AM20: The Japan Journals

Day 75

June 14th

You know, you guys are really spoiled with the hot springs here. Amongst the handful I've stayed at on this trip, every single one has delivered on its unspoken promise of elite comfort and relaxation. Waking up from these crisp, tucked sheets is like removing a layer of muck from my conscience. There's no need for coffee, energy drinks, or a swift kick in the ass. My days just start on the right foot, when I get out of these beds.

Now that I've put that out there, I'm going to go immerse myself in the ash of Mt Aso for a morning spin before heading south down to Takachiho, where there's an enormous gorge. If there was a term to define the day ahead, it would be one of a "driving contradiction". The ryokan was kind enough to give me directions to the gorge, which saved time from what my GPS routed. It looked to be an hour from here, but of course, this day wouldn't have been complete without another pit stop to Mt Aso.

While riding the outer crest of the national park, I got a distant view of Aso's five mountain peaks. Known as "Aso Gogaku", the mountain ranges highlight the enormity of this volcanic region. I still can't wrap my mind around the idea of people living so close to here, as the volatility below the surface would be constantly nerve-racking.

One area that we didn't pass through yesterday was Komezuka, which is a coneshaped bit of the volcano. There's a walking trail on the edges of it, so I figured that would be the ideal way to end my time by the volcano.

The trail is on the northern edge of the volcano, overseeing the massive caldera. Places like this rival looking up into a clear, star filled sky. The levity of the moment overtakes your conscience, as you quickly realize how small we are in this landscape.

At its longest point, Mt. Aso's caldera is said to extend over 70 miles. The fact that something spewed from the Earth to cause that crater is baffling. Quite frankly, it's almost impossible to justify. Humans have been so fortuante to evade natural disasters of that magnitude in our recent history, as one that created this volcano would surely erase Japan, as we know it today.

I spent the remainder of the morning hours, gazing at the different angles of the jagged behemoth. There's a beauty lying in front (and beneath) my feet, as I'm looking onto a formation that took thousands of years to cultivate. Seeing a place like this reminds you of mother nature's awesome complexion and pure power.

Before I departed the park, I plotted the GPS coordinates for Takachiho. The route looked to be about 90 minutes to complete and went southwest, mainly in a jagged pattern (how fitting). In the distance were other mountain ranges, but none as exciting as Aso. Quite frankly, seeing a volcano upclose just spoils the thrill of seeing other mountains.

Something that stood out to me during this ride was the power delivery. Of course, riding at this kind of elevation will change how the engine operates, but the nearby mountain ranges here have really put the pressure on my carburetor. Another thing effecting the output from the bike is the tires. Keep in mind, the slick supermoto tires sacrifice the traction and grip that the old knobbie tires would have had, so the feel of the bike can be radically different from before.

As I trudged my way through the mountains and into the edges of Takachiho, I came upon a cheap ryokan for the night. Upon arriving at the Ryokan, a staff member (whose English was surprisingly good) gave me a brief history of the region.

According to them, Takachiho has long been considered a spiritual mecha. Specifically, the area is known to have strong ties to Shinto mythology. He recanted this story about a Sun Goddess and her brother annoying her, to the point of the former hiding in a cave. Refusing to come out, the sun goddess deprived the area of sunlight and it resulted in the other Shinto gods coming to her aid.

It was only after one of them did a silly dance and the following laughter from others that drew the Sun Goddess out from hiding. For that reason, there are several re-enactments and dance ceremonies held, celebrating the legendary Shinto story.

I didn't want to react in the moment, but the story has to be one of the most of the most illogical tales I've ever heard. If anything, it only steered me from wanting to see the re-enactments. Regardless, the worker was kind enough to check me in and give me directions to the Gorge.

As it turned out, the Gorge was a 30 minute walk from the Ryokan. Seeing a place like this is like the inverse of my view this morning. It's as if the molten lava from the core of Mt. Aso was replaced with flushing, rapid waters. Come to find out, that's sort of how this place was conceived.

Over 100,000 years ago, run off from one of Aso's eruptions melted the path, which was further eroded by the nearby river water. The evidence behind this story is palpable, as you can see merely identical rock formations here as you would have on the slopes of Mt. Aso. Covering the formations are lush greenery and damp, slick precipitation. The Gorge could be viewed two ways- One through the walking trail above and via boat along the water.

The gorge is part of a river system, with a waterfall found midway through the landmark. At the end is a souvenir shop, restaurants, fishing area, and a trail to the nearby Takachiho Shrine. After minutes of walking the trail above, it was clear which view had the better vantage point.

I hiked down to the boat rental area and forked over the 3000 yen to have my time floating along the volcanic landmark. From this POV, you can see the detail of the ash color caked onto the rocks. I want to imagine steam coming off of them, as some of the rocks look like they could still produce magma. As I flowed down the Gorge, I began to realize the appeal of "lazy rivers".

I'm such a hyperactive person that can't sit still. The concept of "hanging out" on a boat all day just never materalized, until today. Graciously gliding down this gorge is like discovering a lost eden. Just about every element of nature can be tucked into this gorge. It's like a slice of tropical paradise.

I can imagine the foliage at this place during the Fall months must be breathtaking, as the variety of colors found within the rock during summer is wide ranging. Letting your thoughts and concerns float away on this river is so easy to do with these kinds of views. The best part of the boat ride was the waterfall (Minai falls). Unlike raging, bursting waterfalls, Minai's is more like a directed, misting flow of water.

Seeing formations like this can make you forget about its inception. So much of the natural beauty in habitats is spawned from a sort of disaster. The eruption from Aso thousands of years ago inadvertently lent a hand in creating this tropical landmark. I hope my pictures turn out well, because they rivals any of the cherry blossom photos that I would have snapped in the spring.

I lost track of the time at the Gorge, as I ended up spending the entire afternoon there. I finished my sightseeing duties around the gorge and hiked back into town for a savory dinner. While slurping up my noodles, I struck up a conversation with another tourist. I told them about the story I heard earlier today and how silly it all sounded. They quickly snapped back with an insistent plea for me to join them for tonight's re-enactment.

Despite the event sounding like a waste of time, I don't want to leave any stone unturned. I reluctantly agreed and proceeded to follow them to the Shrine where the re-enactment was held. I'll elaborate on what I saw tomorrow, as I think I need a night to process what the meaning of what I saw really was.

Tomorrow, I'll be heading back to Fukuoka for another track day. Here's to hoping I can improve on the track times from earlier this week! Oh, and you'll get all of my thoughts on the dancing re-enactment I was adjourned to watch this evening.

Thanks and I'll see you soon!

-Ayden