The Ramen Run in Kyushu: The End

To review our trip :

The bikes worked well and lightweight touring is easier.  No tents to erect and take down nor our heavy duty bikes to lug around.  

Credit card touring is of course more expensive but that hot bath or hot shower is worth the cost.

The Japanese are massive cyclists but mainly to and from work or school.  It's organised with secure bike parking at stations, offices, etc.  We left our bikes outside buildings.  In the UK or Italy, they would have gone in seconds.  Not so in Japan.  Cyclists can ride with care on pavements and most main roads have segregated bike lanes.

The island of Kyushu has an amazing coastline.  All the small ports were busy with fishing, seaweed collection and market gardening.  Very few young people around.  They must have left for the cities.  The old folk seem to work forever; ladies bent double from their work.  The next generation will have found machines and robots to work the fields.  

Southern Kyushu has an early spring.  We were not too cold with the right cycling gear.

It would have been better with a tougher puncture proof set of tyres.  We may consider moving up to 700 x 28C

There is no need to carry much clothing as there are laundry facilities in most hotels or nearby.  Fast and cheap.

Prices of hotels were not cheap but of a high standard.

Food was excellent, fresh and well-presented.

The Japanese are great hosts - polite and considerate.  We fell into their way of lowering our voice, bowing to everyone and smiling.

Japan works.  Discipline and dedication are the key qualities of their society.

All in all, it has been a great trip.  Thank you, Kyushu!

The Ramen Run in Kyushu: In Search of Kabuki

28 February 2017 (44 km)

Cycling is additive.  We decided we still needed to cycle some more!!  Irene researched the town of Yamaga at the end of a 34-km cycle track from Kumamoto (the Yuka Family Road).  Yamaga is famous for its kabuki theatre (the first to be built in Kyushu in 1910) which has undergone extensive renovation.  

It was our last day and since we had to set aside time to pack up the bikes, we decided to take the train to Ueki station.  There we found the path, a disused rail trail with a good tarmac surface.  The ride was fine, winding though bamboo groves, rice fields and garden allotments.  Unburdened by baggage, the bikes just flew.

Arriving at Yamaga, we found the Yachiyoza theatre and were in time for a guided visit as well as a short performance of traditional Japanese dance.  The theatre is magnificent and adorned with decorative advertisements from sponsors of that period.  Many famous Kabuki actors, including the present day celebrated onnagata Bandō Tamasaburō V have performed there.

That evening, we re-visited the local restaurant, Utanoki, from last night.  Found our favourite 9-year-old Amakusa shochu and had the best squid ink spaghetti ever.  The chef came out from the kitchen to accept our thanks.

 The Yachiyoza theatre was built by local residents in 1910

Odori, a form of Japanese traditional dance from the Kabuki, was created in the Edo period

The Yuka Cycling Road connecting Kumamoto and Yamaga is about 34km long.
This was previously the rail  track for the Yamaga Onsen train.

The Ramen Run in Kyushu: Day out in the Shimabara Peninsula

27 February 2017

We hired a car to explore the hilly Shimabara peninsula.  The fast ferry crossing took 30 minutes.  

First, we drove through Shimabara city centre and its castle.  Visited the well-preserved samurai street.  Three of the bukeyashiki (samurai houses) are open to the public, and the rest are inhabited.  Between the houses ran a pretty gravel road with a stream down the middle.

The drive in the Unzen-Amakusa National Park took us through woods amidst volcanic landscape.  A whiff of sulphur emanating from mineral hot spring fields greeted our arrival in the village of Unzen.  We visited the bubbling jigoku ('Hell') where hot water and gases spout out of the earth.  During the Edo period when Christians were persecuted, these hells were used to execute Christian rebels after the failed Shimbara rebellion.

After a quick foot-bath and and some delicious speciality local biscuits, we headed back to Kumamoto.

It was a pleasant break in glorious weather.

Feeding the gulls on the ferry 

Shimabara Samurai Street

Unzen Hell