Microblog

Hiked all day on volcano Aso-san. Massive caldera. Air quality got iffy at its steaming crater: told to “evacuate.”

Thursday: early train from Kumamoto, hike on huge, live volcano (Aso-san–see map pin), then evening train to Oita.

History day #2: massive Kumamoto Castle, a reproduction. The last samuris largely destroyed the original in 1877.

Dejima artificial island, Nagasaki: from 1641–1859, Japan’s only link to Europe. That’s why I’m visiting Nagasaki.

Origami cranes, Nagasaki Peace Park.

Monday evening, Nagasaki downtown and harbor from the top of Mt. Inasa.

Today, Monday: Kagoshima to my next base, Nagasaki. I’ll take a bullet train, then an express train.

Climbed a 3000 ft volcano with a Swedish dancer. The trail curves round the volcano, no switchbacks–unique in Japan.

Wrote about why I enjoy hiking, particularly in Japan.

Early evening jetfoil back to Kagoshima after another good day hiking in the mountains of the island of Yakushima.

Postcard for C and D from the island of Yakushima. It was my admission ticket to Yakushima National Park.

Hiked all day through a huge ancient cedar forest between 3500 ft and sea level. Some trees are 1000’s of years old.

Thursday, 2:00 p.m. My 8-tatami room for the next 2 nights on Yakushima Island, looking out on the East China Sea.

Thursday 11:15 a.m. Waiting to board jetfoil that will take me from Kagoshima to the little island of Yakushima.

My hotel room toilet is the most technological yet. I’ve no idea what you’re supposed to do in a power outage.

9:40 p.m. Arrived Kagoshima off bullet train.