I had the good fortune this spring to visit Japan. My husband’s grandparents emigrated from Kumamoto prefecture in southern Japan. Ron and I had long intended to visit the region, but we kept putting off the trip year after year for the usual reasons of time and money and language issues. Neither of us speaks any Japanese. But last fall it occurred to us “If not now, when?” So we sat down with our daughter (who does speak a little Japanese) and son-in-law and booked our flight to Fukuoka, which is a large city just a short train-ride away from Kumamoto. We chose to go the week that the University of Hawaii takes spring break in the hope that our son could come along too. As it turned out, my son couldn’t make it, but our timing was exquisite, because we stepped off the plane to find ourselves at the peak of cherry blossom season. We couldn’t have planned it better if we’d tried. Actually, if we’d tried, I’m sure we wouldn’t have done nearly so well, because the season was predicted to peak a week later.

We wanted the “Japan experience” so for most of the trip we stayed in typically Japanese hotels. The first was the b Hakata Hotel with tiny rooms and a great rate. We did a lot of walking, took cabs a few times, and eventually figured out the local tram system. We tried to “eat local” as much as possible, discovering small restaurants that generally specialized in delicious variations of ramen or curry or some such dish. Over and over it turned out that having my daughter along to translate the few necessary words made the difference between consternation and success!

The weather was constantly changing, from gloom and rain one day to brilliant sunshine the next, but there were no days when we couldn’t get out and about, so we were very lucky.

A few observations that we all agreed on: one was how safe we felt, no matter where we were walking. Maybe this is tourist-optimism, but I doubt it. Second, how friendly people were. While few people spoke English and then only a little, everyone was helpful and outgoing and quite interested in talking to my daughter and helping her figure out what was going on. And third, despite the language barrier, we all felt really at home. I’ve heard others talk about the overwhelming strangeness of Japan, but none of us felt that. There are peculiarities certainly! But I suspect Hawaii has adopted many customs and habits and behaviors from Japanese culture, many that we’re not even conscious of, so that there is a sense of familiarity when visiting.

In summary, it was a fantastic trip, and we hope to go back very soon, perhaps in the fall to see the autumn foliage.

My daughter is a professional photographer, so I didn’t bother to take many photos of my own. I’ve included just a few below, but to see the quality pictures, check out Dallas Nagata White on G+. She’s posted a few Japan photos there.

PSA: We flew on Hawaiian Airlines, as we do whenever we can. They are terrific, they have a fantastic mileage program, and if you’re on the west coast of the USA, I recommend them highly. (If you’re in Hawaii, you already know all this.) They fly to many cities in the western US, and in recent years have been expanding their routes to include New York, along with international destinations in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Samoa, Japan, and Korea. Check them out when planning your next trip! (And no, I don’t get a kickback. :-))

Kumamoto Castle on a glorious spring day.

Honmyō-ji Temple in Kumamoto is on a hillside, looking out over the city. We visited on a festival night, with thousands of candles lit along a long stairway. This photo was taken above the temple, just before dark.

A view of Fukuoka from Atago Shrine. There is a wonderful tea house right by the shrine, with a cherry tree outside the window that is over a hundred years old. It was in full bloom when we visited. Oh, and the favorite tourist destination of our hostess? Maui, of course!

Mount Aso’s crater: this is the largest active volcano in Japan, located in Kumamoto Prefecture.

Suizen-ji Jōju-en, a garden in Kumamoto, with an earthen sculpture of Mount Fuji.

We rode the famous Shinkansen from Fukuoka to Kumamoto. I highly recommend this mode of travel! Going to Kumamoto, there were lots of passengers, but for some reason when we returned, the train was nearly empty.

After a few days in Kumamoto, we returned to Fukuoka–and cherry blossom season was nearly over. This is Maizuru Park with the ruins of an old castle. The blossoms are falling, but there were still a lot of people picnicking on lawns covered with pink petals.

My son-in-law and daughter, Ed and Dallas White, at Suizen-ji Jōju-en garden, Kumamoto.

Ron and I at Atago Shrine in Fukuoka.

Posted on: Saturday, April 27th, 2013 at 10:35 am
Categories: Travel.
Tags: cherry blossoms, Fukuoka, Japan, Kumamoto, sakura