Ep7 | De BEPPU à OSAKA et BILAN de 2 semaines dans le KYUSHU (Silent Travel Vlog Subtitled) | Japon
Takachiho Gorge in Miyazaki Prefecture is a star attraction in Kyushu. Following the earthquake the day before, boat trips were prohibited. The particularity of these gorges is that they were carved by the rapid cooling of an ancient lava flow from Mount Aso and the Gokase River. The place is also famous for the Minai waterfall. Takachiho is also linked to Japanese mythology. It was also not far from the gorge that we had gone to see the Kagura. It is here that Amaterasu, the sun goddess hid, causing an endless night. From Kagoshima, the gorge was about a 3.5 hour drive. We were transported and we planned to drive a good part of the day to reach Beppu. This only added an hour to our total travel time and gave us a nice little break. But if you’re not nearby, I wouldn’t recommend the detour. It’s pretty, but you go around quickly and the gorges are in the mountains. After about two hours of driving, we arrived in Usuki. There are several things to visit here, but we stuck to the stone Buddhas. They are engraved on the cliff. It is here that there is the largest collection of stone Buddhas in Japan. They would have been sculpted in the 12th century. Entrance was 550円 per person, so around €7 for the two of us. There are also historic streets and samurai residences in Usuki. After 45 minutes, we arrived in Beppu. The city is famous for its onsens. It would have a little less than 3,000. You can see the smoke from almost everywhere in the city. This point of view allows you to admire them. We did it at sunset, then later in the evening. For our last hotel in an Onsen town, we really enjoyed ourselves! We paid around €280 per night. This includes: overnight stay, dinner, breakfast, access to the private onsen and parking. We thought we were having shabu shabu, but we got a Kaiseki dinner! It is a traditional Japanese meal, composed of several small dishes. Seasonal and local ingredients are used. We wanted to translate the menu, then we said to ourselves that we were going to be surprised. We weren’t used to some of the foods, but everything was excellent! Even though the portions seem small, we had more than enough! It was really filling. We ate our first Ochazuke with Dashi and small fish. First time wearing pants! The outfit was super comfortable. Head to the onsens. Breakfast was also perfect. On the day’s program: “The hells of Beppu”. There are seven hot springs to visit. Entrance was 450円 per Jigoku or 2200円 for the pass. We took the pass, which cost us around €27 together. Each “hell” has unique characteristics. We speak of “hell” or jigoku, because of the intense hydrothermal activity here. It once frightened the locals. The first hell we made was “Umi Jigoku” or Sea Hell. The boiling water there is turquoise blue. Umi Jigoku was formed more than 1200 years ago following an eruption of Mount Tsurumi. It owes its color to a high concentration of iron sulfate. Already in the Meji era, the Kannawa district of Beppu was popular for its hot springs. Some photos of a matsuri in Beppu. The “Oniishibozu Jigoku” or the hell of the Monk’s Heads. Here you can see bubbles of gray mud that look like shaved monks’ heads. As is often the case in Japan, here too you can collect stamps at every hell. “Kamado Jigoku” is cauldron hell. This is where there were the most people. According to legend, locals used the heat of the springs to prepare meals during local shrine festivals. The vapors could be inhaled into the throat. Beppu has become a place of “pilgrimage” for some Demon Slayer fans. Kamado Jigoku is of course associated with Kamado Tanjiro. In addition to the name, there would be connections between the Kagura of Hachiman Kamado Shrine and Tanjiro’s fire techniques in the manga. We would love to visit the sanctuary, but that will be for next time! Here, the steam is supposed to be good for the skin. It especially ruined my blow-dry 🙂 There was a lot of fun in the Korean tourist groups! “Oniyama Jigoku” or Hell of Demon Mountain was the one we didn’t like. It has actually been a reptile breeding site since 1918. The intense heat and high humidity make it an ideal place for crocodiles to grow. There are said to be around 80 crocodiles and alligators. The problem is that we don’t understand the reason for this breeding and the enclosures contained a lot of them… The White Lake Hell or “Shiraike Jigoku” is a milky color. It owes its color to the high concentration of sodium chloride. There is also an aquarium which raises questions about animal welfare… It really wasn’t big and above all very austere. The style of aquarium we expected to see… The pond is surrounded by a Japanese garden. “Chinoike Jigoku” is Blood Lake Hell. It is one of the oldest hells in Beppu. Its history dates back more than 1300 years. Its color comes from mud rich in iron oxide and other minerals. We finished with the “Tatsumaki Jigoku”, the Geyser of Hell. The geyser erupts every 30 to 40 minutes for 6 to 10 minutes. It can project burning water up to 30 meters high. It is, however, contained by a rocky roof placed above it. We then took the road to Fukuoka. It was time to return the car. We originally planned to stay one night in Fukuoka before taking the train to Osaka. Since we hadn’t booked anything in advance, we said to ourselves that we would prefer to spend 2 nights in Osaka. After returning the car, we went to Hakata Station, a 15-minute walk away. We booked our train ticket on site and got on the train 10 minutes later. Fluid, easy, effective. The only downside: taking the train so quickly, we didn’t have time to eat. I really thought there would be some on the train… The Fukuoka – Osaka journey lasted 2h30 and cost us 31,640円 (around €195 for two). Beppu is a nice stop, even if we only stayed one night. Our hotel is a big favorite! The slightly expensive price is justified by the meals, the onsens and the service. Beppu Jigoku is nice, but it’s not really a must-have. So far, Osaka is our favorite city in Japan! What a pleasure to find her again! But it was clearly a contrast to the rest of the trip for the people on the streets. We had to get used to hearing the hotel staff only speak to us in English. I was very hungry since we hadn’t eaten anything on the train… We went to one of the only places open in the area… It wasn’t great, not very clean and too expensive for what it was. After a not-so-great dinner, we treated ourselves to breakfast. John absolutely wanted to test the Choco Cro after having often heard about it in Sumimasen Turbo! Tested and approved! The Purikura! You can often find an entire floor of them in arcades. There are often mirrors for applying makeup and even hair straighteners. Everything you need to be “kawaii” and look great for your photos! I missed it! This is an excellent way to have very typical souvenir photos. We did two different Purikura. It was 1000円 for both, so around €6. Before, there was only printing of photos. Now it’s sent to a site. A little complicated to understand since it’s entirely in Japanese… I realized that I already had an account with old photos! I was able to download everything. Small preventive measure in certain purikura… We then went to do a little shopping and eating. 1700円 for the two dishes (around 10€50). We took the subway to see the illuminations near Osaka Castle. It was 2000円 the entry. Almost €25 for the two of us. We then wanted to see the illuminations on the Bentencho side. But we didn’t know that it was at the onsens and that you had to pay entrance to the hot springs for that. We didn’t come for nothing… It allowed us to discover Avantgardey! Solaniwa Onsen, it seems to be a bit like the Dinsey of Onsen… But it really looks really nice inside! I hope to go there one day… But we’ll have to see what I have access to with my tattoos. Avantgardey is a Japanese dance group. It premiered in 2022. In 2023, the girls competed on America’s Got Talent where they made it all the way to the semi-finals. They have already performed all over Asia, but also in Milan. For our last evening, we had a little quality Izakaya. Everything was really good and the presentation was neat. The chef even prepared lightly caramelized chicken hearts for us, although it wasn’t on the menu. We discovered this at the barbecue thanks to our Taiwanese friends. The total price was quite expensive, however. We paid 10,000円 (almost €62) for two. One of the most expensive restaurants of our stay. For our last day, we went to do a small exhibition. That of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, one of the last great Japanese masters of woodblock prints (ukiyo-e). When you’re in Osaka, you have to eat okonomiyaki! Since the one when we arrived was disappointing, we went to Sakura Okonomiyaki where it’s the specialty! I was in heaven! Here we paid 3100円 for our two okonomiyaki and two drinks. That’s around €19. Little wink to Mariko and Naoko!! We found their poster when leaving Osaka! Our time in Osaka was far too short. We would have liked to see our friends we met during our second trip to Japan. Osaka is sometimes called Japan’s “rebel city”. I think in general you either love it or hate it. The fact that it is less calm, more messy, or even more “dirty”, means that some people do not appreciate it and do not find it representative of Japan. It’s precisely his different and rebellious side that makes me love him so much. Compared to Tokyo, I also find that it is easier to meet Japanese people there. However, I have the impression that the city has gained enormously in popularity. I think its gastronomic reputation contributes to this, as well as its proximity to Kyoto. Not forgetting the Universal Exhibition this year. Even at this time of year, there were quite a few people, and more and more Westerners. Like everywhere, if you go a little off the typical tourist route, you find plenty of quiet and nice places. Even at the castle illuminations, there weren’t many people! What to remember from these two weeks in Japan? First of all, once again, we were happy to come back after more than 5 years. We clearly missed Japan! We really enjoyed this trip to this new region! We knew little about Kyushu, and we made great discoveries every day. We must admit that the fall in the yen has made our lives easier. And Kyushu is a less expensive region. We didn’t have to deprive ourselves too much during the trip. We thought the language barrier in this region would be greater, but it hasn’t really been more complicated than elsewhere in Japan. Translation apps are commonly used. We found the people of Kyushu to be very welcoming and warm. We were easily able to talk with the locals, whether in bars or in the middle of matsuri. We have even been approached on public transport or in smoking rooms, which is already less frequent. For those who find this important: we have often been in places where we were alone and in many places where there were no other Westerners. In tourist places, we generally encountered Japanese or Asian tourists. For Hatsumode, we sometimes saw a lot of people in the temples. Same during matsuri. However, these are very typical cultural events in Japan. To avoid them because there are people there is to miss out on an immersive cultural experience. It also means missing important opportunities to interact with locals. And after all, that’s also why we travel and not to find ourselves alone wherever we go. The only other places where there were more people were the Takachiho Gorges and the Beppu Hells. I don’t count, of course, Osaka! We’re not really a fan of Fukuoka. We don’t find much charm in it, but it remains a good starting point for discovering the region. However, we really liked the Tamaseseri at Hakozaki-gû shrine and the taiko at Canal City Hakata. Yanagawa, “the little Venice of Kyushu” is not a must. I was expecting something like Kurashiki. So we were a little disappointed. Stop by if there are festivities or to take a boat ride. John also expected nicer and bigger gardens in Chiran. Except if we have a vehicle, I would not make a detour to the Takachiho Gorges. It’s cute, but we quickly get around it. It can be a lot of driving for a short time there. There are other things to see not far away, so visit the gorges in combination with other activities. The Hells of Beppu are nice, but worth doing if you are in Beppu or if you are with family. Nagasaki was a big favorite. History, culture, tranquility, landscapes, it has it all! We combined it with a Fire Matsuri which clearly marked our stay in Kyushu! Kumamoto Castle is a must-see and one of the best we’ve seen in Japan! It suffered a lot of damage with the earthquake of 2016. There would still be 20 years of work, because they are using traditional techniques for the renovation. Visiting it also means supporting them in their work! The kagura in Takachiho was also a great experience. And of course, what was one of our reasons for visiting Kyushu: its volcanoes. Unzen, Aso, Sakurajima, Karakuni. Each with its own particularities and landscapes. Seeing them so close, seeing them spit their smoke, finding them so beautiful and impressive, but also knowing them so dangerous. Next time: I want to do the Unzen Volcano Museum, I hope to see the lake at the bottom of the crater of Mount Aso and hike there, we will take our time for Sakurajima Island, and we will hike to the lake after climbing Mount Karakuni. In short, plenty of reasons to come back to Kyushu!
On quitte Kagoshima en passant par les Gorges de Takachiho pour rejoindre Beppu. Au programme: détente, onsen, kaiseki, et les Enfers de Beppu. On termine notre voyage par notre ville de coeur, Osaka.
Chapitres:
00:00 – Intro
00:26 – Jour 19: Les Gorges de Takachiko, les Bouddhas d’Usuki et l’arrivée à Beppu
04:42 – Jour 20: Les Enfers de Beppu et notre dernière étape à Osaka
13:36 – Jour 21: Purikura, balade et illuminations au château d’Osaka
20:54 – Jour 22: Exposition et Okonomiyaki
22:51 – Bilan du séjour à Osaka
24:05 – Bilan de nos 2 semaines au Japon
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