Simple Muse: Japan Day 1

Finally get to add another country to my passport. 이모, 나은누나, and I took an hour and 15 minute flight from Incheon to Fukuoka on the Kyūshū Island. The island is south of Korea and subsequently much warmer than the temperatures I was experiencing in Seoul. As I entered the terminal and walked around the airport, there were no immediate indicators that I had arrived in Japan as all the signs were generously displayed in English, Japanese, and Korean. We traveled to Fukuoka in a group of 25 Koreans as a bus tour package that had every destination planned out including food and lodging.

Our first destination was to Dazaifu Tenman-gū, a Shinto Shrine in Fukuoka. During the two hours from the airport to the temple, I was getting a sense of the building topography of Japan and how it differs slightly from Korea’s. The most noticeable difference was the muted colors of the industrial, commercial, and residential buildings. I recognized the large swaths of white buildings from the airplane, but through the large bus windows, I confirmed the predominately white color choice of Japanese buildings. The overall architecture of the area seemed angular. I seldom saw any buildings that embraced any curves. There were deviations from the white, narrow, and upright rectangular commercial buildings, but that was the building plan of choice.

Dazaifu Tenman-gū

Arriving in the packed parking lot of Dazaifu Tenman-gū, we unboarded into the sea of Japanese people. With New Year around the corner, the Japanese packed the streets to visit the shrine to do offerings and prayers for good fortune. We did a ten minute walk through a crowded touristy market street that sold trinkets and various Japanese goods

We arrived at a restaurant at the end of the Temple complex to eat a bento box. There wasn’t anything new within the bento box, but the miso tasted different than one’s I had before. The algae taste was noticeable stronger and gave the soup a more savory feel.

The square temple complex was packed with people; Most were lining up in front of the main shine to do their prayers and offerings. Along the sides of the complex were vendors selling prayers in the form of paper tabs, little red bottles, and envelopes. Each item has been dedicated to a certain prayer or blessing such as doing well in work, school, good health, etc. The items are purchased for a small amount of money. Prayers and offerings are hung or displayed on string, trees, or the temple walls.

Organized prayers

These prayer bottles are for when one has a bad day, bad fortune, or bad feelings. The unfortunate blows into the bottle, cap it, then enjoy the worry free world.

There was a small climb up staircases under through red gates. The painted red gates signify an entrance for higher officials.

Line for prayers and offering at the main shrine

Makeshift shrine tucked in the corner of a building

One of the many shrines around the complex

Shinto worshippers

Prayers

Beppu Sulfur Houses

Another trip on the bus brought us to a town called Beppu. Near the coastline, as we went up the switchback roads, there would be streams of steam peeking up from above the tree line and between houses. We got off at location that had straw huts scattered across the property. The immediate smell of rotten eggs had everyone clamoring. Sulfur. We learned that Beppu is a geothermal hotspot with hot springs and sulfur gases escaping from the ground.

Sulfur clouds rising above the landscape

The straw huts are used to collect and harvest crystallized sulfur. With a hand on the ground anywhere at the site, I would feel warmth coming up. The huts are closed off for collection, but there were two that were open for visitors. The hardened sulfur covered the floor of the huts.

Everyone was encouraged to wash their hands in the warm spring water arising up.

Hardened sulfur on the ground

Beppu Sulfur huts

Kamado Jigoku

Still within Beppu, we visited Kamado Jigoku “Oven Hell.” The site had a variety of interesting hot spring pools.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPU6FH1Jpm0

Sulfur infused steam rising

Foot bath in the extremely hot spring water

Drinking the spring water is said to lower your age by ten years

Browned hardboiled eggs and Japanese Soda

Suginoi Hotel

We arrived at Suginoi Hotel around nightfall. Our room was complete with a tea room and yukatas for us to wear. Guests were expected to wear the yukata, the casual summer kimono, around the hotel as it also acted as our pass to enter the outdoor spas and saunas. We spent the whole night inside the waters overlooking the Beppu Bay.

Arrived at nightfall

Christmas Decorations still up. Get on your game Suginoi Hotel. Still nice though

Required Yukatas

Dinner buffet was at the hotel. Nuclear poisoning or not, I was going to eat as much as possible. Soba, sashimi, sushi, fair share of Italian food, tempura, lots of stirfry, and ice cream.

Daiso

Before we headed to dinner, we visited Daiso. 100 yen for every item. The 99 cent store equivalent. Complete with the extreme use of white LEDs and the unapologetically pink décor. I liked seeing the little quirks of Japanese retail.