Relax at the open-air bath

We traveled through the Kyushu district from the east ( Oita city) to the west ( Kumamoto city) by a car.
The Kyushu district is in the west of Nara　and it  takes  about one hour  by a plane.
There are many volcanoes in this region. When we were driving, I saw many smokes rose up from  surface of  many mountains.  I've never seen such smokes  in Nara prefecture.  There are a lot of wonderful  hot springs there. I think  hot water  will gush if you dig anywhere in this area.

This  greenhouse uses the heat of  a hot spring

Water lily

Smoking from Kujyu-mountain chain

At Kurokawa hot spring

Icy flower in Kujyu-mountain chain

We drove up a narrow continuous curving  mountain path and visited "Kurokawa hot spring". It was along headwaters among  the mountains and its open-air baths are made beside a mountain stream . It's so quiet.  When I closed my eyes I  listen to only the murmur of a stream and birds' chirp at the open-air bath.  It gave me  perfect relaxing.
The quantity of this hot water is sufficient so hot water is left overflowing from the bathtub.
This hot spring is sulfur spring though the smell is not strong  and it has many 湯の花（the element in the hot spring that doesn't melt into  the hot water) like a white fluff. I felt I got smooth skin from this hot spring.
Though it was pretty cold on that day, our bodies were warmed enough after bathing and they didn't cold easily.

A open-air bath of a guest room

As a clothes-changing basket

A brook run between guest rooms

I heard TV program are on location at the Japanese-style hotel we stayed.  It's the TV program( 朝だ！生です旅サラダ） that a middle-aged actor introduces the hotel or Mt.Aso and  this will be broad casted on March 24. Waitresses were excited for the location.
At the hot spring, I usually enjoy the open-air bath at least three time for overnight, just after arriving the hotel, just before going to bed and just after getting up next morning.
As usual just after getting up next morning, when I was gladly heading to the open-air bath without washing my face, throwing 丹前（ a padded large-size kimono） on 浴衣（a informal cotton kimono for sleeping) I came across that actor. He wore a neat clothes with a small travel bag and seemed to leave the hotel. There were no staffs. He said "Good morning" politely to us. I thought courtesy need to keep popularity for actor,too.



a bus stop



We stayed  "Yufuin-hot spring",too. This hot spring  was very transparent and made my skin smooth.
after taking the bath.　We could enjoy  the open-air bath,watching Yufudake-mountain that snow sheeted on its top. Yufudake-mountain is ht.1583meters and a land mark of Yufuin-hot spring.

The open-air bath at Yufuin hot spring. Mt.Yufudake has a little snow on its top

Camellia at the garden of Kumamoto-Castle

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The beauty of Japanese Apricot(Plum or Ume)

Kankobai-plum(寒紅梅）

Japanese apricot(Ume or plum) blossom is late  because of so cold in this year. But the  precocious Ume were in full bloom and the normal start blooming Ume were coming out in twos and threes at Osaka-Castle ume garden. I expected much more plum blossom at the garden. It's a disappointment.
But taking photos,  I realized the plum in full bloom is gorgeous but it's hard to take it perfectly  as many plums catch my eye. While a few flowers  have started to bloom in the cold air are fresh, graceful and we can enjoy the tree shape,too. I thought  it's lovely not only full bloom but also around Ume trees have  started to blossom.
According to the experts, generally the first flower in a Ume branch is more massive than the flowers bloom later in the same branch.

So when we enjoy Ume thoroughly, the beginning of bloom may be more charming than in full bloom.
Come to think of it,  Ume has been drawing on  the Japanese kimono or the Byobu(Japanese folding screen) from a long time ago.  I think those Ume are in  around the beginning of bloom in many cases.

Therefore the beauty of Ume for Japanese may be in  around the beginning of bloom. Of course, it depends on individual sense.

Red and White Plum Blossoms on the byobu by Ogata Korin in the 18centry(national treasure) image:by wikipedia

Kagoshimakou-plum(鹿児島紅）

Tojibai-plum(冬至梅）is in a full bloom

Talking of ume trees in the garden, the matured trunks are preferred. They bend like a hook. Young branches grow upward but gradually they grow sidewards and gardeners trim them in hooked shape many times. So the matured trunk has fine flavor.

The plum garden in the Osaka-Castle-Park

I sometimes drive on the freeway beside the Osaka-Castle  on my way back to my house from my mother's house in the night. The Castle-Tower is illuminated in the center of the dark grove surrounded by the showy city lights when I see it from the freeway.
The Castle-Tower shining  golden in the night's darkness  remind me of the glory of Toyotomi Hideyoshi who governed Japan.

At first the castle was surrounded by the double moat. So it was invulnerable  castle. But after the death of Hideyoshi, after damping soil into the moat, the castle fell to the enemy. A young general who is a son of Hideyoshi and his beautiful mother committed suicide by daggers in the burning castle. Sad story.

I went Osaka-Castle at daytime after an interval of twelve years. I was surprised the appearance of the Castle-Tower was changed. So white wall, golden tigers on the wall, golden killer-whales on the roof repaired recently were dazzling. I heard this imitates Hideyoshi's Osaka-Castle.

The Osaka-Castle-Tower

Indeed, this present Castle-Tower is the third-generation and was built in A.D. 1931 by the contribution of citizen.
The first-generation Castle-Tower was built in A.D.1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi but it burnt down in A.D.1615 by the battle for supremacy of Japan.


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