Kyushu

I flew from Tokyo to Miyazaki in Kyushu prefecture which was an experience itself. The Haneda airport in Tokyo is the domestic airport and is packed with people. I think part of it was because a big holiday week was just ending and people were headed off to other parts of the country. I flew to Miyazaki and rented a car. It was a bit of whirlwind as I didn't reserve a car in advance and so had a difficult time, not to mention, out of Tokyo, hardly anything in English. It was still fun and I drove all over the eastern coastline.

There are miles and miles of protected beaches here where there is really no development at all. Little villages are inland from the beach and there are big forest preserves, like the one at left, in between the village and the beach. No doubt this comes in handy during a big storm or tsunami as well.

Check out the videos of Takanabe beach and fireflies. I now understand why so many Japanese paintings have fireflies in them. There are millions of them everywhere. They fly in huge groups like birds. I'm not sure you can really see it that well on the video but they are thick.

Takanabe beach and Dragonflies:

http://www.youtube.com/user/HSGWorld

Pretty sure this sign is warning you about the storms.

I just love the way the little house protected by the trees is smiling.

I really didn't plan too well for this part of the trip (this was before Yufuin) but enjoyed it just the same. The day I had the car turned out to be quite overcast and rainy so I found a bit of retail therapy in Miyazaki. My first UniGlo in Japan and they were having a big sale. I also stumbled upon a discount store with TONS of fun stuff to look at. I was completely absorbed with the "lost in translation" tshirts.

The whole t-shirt thing is pretty fascinating in Japan. Everyone wearing shirts that say things in English. Frequently they say things that make little or no sense.

Yesterday in Tokyo, in the Shibuya district, I saw the fancy fashionable t-shirt stores where the designs make more sense but they are not nearly as fun as the others.

I imagine I will see tons of this in China as well.

After all of my searching, here is the shirt I ended up with from the store in Miyazaki. Joann, as a native Missourian, can you explain this?: LOL!!!

Life is good...pass it on! And when you figure out where that store is that has the delicious shells and fish of the fresh sea from Missouri is, please let me know.