Hell Tour, with children fearful of the Demons 🙂

After a long time, we decided to travel to Kyushu, heading from Beppu to Aso. For the adults, there were hot springs and delicious food awaiting, and for the child, there were large amusement parks like Jyojima Park and opportunities to interact with animals at places like Aso Farm Land. The luggage claim counter at Oita Airport caught our attention, so I snapped a quick photo.

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After picking up our rental car, we leisurely drove towards Beppu’s Hell Tour, starting with the strikingly vivid blue “Sea Hell.” The steam rising from various spots and the bubbling liquids in strange colors were still fascinating and fun to watch. My child enjoyed watching the bubbling, even throwing small stones into the pools.

The flowers of the giant water lilies were in full bloom, and there were needle dragonflies resting on the flowers, which I hadn’t seen in a long time. At the gift shop, my child was more interested in toys than the “shishiyuzu” fruit. After dragging them away from the shop, we enjoyed the famous “Hell-steamed” pudding and ice cream. The pudding, which I think I had the last time I visited, was as rich and delicious as ever!

It had been almost 10 years since my wife and I visited. We remembered feeding the hippos and wanted our child to see it too. “I think it’s probably at the nearby Mountain Hell,” we thought, and so we made our way there. Steaming vapors were rising from the mountain slopes, which was impressive, though it didn’t have the same visual impact as the Sea Hell. However, the hippos were still there. Based on their age, they seemed to be the same ones from our visit a decade ago. My wife, as she did back then, happily fed them carrots, but our child was startled by their large size and quickly ran away 🙂 . As we continued our Hell Tour and walked around, the sight of steam rising from various spots still amazed us.

Next, we headed to Oniyama Hell, hoping to see the many crocodiles. The first thing that caught us off guard was the bubbling hot spring pool, a scene worthy of the name “Hell.” Our kid was terrified by the red demon in the distance and started to cry a little. As we walked deeper into the area, we saw a lot of crocodiles. The sheer number of them was overwhelming. Most of them were lying still, so it was a bit boring. When I suggested talking to them, my child immediately responded, “Shh! Don’t wake them!” in a panicked voice. But as I held my child up for a better view, the crocodiles suddenly went into a frenzy as though they thought it was feeding time. “This is your fault! I told you to be quiet!” my child complained, half in tears. Even with that, we had a lot of fun on the Hell Tour.

Beppu Onsen – Umine

Since we love hot springs, we considered staying at an older, more historical onsen ryokan, but for the sake of family service, I chose Umine. It’s located in the city center, with a view of the sea and rooms with their own onsen. We could also enjoy a teppanyaki course meal. While not exactly an “absolutely breathtaking” view, it was still very nice to relax with the sound and breeze of the sea while soaking in the hot springs with the family. As a hotel, the amenities were great, and the room was spacious, making for a very comfortable two-day stay.

Despite worrying about how our child would do, the staff were very attentive, giving our child an insect puzzle to keep them entertained, which allowed us to fully enjoy the teppanyaki course. We had local vegetables, thick shiitake mushrooms from Takachiho, filet steak, and other dishes served with various salts.

From Jyojima Highland Park to Usuki

We then headed to Jyojima Highland Park, which offers a Kids’ Driving School where even preschoolers can earn a real-looking license through driving lessons. We got there early, reserved a spot for the lessons, and took a stroll through the park. We found a foot bath, which was a welcome relief on the cold day – typical of Beppu. The driving school was very professional. After learning the rules in class, the children got into real-looking cars with all the equipment, like gear shifts, turn signals, and pedals. The kids took it very seriously, and as a parent, I had to sit next to them as a “co-pilot.” The course included signals, a gas station, parking practice, sharp curves, and signs, making it quite realistic.

Once the lessons were over, the kids waited eagerly for the results, and when their names were called, they proudly received their licenses, complete with their photos. There’s even a stamp collection system, where after earning 10 stamps, they can get a gold license and then move on to more advanced tests. It’s quite a serious system! Meanwhile, I enjoyed the first-ever wooden roller coaster in Japan, “Jupiter,” which was quite a ride – noisy and shaky, but exhilarating.

For lunch, we had fried chicken with yuzu pepper, which was a bit of a fresh twist. Considering the location, the food was surprisingly delicious, and we were very satisfied.

After the amusement park, we visited the Usuki Daibutsu, a place I had visited as a student, which left a lasting impression. The stone statues were quite striking, and I was surprised that they had been carved directly from the rock. The memory of that place was still vivid, and it was a calm and nostalgic spot.

The photo on the far left shows the famous Usuki Daibutsu with the Furuzono Stone Buddhas. However, something about it seemed different from what I remembered, so I found a photo of the site from the past, and that’s when it clicked. Back then, there was no structure covering the stone buddhas, and the central statue had its head placed down in a resting position. These stone statues, carved into a limestone cliff, had suffered significant damage, but it seems they were recently restored and protected. Whether that’s good or bad aside, I do feel drawn to the old state of the place.

The overall scene felt very nostalgic and quintessentially Japanese, creating a calming and peaceful atmosphere. There was a souvenir shop, and when I went in, I found a thin, crisp rice cracker flavored with ginger and sugar – just like the one I bought when I visited here as a student. It brought back memories, so I bought one as a souvenir. It was strange how many memories this place had left intact.

Crossing the Yamanami Highway

The cold was quite intense, and the view from both the Kyusuikei Gorge, where I had hoped to see the autumn leaves, and the Kujū “Yume” Suspension Bridge, was just as cold and somewhat disappointing. The autumn leaves were just beginning to show color in patches, and it seemed like if I had visited a little later, the full beauty of the fall foliage would have been incredible. I considered driving straight to Aso, but since there was a place known for delicious tofu, I decided to take a break and have lunch at Chōjabaru. The simple set meal, made with locally sourced ingredients and plenty of the area’s famous tofu, was absolutely delicious.

 

The scenery along the Yanami Highway from Chōjabaru to Aso is simply breathtaking. At this time of year, the sun lights up the pampas grass and dry weeds, turning everything a golden hue. Passing through views of the outer rim of Aso’s caldera, the mysterious mountain called “Yonezuka,” and the vast Kusasenri plain, I decided to head up to Aso Mountain itself. Since my bronchial condition isn’t very strong, I was a bit nervous about riding the ropeway, especially with all the warning signs saying, “Dangerous for people with bronchial asthma!” But in the end, there were no issues. What really stuck with me was the jade-green color of the water that had collected in the crater – it looked almost toxic. My wife isn’t too fond of such things, so I had her wait in a bunker-like shelter for a while 🙂 .

Tarutama-Onsen Yamaguchi Ryokan

Tarutama Onsen Yamaguchi Ryokan (which is set to reopen as Tarutama Onsen Taki-biyori after suffering major damage in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake) is a place I always stay at whenever I visit Aso. It’s a quiet, secluded inn in the mountains, offering simple yet delicious meals, wonderful hot springs, and a fantastic outdoor bath with a view of a waterfall. I will never forget the warm hospitality they showed when I had a small issue during my first visit. Although it was a bit early for the autumn leaves, the peaceful atmosphere during the weekday, when there weren’t many people around, allowed me to relax and enjoy the baths. Kajika-no-Yu, an open-air bath with a thatched roof, left a strong impression on me.

Ten-no-Yu is a very large indoor bath, and personally, I love the atmosphere here. From the large windows, I was able to catch glimpses of the autumn leaves just starting to change color, which was wonderful. The water takes on a pale blue hue due to the light coming through the windows, creating a quite mystical feeling. The highlight of this onsen is the “Taki-no-Yu” (Waterfall Bath), where you can enjoy a view of a waterfall. The onsen water here is rich in iron and heats you up thoroughly. The bath typically has a whitish, green-brown color, which always excites me as a fan of hot springs. The spring water here is called Tarutama’s famous spring water, and it’s perfect to drink after a bath.

When I stayed here before, we had meals in our room, but this time, the meals were served at the irori (traditional Japanese hearth). Despite being simple, every dish was incredibly delicious. The inn retains its timeless atmosphere, and I hope to return in another 2-3 years. Although I didn’t visit this time, there is also the Jigoku Onsen (Hell Onsen) further up the mountain from this inn, which is quite an interesting place to check out.

Aso Farm Land

Aso Farm Land (Aso Farm Village) is a fun place for families with children. It has many activities, and the dome-shaped accommodations are quite unique and interesting. The sight of so many dome-shaped rooms lined up together is unusual and looks like nothing I’ve seen before. At night, the lights from each room create a magical atmosphere.

Although I was a bit unsure about the strange shape of the rooms, they turned out to be spacious and very comfortable. I expected my child to enjoy the room, but what they really loved was the light displays. There were many lights shaped like animals, which made my child treat it like a zoo! They kept guiding me through it, just like a zoo tour guide :). Anyway, the light displays, using a huge number of light bulbs, were absolutely beautiful and definitely worth seeing.

We had to wait until the next morning to see if the weather would be good, but I decided to go ahead and book a hot air balloon ride. When I woke up the next morning, the weather was calm with no wind, so it looked like it would be perfect! Although it was a short experience, it was my first time, and I was excited to see if it would be an unforgettable experience for my child as well.

Before the main event, there was a surprise: a sea of clouds. I’ve seen this before, but I felt like this was the most beautiful one I’ve ever witnessed. The sunrise was also stunning, and it was amazing to see how the sea of clouds slowly disappeared as the sun rose, creating a magical scene.

It was my first time ever riding in a hot air balloon. As I watched the balloon rise with the sound of “whoosh” and the warm air being pumped in, my excitement grew. The basket was smaller than I expected, but soon we were off. I’ve flown in airplanes many times, but the feeling of gently floating straight up was really strange and amazing.

The cold, crisp air made the experience even better, and I was completely satisfied as I looked at Mount Aso and the surrounding mountains, with steam rising from the volcano.

Aso Farm Land has so many things to do, including an onsen, a small petting zoo, a fun area called “Genki-no-Mori” where you can try various physical challenges, and other health-related experiences. There are also restaurants and cafes serving local ingredients, as well as places to shop for things like milk from the farm and Aso beer. There’s so much to do that one day isn’t enough, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun it was. One of the things I always wanted to try, the doctor fish experience, turned out to be perfect for the whole family to enjoy :).

The final part of the trip: Kumamoto Castle and ramen.

I originally wanted to fly back from Kumamoto Airport to Haneda, but I couldn’t get the right flight tickets, so on the way to Fukuoka Airport, I stopped by Kumamoto Castle for a break. It’s a castle that I think is beautiful every time I see it. On that day, members of the Higo Chonkake Koma Preservation Society were practicing and showing their skills, and my child even got to play a bit, which was a lot of fun.

The final stop of the trip was Hakata’s takana ramen. The 5-day, 4-night trip felt a bit busy for us lately, but we had a great time and enjoyed every moment. Kyushu really is delicious and fun!