Good-bye KLM, and Finnair welcomes to Fukuoka

The KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced that will be discontinued the Amsterdam - Fukuoka route on January 5, 2016. The airline began operating a scheduled service to Fukuoka in April 2013. The load factor was even better immediately after the operation started, and there was also a time that has been increase 3 flights on the route to 4 flights per week.

Although their current load factor on the route is not too bad, however it has been turned into a deficit route because of the weaker yen in recent years.

It is seems to not to be a direct flight between Fukuoka and Europe, but few days later the Finnair announced that will be launching a service connecting the Vantaa Airport in Helsinki and Fukuoka on May 8 of the same year. The airline expands its fourth route to Japan which is currently operating to three major cities in Japan, Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka.

This route will be operated 3 flights per week, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. It is connecting both cities over 10 hours and using Airbus a330-300 aircraft on the route.

According to one Japanese blog, it is better to go to Helsinki with Finnair than go to Amsterdam with KLM that is currently in service because of its convenient for transit. And Finnair, which are member of the One World in the same airline alliance with Japan Airlines (JAL), it is likely to become code-share flights with JAL. 

Satsuma Students House, Ichikikushikino

Finally, we visited to the Satsuma Students House (薩摩藩英国留学生記念館 Satsuma-han Eikoku Ryugakusei Kinenkan), a museum in Hashima, Ichikikushikino, Kagoshima.

Hashima (羽島) is a fishing port located on the coast of East China Sea in Ichikikushikino (いちき串木野) city. Like the most rural area in Japan, the population is greatly decreased in recent years because there's no other way to live. Until now there's only one tourist spot, the Hashima onsen hot springs. But in July 2014, the long-awaited the Satsuma Students House was open to the public.

Before coming here, I was looking for the information on the Internet. The official site of Satsuma Students Museum (in Japanese) tells the history of museum construction. In April 1865, 19 young samurai of the Satsuma Domain was the secret journey to Britain. The Satsuma Students, who started smuggling at the risk of life, are widely see and hear the world, brings a new civilization, and they have contributed to the modernization of Japan in various fields.

Unfortunately the museum was *closed on this day, so we could only see the monument for Satsuma students going to study in the UK.

Hashima is the best place for sunset.

Before going back to home, we want to see the Sendai nuclear power station. Like all other nuclear stations in Japan, once it has been a shutdown after the Fukushima nuclear accident tsunami caused by the earthquake on March 11, 2011. Despite the high opinion of the opposition of local residents, the government decided to restart the nuclear plant in August. When passing through the gate, the police was standing patrol in order to avoid a large-scale opposition meeting.

Note: *...According to the official site, the museum will be closed on Tuesdays. However in the case of a public holiday, the following Wednesday becomes a closed day.

Walking Miyama, the village of Satsuma Pottery Part 2

Near the Chin Jukan Kiln, there is the memorial hall of former foreign minister Togo Shigenori (東郷茂徳). He was born as the eldest son of great potter, Park Su-seung (박수승/朴壽勝). Later he became the diplomat after he graduated from the Tokyo Imperial University.

Street view of Miyama. The Kagoshima Prefectural Route 24 is through the town center to the east and west.  

Miyama Toyu-kan (美山陶遊館) is an experience workshop for making Satsuma ware. You can feel the skill and tradition of Satsuma porcelain that are passed on to the land in the body.

Walking Miyama, the village of Satsuma Pottery Part 1

In the afternoon we went to Miyama (美山) in Hioki city, Kagoshima. It is known for producing Satsuma porcelain, one of the traditional handicrafts of Japan.

The distance between Krishima and Miyama is so far, it takes about 100 minutes via super highway. But we made a serious mistake at Kagoshima Interchange. We must turn right to Minami Kyushu Expressway from there, but we went straight to the Ibusuki Skyline toll road. We turned back to the same road at the next interchange, Yamada. We got off the expressway at Miyama Interchange and arrived safely to Chin Jukan Kiln at 3 pm.  

The first generation of the family came to Japan during the Japanese Invention of Korea in 1598 by Shimazu Yoshihiro, the 17th lord of Satsuma clan. Now the person who has been given a name of the 15th generations has become the head of a family.

The Chin Jukan Museum have exhibition about successive work of the last 15 generations. It also have valuable historical documents and pictures of the Chin family.

Climbing kiln.

A shop next to the climbing kiln. Friendly staff welcomes you to visit. Mid priced white and black porcelain dishes are available in the shop.   

The Suyu-toen (壽友陶苑) VIP guesthouse.

There is a garden in the guesthouse.

 To be continued..

Walking Takachihogawara

After visiting Lake Miike, we went to another place called Tachikachihogawa (高千穂河原) in Kirishima city, Kagoshima. It is the place where the main shrine of Krishima-jingu (霧島神宮) was existed before.

Wooden Torii at the entrance of a mountain path to the Shinto shrine ruins.

After a short walk down the mountain trail, we came to Furumiya-ato (古宮跡) literately means the ruins of the old shrine. We could see the Takachihonomine twin peaks clearly.

The funeral for Ninigi-no-Mikoto. The Tenshin korin Shinto ritual will be held in the evening on November 10 every year. This is a signpost of tenshin korin those named after the story which welcome to Ninigi on fire burning.

Mount Nakadake (中岳) from Furumiya-ato. There is Mount Shinmoedake (新燃岳) which has been erupted in 2011, located on the left side. 

Panoramic views of Sasebo from Mount Yumihari

After visiting the Mikawachi Pottery Village, we wanted to go to the place where the downtown Sasebo is visible.  We know the Mount Yumihari (弓張岳 -dake) is the best place to see the downtown, so we just decided to go there.

How did we get there? We took on National Route 35 through the Central Sasebo. From Tenmabashi Intersection on a Sasebo boulevard, we drove on a mountain road to the top of the mountain. We passed through the front of Yumihari-no-oka Hotel (弓張の丘ホテル), a resort hotel near the observatory.

We arrived there at 4:30 pm. When you go up the stairs, you'll see the roof like a stretched bow. This is the main observatory. From here, you can see the great views of Central Sasebo and the US navy to the north.

 Then we went to the second view place where can be seen the 99 Islands clearly.

Visiting Mikawachi Pottery (三川内焼) Village

In the afternoon, we went to Mikawachi Pottery Village on the foot of Mount Mikawachi in Sasebo city, Nagasaki. It is used to be the home of the Hirado clan kilns. The first production of ceramics is from the 1600s by Korean Potter Koseki (古巨関) who came to Japan during the Japanese Invention of Korea between 1592 and 1598. 

In 1598, he was open the kiln in Nakano, Hirado by order of the 26th Hirado loud clan, Matsuura Shigenobu. This is the beginning of Mikawachi ware that is called the Nakano kiln at that time. However due to the lack of pottery stones, he and his son Imamura Sannojo (今村三之丞) came out on a journey of pottery stone explore in the Hirado territory. Finally they settled in Mikawachi and Sannojo was open the ceramics factory for the clan in Mount Mikawachi.

The Kakushogama (嘉久正窯) ceramics company. The company was established by Nakazato Shigeemon (中里茂ヱ門) who was founding father of the Hirado domain kiln from 350 years ago. 

A chimney covered with lush grass.