Sekino-o Falls and the Oketsugun Potholes
“Woaah!” I exclaimed to Mark. “Are you seeing this?” The red shrine that he was investigating wasn’t enough to distract me from the roar of water falling down. An unexpected stop on our roadtrip…
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Doll Festival in Aya Town
At this time of year, special dolls are set out on displays in homes and shops around Japan for the annual hinamatsuri (doll festival) celebration on March 3. I’ve always been a teddy…
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Volcanic Island Sakurajima
I have never seen an active volcano in real life before, so when John reminded me that there was one just a 15 minute ferry ride away from where we would…
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Walking Tour of Obi Castle Town
After Naked Man Festival, we decided to drive the hour south to see Obi Castle Town (飫肥城下町), the “Little Kyoto” of Kyushu. The town was built on the remains of Obi…
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Naked Man Festival
When I returned to Japan after Christmas break, I found it only a couple of degrees warmer than I left it. Averaging a high of 13°C a day (about 55°F),…
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Christmas Lights in Miyazaki
For a country that doesn’t really celebrate Christmas, Japan sure knows how to do Christmas lights. They are the romantic backdrop for Christmas Eve – a night celebrated like Valentines Day,…
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Nyutabaru Air Festival
I’ve barely left my apartment these past two weekends: a last effort in tightening the purse strings before my big trip to New York later this month (12 days and…
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Aya Town
On the fourth day of Matthew’s visit – and the last day we would have time to do sightseeing together – we decided to visit Aya. An hour or so west…
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Nichinan Coast Part 2: Monkey Island and the Red Shrine
In early November, my former roommate and longtime bro, Matthew, came to Miyazaki for a visit. This is Part 2 of our road trip down the Nichinan Coast. Part 1 is here. I…
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Nichinan Coast Part 1: Wild Horses and an Abandoned Hotel
In early November, my former roommate and longtime bro, Matthew, came to Miyazaki for a visit. This is Part 1 of our road trip down the Nichinan Coast. Part 2 is…
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Garden of Statues in Heiwadai Park
One of the history teachers who used to work at my school (he was transferred to Miyakonojo) sent me on a little treasure hunt one typhoon day. The students weren’t at…
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