Kagoshima: May 2-4

Wednesday Night

The rain and clouds that had been following me for the first half of the week disappeared as soon as I alighted from the train at Kagoshima Chuo Station. The clearing skies were the harbinger to show me that this part of my trip was about to be the best. Because oh yes, it was.

At 7:00 p.m., I was met at the gate by Mr. and Mrs. S, the friendly parents of my long-ago Japanese crush. If I hadn’t been exactly sure what his mom looked like, I could have recognized his dad anywhere: his son is his spitting image! Of course I was a little nervous, but they were so welcoming and kind that I soon relaxed into my usual genki self. His mom speaks very good English but I tried my best to hold up my end of the conversation in Japanese.

They first took me to the hostel I had made reservations at so I could drop my bags off. Being only 1500 yen a night, I didn’t expect too much, and it met my low expectations quite well. I threw my bags down on one of the 6 bunkbeds lining the walls and went back outside where my hosts were waiting.

That first night, we went to a real sushi bar, where the smiling chef prepared us a feast of every fish in sight (and made me a present of a Kagoshima sake cup, too!). It was my first time eating sushi not in a restaurant or a 100-yen kaiten/revolving sushi place, and I could taste the difference! While we ate we discussed our plans for the next two days. The first thing that was decided was that I would leave the hostel (3,000 yen be damned) and instead stay in the furnished apartment the family occasionally rented out. So even though I didn’t get my money back when I went to retrieve my luggage, I did sleep soundly for two nights on a comfortable bed in the heart of Kagoshima.

Thursday

            Promptly at 8:30 the next morning, Mr. and Mrs. S came to pick me up. They had brought some kind of mochi for breakfast that you slice with a piece of thread wrapped around your teeth. Then you dip it in brown sugar and another powder (oh, what’s its name?!) that tastes similar to peanuts. It’s divine!

            S had informed his parents that I was more the outdoor than indoor type, so we didn’t waste any time in the city itself but instead soaked ourselves in the warm weather. That whole day was filled with beautiful places and scenic viewpoints whose names and positions on the map I tried to keep up with but failed. After a while I gave up trying, and instead just concentrated on the experiences as they were happening.

            In the morning, a short walk through the woods that led to a platform overlooking Sakurajima, the island’s famous volcano.

            A historic park, a wide expanse of garden, flowers, palm trees, and samurais.

            A Kagoshima specialty lunch of rice, chicken, and vegetables covered in chicken soup.

            A visit to S’s grandmother’s house, where we drank hot tea and enjoyed pleasant conversation. Such a kind soul!

            A visit to a famous Korean pottery factory, where I had a guided tour in English and bought matching hand-kilned cups.

             Later, a two-hour drive through windy mountain roads lined with large, leafy green trees I’d never seen before, everything big and green and sweet-smelling. On the drive, we made two quick stops: one at a park overlooking the sparkling water, brilliant pink azalea bushes in full blossom, palm trees swaying . . . and another stop at the farthest south train station in Japan.

            To wrap up a beautiful day, I took a hot sand bath (wearing only a yukatta and buried in warm sand on the beach for about 15 minutes) and then soaked in an enormous outdoor onsen with a view of the ocean, one of the most famous in Kagoshima.

            By the time we got back to the city, I was so very relaxed and sleepy, but perked right up again when we started to eat dinner: sushi, grilled beef and fish, noodles and vegetables, and lots and lots of beer. How cool was it to enjoy good food, good drinks, and good company?

            But before I knew it, it was 11:00, and time to go to bed.

Friday

            I was picked up right at 8:30 on the dot on Friday morning. Time was short and there was a lot to do and see!

            We started driving north and stopped at a big red temple, where, for sake of time, we prayed from the sidelines instead of waiting in line to go inside. Our destination was a park/farm (?) where we took a train and a cable car up to the top of a mountain, giving us a spectacular view of the valley below. Afterwards we stopped by the oldest train station in Japan (Kyushu is full of superlatives!) and later feasted on black pork tonkatsu (deep-fried cutlet—it’s delicious) for lunch. But then, just as soon as it had begun, it was time to leave.

            At the airport, S’s mom pointed out all the different omiyage for sale. “While you were here, you ate this . . . and this . . . and this . . . ” It turns out I had been introduced to and eaten almost everything famous from that area! Yatta!

            After researching and planning my first three days in Kyushu, adding this, cutting out that (wishing I wouldn’t have tried to go to Aso-san), it felt so nice to be taken care of so well in Kagoshima. I didn’t have to plan anything or stress myself out; I could just go along and enjoy everything that was presented to me. There’s an expression in Japanese “osewa ni narimashita” which literally means, “I have become under your care” or “You have taken care of me.” I felt more than anything that I had been gathered under their wing and been taken care of so well.

            Of course, throughout those two days, I would stop myself in the middle of whatever we were doing and think to myself: “I’m in Kagoshima. With S’s parents.” Would I ever have thought, five years ago, that such things could actually happen?