Unzen

Unzen is the first national park in Japan, very close to Nagasaki. The mountain is an active volcano and there is a large jigoku or "hell", which is the source of hotspring that pipes hot water to each ryokan in the neighborhood.

 

Never to repeat...

The lighthouse of Iojima

 

 

Apparently, this was the first of the 8 lighthouses that were agreed to be set up in Japan, as requested by the US and European powers upon modernization or the Meiji Restoration. This small island called Iojima (not the one from WWII movie) off of Nagasaki city had always been the first place for foreign ships to be checked in, even during the time of Portuguese and the Dutch having dealings through Dejima.

 

Dejima in Nagasaki

For a long time, Nagasaki had been the entrance to Japan for foreign traders and the like. The very first (outside of Asia) were the Portuguese, who had a good deal of influence on Japan including on the language and food. But given the regligious influence and from fear of colonization, the Shogun built this small island Dejima in Nagasaki to limit the Portguese from going elsewhere in Japan. But the Portuguese left.

Then the Dutch became the dominant traders, so the Dutch ended up as the residents in Dejima for the next 200 years while Japan closed itself from the rest of the world. The Dutch paid the equivalent of US$1 million a year, and patiently stayed on.

It was very interesting and surreal to walk in the miniscule area (less than 10 minutes to walk across!) that was the only "foreign" place in Japan for such a long time.

Japanese ryokan

For the night after my (relative) splurge in Imari, we went to Ureshino to stay at a very nice Japanese ryokan. Ryokan is like a hotel but more personable and typically with lots of food for both dinner and breakfast. Ureshino has very well known hot spring, so we got the full package. The tofu served at breakfast was made from hot spring water and was super divine. And of course you have to have the ume or pickled plum to wake yourself up with a sour face.


 

Imari in Kyushu

We were probably the only young-ish persons in this town today. The town Imari in Saga Prefecture houses very well known Arita porcelains called Imari, dating back to the Edo Period.

The porcelains were really beautiful, and I am really happy that I was able to pick up really, really nice traditional Nabeshima plates. Apparently to the Europeans and many Japanese, Imari plates are remembered as those exported in the 17th century, with lots of blue, red, and gold as gold was abundant in Japan back then. The plates I picked up were not these kind but somewhat similar in pattern. Nabeshima plates were not exported, so they did not use gold as had been preferred in the West. Apparently Nabeshima plates were used exclusively by Lord Nabeshima then, and later sent as gifts to Meiji Emperor etc, so they have a distinctively noble design... nice!

 

Visit this town which is about 15 minutes drive from Imari City. This place has over 30 kilms, which independently sell very nice porcelains. Mine were bought here.