Before moving to Japan, I did some
research to find out what Kumamoto was famous for. I remember being
slightly perplexed that the two things the city was most widely known
for were its many varieties of basashi (horse meat) and the active
volcano in the mountains just outside the city. However, after
moving to Kumamoto, I quickly discovered that the people of Kumamoto
(Kumamotoans? Kumamotites?) are VERY proud of both their basashi and
their volcano/mountains, and that I would need to develop an
appreciation of both.
I spent a few days in the Mt. Aso area
(where the volcano is located) last summer during English summer
camp, but I didn't get to see very much of the area since I was
working the whole time. But two weeks ago, a woman from
my congregation (Soga san) drove me out to the mountains after church
and showed me all of her favorite places. Soga san is very sweet and
is probably the healthiest, most energetic 70 something year old I've
ever met. She loves the outdoors and had climbed most of the
mountains in the Kyushu area.
Our first stop was to see the Asahi
wind farm. The wind turbines, while obviously not natural, are a
feat in and of themselves. It was really windy while we were there,
so they were going crazy!
Our second stop was to a stream that
comes straight out of the mountain and is clean enough to drink from!
There were many people sitting by the stream and filling up giants
jugs to take back to their houses. (Kumamoto is also known for having
delicious water, most of which comes from the same spring.)
Soga san filling a bottle of water for me!
Our next stop was the volcano. There
is a normally a fairly steady outpouring of sulfur dioxide and
depending on the direction and strength of the wind, the tourist area
is sometimes closed, but while we were there, the winds were in our
favor.
Driving away. A view from the road of the area we just visited.
The final stop of the day was to one of
Soga san's favorite hiking areas. One of her more frequented trails
led straight up into the clouds. We hiked up a short trail and came
to a landing or plateau of sorts and found an old man playing the
harmonica while birds chirped happily around him. It was quite
picturesque! I felt like I was in a movie. :-)
Being in the mountains with Soga san
got me thinking a lot about how much I take my surroundings for
granted. After moving to a new place, how long does it take before
you stop seeing the beauty around you on a daily basis? When I first
moved to Kumamoto, and for many months after, I was very much in awe
of the natural beauty that surrounds the city. I'm not sure when I
lost touch with that beauty but I am very thankful to Soga san for
reawakening me to it!
