Takachiho

We woke up early to head to Mt. Aso. As we approached the mountain on the steep and windy hill, we realized that the wind and rain might play a factor in how far our hike went. After parking we began our trek to the top of the volcano, ignoring the loudspeaker repeating 'we advise you not to climb to the top if you have heart problems or asthma.' Besides the rain, fog, and wind we were also concerned by the lack of people. Not only were we the only westerners on this part of the mountain, but we were also the only people. After hiking about an hour, we decided to rethink our plan. Considering the fact that the parking lot was just about out of range at 10 am and yet there no cars besides our little blue one, it seemed like perhaps something was off that we did not read on the sign filled Japanese writing as we headed up. Making a choice of life over adventure (much to Andy's disappointment), we rounded back down the mountain, returned to the car, and ventured to the far more touristy parking area. From here we walked safely with other visitors to the crater's edge. The power of the volcano could be felt along the edge, and the fear of lava spewing was not completely erased by the emergency shelters and men in hazmat suits along the path. Safely returning to our car after a few pictures and breaths of sulfur, we began our ride to Takachiho Gorge in Takachiho.

The ride took us about an hour and a half through the hills, farm country, and absolute middle of nowhere Japan. It was refreshing to be out of the city, even for a couple days before we head to Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. We were barely able to navigate our way to our inn (or bed and breakfast?), since there was no English around. We quietly crept into the entrance and hesitantly stood there awkwardly while we waited for someone to notice. No one did. We decided to head to the Gorge instead. Walking around in the rain, we took in the beautiful gorge that was created years ago by lava from Mt. Aso. Following our walk, we returned to the inn and tried again. This time someone came out to say hi and reassured us that we were in the right place. After unpacking and taking a quick nap, we went out to eat at a Japanese version of Denny's. It was solid food, and the pictures on the menu made it so that even Brit was willing to order a meal. The most entertaining part was the fact that a table of older women stared at us as we entered, and then openly stared out the window at us as we left and got into the car. I'm not sure they see many westerners in this part of the country.

Post-dinner, we went to a show at the local Takachiho Temple. This was a performance by locals known as Takachiho Yokagura. This was a folk dance to give thanks and pray for the rich and plentiful harvest. We were the only westerners in the entire building, and therefore the only ones to have no idea what the head of the dance said to start the night. At one point, Izanami (the goddess) came out to dance with Andy to make Izanagi (the god) jealous. Izanagi quickly came over, hit Andy twice, and took back the goddess... all to the great delight of the rest of the crowd.

Today really offered us a unique experience in Japan, and it was great getting to a more rural area of the country.