting with Yukiko-san.

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21-December-2016

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Rise and shine! This morning we intended to explore around Takachiho. First stop was the Amano-Iwato Shrine.

Amano-Iwato Shrine. Visit the cave of the legend where the Sun Goddess hid herself At Takachiho, the birthplace of Japanese myths According to a Japanese myth, the Sun Goddess Amaterasu-omikami hid herself in a cave called Amanoiwato to avoid Susanoo-no-mikoto, her brother. This is an interpretation of a solar eclipse by ancient Japanese. Tradition says that Amano Iwato Shrine is dedicated to the cave. It is not clear when the shrine was founded but it is said that Higashihongu (east hall) was built during the 9th century. The main shrine called Higashihongu and a hall of worship called Nishihongu (west hall) face each other across the Iwato River gorge. Amano Iwato cave is the object of worship in festivals and is a rock cave yawning on the other side of the Iwato River from Nishihongu. You can view the cave from Nishihongu after participating in a Shinto ritual for purification. The grounds are a treasure house of plants, including old trees. Fall leaves around Nishihongu paint the whole surroundings with a sublime and delicate beauty in fall. There are also rare ancient ginkgo and michelia compressa trees, which have been sacred in Japan since ancient times.

Next attraction to visit was the Takachiho Gorge.

Takachiho Gorge (高千穂峡, Takachiho-kyō) is a narrow chasm cut through the rock by the Gokase River. The nearly sheer cliffs lining the gorge are made of slow forming volcanic basalt columns which resemble the scales of a dragon where the stone twisted and flowed as it formed. Partway along the gorge is the 17 meter high Minainotaki waterfall cascading down to the river below, and it is truly impressive to see the waterfall against a backdrop of dense green foliage and the surrounding grey cliffs.

Before we started to explore further, we decided to find a good restaurant to have lunch. We decided to try out at this soba outlet. We had cold soba and the kitchen staff served the noodles down a bamboo tube with running spring water. We had to catch the noodles with chopsticks.

After a sumptuous lunch, it was time for a little work-out. We let the girls try out boating in the lake.

After the boating was done, we drove to another side of Takachiho Gorge to see 3 bridges built during during eras visually criss-crossing one another, the place is called Triple Bridge.

Soon, everyone was tired. We drove back to the house to rest.

At night, it was time to do laundry.

Laundry time!

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22-December-2016

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Today, we took a day trip to Mount Aso. Before we headed off to Mount Aso, we stopped by Kunimigaoka.

Kunimigaoka is 513m above sea level from which you can get a magnificent all-round panoramic view. On the east, Takachiho Basin spreading along the Gokase River. On the west, Mount Aso’s somma and five peaks. On the north, Mount Sobo, 1,757m high, and other mountain ranges. On the south, the sacred mountain, Mt. Futagami and the adjacent mountains in Shiba. It is an excellent view spot.

When we arrived there, there was no one else and it was drizzling.

On good weather in the early morning, visitors could see clouds shrouding the gorge, and the sun rising in the far horizon.

We didn't witness this experience.

We set off to wards Mount Aso. It was a rather long ride up and down the winding roads. Our first stop was the Aso Shrine. However... just like Kumamoto Castle, it was also damaged during the earthquake.

Don’t leave the Aso region without paying a visit to one of the oldest shrines in the country. The sombre and elegant Aso shrine 阿蘇神社 dates back to 281 AD or before the time of Japan’s first emperor. One of the oldest, most prominent shrines in Japan it is still very much a working shrine holding a variety of rites and festivals throughout the year. These rituals such as the Hifuri-Shinji and Onda Matsuri have been granted important cultural heritage status in Japan.

The main gate and hall of worship of Aso Shrine sadly collapsed in the Kumamoto earthquake of April 16th 2016. However, the shrine can still be visited and festivals will still be held throughout the year. In fact witnessing the damage first hand is a very humbling experience. The shrine will be rebuilt but the cost will be high, over 20 billion yen (12 million pounds) the majority of the cost will have to be met by the shrine itself so fundraising is vital. The rebuilding process is expected to take at least 10 years.

We proceeded onwards to Daikanbo Peak. While traveling along the winding road, we briefly stopped for photo-taking of the beautiful landscape.

Daikanbo Peak is one of the peaks of Aso northern somma, which is located north east of Uchimaki Onsen (hot spring).At one time, the peak was called Tomigabana (a nose seen from a distance), however the great writer Soho Tokutomi named the peak Daikanbo, due to the request of the Mayor Kojima of Uchimaki town in May of the 11th year of the Taisho Era (1922). The view of the five peaks of the Aso and Kuju mountain range from Daikanbo Peak is splendid, when fields of cloud surround the peak it is especially beautiful. The view is called the Nehan-zo (Nirvana Buddha), because the peeks shape looks like a sleeping Buddha. A panoramic view of Aso town from the observatory is also nice. There are gift shops and restaurants. It is also an astronomical observation spot. Its altitude is 936m, and it is the highest peak of the somma.

Finally we moved on towards Mount Aso Observation Centre. It took more time than usual as several roads were closed during the winter and we had to take detours. The road leading up Mount Aso was under construction as it was also damaged by the earthquake. Nonetheless, we found our way to the Observation Centre safely. It was cold and raining heavily. We decided to take lunch first before exploring further. And all the way up, there was very thick fog and reduced visibility.

Halfway through lunch, thick fog covered the entire vicinity. There was strong winds and heavy rain. Visibility was very low. The path leading out to the observation point was closed by the authority. Hence, we waited a while at the cafeteria for improved weather before driving back to Takachiho.

For the rest of the day and evening. We decided to do a little grocery shopping at a Pharmacy-cum-supermarket near the Yukiko-san house. We bought foodstuff and cooked a simple dinner.