The beauty & rich history of Kyushu

MANILA, Philippines - For most Filipinos, Japan has recently become the choice travel destination especially during spring, when the sakura (cherry blossom) is in full bloom. Tokyo and Osaka have been the most obvious picks, given that they are Japan’s two biggest and most progressive cities.

But coming back to Japan doesn’t necessarily mean going to the same places for those who want to relish the Japanese experience. Kyushu Island, Japan’s southernmost and third biggest island, offers a more grounded but enriching experience of Japan through its amazing scenery and rich history.

Our entry point to Kyushu is through Fukuoka City, which is the island’s biggest city (Philippine Airlines flies to Fukuoka 14 times a week) and from there, the Japan National Tourism Organization toured us to Kyushu’s three biggest cities: Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Kumamoto, and the island’s natural environment in Yufuin, Oita and Beppu.

Nagasaki

From the airport, we immediately took a 90-minute drive to Huis Ten Bosch, a Dutch-inspired theme park redevelopment in Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture. The moment you step into Huis Ten Bosch, you suddenly feel lost and confused because it looks like you’re in the Netherlands, but inhabited by Japanese. Early on, it was only the Netherlands that was allowed into the Japanese port because it was simply interested in maintaining trade relations with them, thus resulting in its cultural influence.

You won’t get tired walking around the sprawling 25-year-old theme park whether it’s day or nighttime (in fact, I suggest you do both), because the place is filled with castles, Dutch houses which you can own, buildings, canals, cathedrals, even a faithful replica of one of the Dutch Royal Family’s residences, and of course windmills! Huis Ten Bosch at night is an impressive neon delight and simply breathtaking.

Admittedly, my knowledge of Nagasaki was previously confined to the fact it was the site where the second atomic bomb was dropped on Aug. 9, 1945, signaling the end of World War II. But there was more to Nagasaki that I got to know up close in an unexpected, spiritual way.

Nagasaki is home to Christian Japan, where a lot of residents are practicing Roman Catholics. We got to visit one of Nagasaki’s main churches, the Urakami Cathedral. Founded in the late 1800s, it was said that Mass was held at the time of the bombing to anticipate the feast of Mary’s Assumption (Aug. 15), and all the churchgoers inside were cindered and buried. Only the Urakami Cathedral tower was left, and some of its statues that were left are displayed at the adjacent chapel. The cathedral was rebuilt in 1980 to its original architectural form to commemorate Christian persecution and victims of the atomic blast. 

Not far from the Urakami Cathedral is the site of the Peace Park, exactly at the location where the plutonium-based atomic bomb exploded 1,800 meters above land and obliterated 75 percent of Nagasaki’s population at the time. At the park’s north end is the imposing 10-meter Peace Statue, created by sculptor Seibo Kitamura. The statue’s upward-pointing right hand symbolizes the threat of nuclear weapons while its left arm extended forward represents everlasting peace. Its mild face commemorates the victims of the bombing. An annual event is held at the Peace Park on Aug. 9 with nations all over the world renewing its vow for peace.

Our trip to the Museum of the 26 Martyrs is a revelation of how Christianity struggled and eventually prevailed especially in this part of Kyushu Island. During the Edo period, Japan entered into isolation to preserve itself against Western conquest. Wary of the spreading Western colonialism in Asia, the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate from Edo outlawed Christianity in the country and began a series of persecutions of foreign priests and practicing locals.

It was during this time when the first Filipino saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz, was persecuted in Nagasaki in 1639. It was heartwarming to see that there was a special altar made for St. Lorenzo Ruiz before the entrance of the Museum of the 26 Martyrs in Nagasaki City, to commemorate his sacrifice and martyrdom for his conviction to the Catholic faith.

While gazing through the streets of Nagasaki city proper, you immediately notice the simple and orderly way of life there. Buses and trams are its main means of city commuting; cute kei cars fill up the Nagasaki traffic; and, like Fukuoka, its buildings are often mid-rise. The city is full of hills and slopes, and you see a panorama of houses that occupy the hills of Nagasaki. At night, we got treated to a view of the whole city at Mount Inasa, the highest point of Nagasaki.

The next morning, we traveled to Shimabara City, still within the Nagasaki Prefecture, and got to marvel at the five-story Shimabara Castle, site of the 1638 Shimabara Rebellion, which effectively but not entirely wiped out Christianity in Kyushu. What’s unique about the tower is that it’s clad in imposing white, as opposed to the castles of that era built in black to cloud them from attacks.

Overlooking the Shimabara coastline is an active volcano, Mount Unzen, which last erupted in 1991. Mount Unzen is actually a cluster of overlapping  strato-volcanoes. In 1792, one of its lava domes, Mount Mayuyama, collapsed when it erupted unexpectedly from an earthquake that caused an unimaginable tsunami that swung back and forth along Shimabara, killing 15,000 people. To date, it is the worst volcanic eruption in Japan’s history.

We were also invited to take a look at a Bukeyashiki, or Samurai House. Walking into the Shimabara neighborhood to the Samurai House, you see a glimpse of a typical Shimabara house, which is brimming with simplicity, greenery within small spaces and cleanliness. Even the water streaming into their canals is so crystal clear!

The first thing you notice inside a house of a samurai is its bare simplicity: just clean mats and nothing much else. A small foot-high table greets its living room, where the samurai usually received his guests. The samurai’s life was dedicated to hours of training; hence their spare time was only devoted to resting and attending to their hobbies. Despite their very simple lifestyle, the samurai held a revered role in the society and was considered a highly respected role model.

Kumamoto

We traveled across the Ariake Sea via a ferry to reach Kumamoto City, where we were treated to lunch with a Kumamoto-style cuisine. The highlight of the lunch was our first time to taste basashi, which is raw, sliced horsemeat. From there, we were taught how to prepare Karashi Renkon, a lotus root that has a specially prepared horseradish filling. This famous appetizer is supposed to cure colds and is a very popular healthy option among the Japanese.

We traveled into the heart of Kumamoto City where we got to see the impenetrable Kumamoto Castle, considered one of Japan’s three premier castles. Constructed from 1467 to 1610 by Kato Kiyomasa, the Kumamoto Castle was the site of the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion, which saw its formidability during its siege. Unfortunately, the castle was badly damaged from the magnitude 7.0 earthquakes that struck Kumamoto in April 2016. There are 13 structures throughout the complex and its main tower and several turrets were almost destroyed. It was heartbreaking to hear that the castle’s complete restoration was done in 2008, and it would take billions of dollars to once again have the main tower restored in 2019, and the entire complex in 2036.

Within the Kumamoto Prefecture is Mount Aso, site of the largest active volcanoes in the world. Mount Aso has a 75-mile circumferential caldera, and consists of five peaks,: Mount Taka, Mount Naka, Mount Neko, Mount Eboshi and Mount Kishima. Mount Taka is the highest point of Mount Aso, which is 5,223 feet above sea level, while Mount Naka is an active volcano that continues to emit smoke. Coming from a rainy day in Kyushu, clouds were covering some parts of the mountain ranges. We were lucky to be treated to a mountainside horse ride despite the foggy weather.

Oita’s hot, hot springs

Being a mountainous island known for its frequent tectonic activity, Kyushu is famous for its hot springs, particularly in the Oita Prefecture in the north. The most popular tourist hot spring destination is the Beppu Onsen, known to be the largest spring resort in Japan. Tourists are given a “hell tour” since water temperature from the hot spring gushes up to 98°C.  Another popular hot spring destination is Lake Kinrinko in Yufuin district, where you get to enjoy a picturesque view of the lake aside from its hot spring attraction.

Lake Kinrinko seems to be a favorite weekend destination of the young and old, mainly because it is just beside the Yufuin Flower Village that used to be a quiet old village that was converted into a hawker-style retail and food market. Here you get to shop for unique souvenir items, from anime-style shirts, a talking Hello Kitty to the latest Japanese delicacies such as the melted cheese croquette, for which you have to queue up.

You can go around the Yufuin Flower Village and Lake Kinrinko in a rickshaw, or walk around in a traditional kimono, which we got the chance to do and feel like locals. For girls, yukata is the choice fabric for summer. The kimono is still popularly worn in Japan whether you’re in cosmopolitan Tokyo or here in Kyushu.

Dazaifu Tenman-gu

On our last day before heading to Fukuoka Airport, we traveled for two and a half hours from Oita City to the largest Shinto shrine in Kyushu, the Daizaifu Tenman-gu. The Dazaifu Tenman-gu is one of Japan’s three great Tenjin shrines, dedicated to Tenjin, the deified form of Sugawara no Michizane or the god of learning. The Dazaifu Shrine was built in 905 AD, two years after Michizane died in exile in Dazaifu, which used to be the administrative capital of Kyushu during the Heian period.

As our last meal before heading to Manila, we were treated to Ichiran Ramen, Japan’s No.1 ramen chain. Ichiran originates from Fukuoka City and is known for its distinct pork broth and thick, bold noodles. As the popularity of ramen houses has skyrocketed in Manila in recent years, do not visit Japan without trying the Ichiran Ramen, known as a benchmark for the most authentic ramen noodle.

Conclusion

Discovering Kyushu by going to its three biggest cities and traveling to four prefectures in five days may be a very tiring experience for some (we changed hotels every day!) but the experience is well worth it, leaving you with a wider knowledge not only of its rich natural habitat, but its impressive culture and history as well.

As the southernmost main island of Japan, I was expecting Kyushu to bear a different stamp of culture, language and probably race, similar to, say, Mindanao compared to Luzon. But Kyushu, I discovered, is intrinsically Japanese with historically strong links to the main island. Discovering Kyushu also gave me a good impression and realization of why Japan is a great nation and how it came to be. Despite opening itself to the world in the 19th century and turning itself into an economic power after the Second World War, its greatness is deeper than that because Japan has a rich history and traditions that have stood for many millennia and are preserved to this day. It took a trip to Kyushu Island to appreciate that.