990110snow

We found a "secret spa" nearby. The billboard reads "Spa of Hotei." One of my close friends who lives around here suggested dropping in the spa.

The major ingredient of the spa is calcium carbonate which is said to be good for neuralgia, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, and liver troubles. There are an open-air bath that features the grand view of Mt. Kujyu, and a large medicine bath tab in the building. The temperature of the open-air bath was too tepid to try because of the cold and windy weather. At the corner of the bath tab is a miniature doll of smiling Hotei. The quality of spa water is very smooth, including some natural impurities suspending in the hot water. I enjoyed and relaxed in it.

After the lunch, we drove a winding hillside road and found small running water with ice like this. A part of the running water seemed to be frozen when it splashes on the grass. The ice made me feel quivering. The road is covered with snow as well.

In a cedar grove is a row of nursing logs for growing Shiitake mushroom. The road in the shade is frozen slippery enough to make a car fall in the side trench like this. The roadside trench caught another white car. The driver was out of sight. Some drivers happened to be passing by the place helped to lift the car back onto the road. My husband was among them and said "Quit the drive and go home from here." We soon made an U-turned.

We returned home early in the evening. Mt Yufu is still shinning under the winter sky. I hope I can next time enjoy a close-up view of the mountain from a spa in Yufuin.

January 10: Snow-covered mountain view drive. by Mie
Japan archipelago is suffering from a strong cold wave for past three days. Here in Oita on Kyushu Island, we hear much snow news every day. It is my daily pleasure to go out and view Mt. Yufu in the morning. It is cold today as well, but as the sun shines so brightly, we drove out with a video camera and a digital camera in hands. We first climbed up a height in our Fujimigaoka community. Mt. Yufu (left) and Mt. Tsurumi (right) both boast their elegant slopes under the crispy winter sky.
	We first intended to drive to Yufuin, our favorite spa town in the foot of Mt. Yufu, but as the road seemed to be frozen and slippery, we switched to visit Kujyu highland. Just after we drove out our town and entered adjacent Notsuharu town, I soon saw small amount of snow in the roadside trench and bush in the shade.
	A grand view of Kujyu Mountain range in the distance, looking from Ogura pass. I love visit the area all through the year.
We found a "secret spa" nearby. The billboard reads "Spa of Hotei." One of my close friends who lives around here suggested dropping in the spa.
	In the hall sits such a large "Hotei", or a god with a potbelly who is one of the Seven Gods of Good Luck. The Hotei appeared in the dream of an eager spa excavator and told him the exact location of the welling point.
The major ingredient of the spa is calcium carbonate which is said to be good for neuralgia, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, and liver troubles. There are an open-air bath that features the grand view of Mt. Kujyu, and a large medicine bath tab in the building. The temperature of the open-air bath was too tepid to try because of the cold and windy weather. At the corner of the bath tab is a miniature doll of smiling Hotei. The quality of spa water is very smooth, including some natural impurities suspending in the hot water. I enjoyed and relaxed in it.
	After the bathing, we took a simple lunch. My husband ordered a bowl of noodles containing edible wild plants. I tasted another kind of noodles with the ingredient of deep-fried tofu. Both noodles price was 400 yen each, and it was so hot that I got sweated enough.
After the lunch, we drove a winding hillside road and found small running water with ice like this. A part of the running water seemed to be frozen when it splashes on the grass. The ice made me feel quivering. The road is covered with snow as well.
In a cedar grove is a row of nursing logs for growing Shiitake mushroom. The road in the shade is frozen slippery enough to make a car fall in the side trench like this. The roadside trench caught another white car. The driver was out of sight. Some drivers happened to be passing by the place helped to lift the car back onto the road. My husband was among them and said "Quit the drive and go home from here." We soon made an U-turned.
	Since the road was frozen, we couldn't reach our resort spot. As we do not have any wheel-chains, we had no choice other than giving up. Fortunately, we saw such a beautiful thin forest like this.
Mt. Kujyu comes close to us like this.
	I suddenly heard a noise on my back. A herd of cattle run out of the cowshed for sunbathing. Urged by a cowboy, they jumped around in the pasture.
	We returned home early in the evening. Mt Yufu is still shinning under the winter sky. I hope I can next time enjoy a close-up view of the mountain from a spa in Yufuin.