Visiting Janes Residence, Kumamoto

Yesterday we had decided to take a drive🚙 to Janes Residence in Kumamoto. I've been there many times before, but I'd never been to the old house, so I decided to go.

According to the Kumamoto city official website, this is the oldest Western-style building still standing in the prefecture, and was built in 1871 to welcome the American educator Leroy Lancing Janes to Kumamoto Western School. Janes lived here for five years, from 1871 to 1876, educating the young people of Kumamoto.

This building is the place where, during the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877, Tsunetami Sano received permission from Prince Arusugawa Taruhito, a Japanese carrier officer in the Imperial Japanese Army, to establish the Hakuaisha (博愛社), the precursor to the current Japanese Red Cross Society.

It was originally built in the Kojomachi area near Kumamoto Castle, but was moved several times as its function changed, eventually being moved to the adjacent to the east side of Suizenji Jojuen Garden. However, it was destroyed during the Kumamoto earthquakes nine years ago. The new house of Janes that was moved at the Suizenji Ezuko Park in September 2023.

Let's take a tour to the retro style building🏛 of the early Meiji era.

The room is very specious, with chandelier and fireplace. I felt so nostalgic😊

Signs of the Janes' Mansion and Japan Red Cross Memorial Museum.

These are parts of building a house broken by earthquake😨  

Visiting Usa Machu Picchu viewpoint, Oita

On June 28 we had decided to take a drive🚙 to Machu Picchu viewpoint in the former town of Innai, now merged with the city of Usa. 

In Japan, it is commonly known as Machu Picchu in Usa. There's a reason why they call it Machu Picchu. The shape of a mountain called Akiba-sama (秋葉様) that looks like Mount Huayna Picchu in Peru😁

I bought pretty snake dolls at Nagasaki Chinatown

In the evening, we went to Nagasaki Chinatown. As usual, we bought some "snake"🐍 Chinese new year goods at Min-min boutique shop.

NB: This photo was taken last year.

We got here at half past five. It's been two weeks since the Nagasaki Lantern Festival ended so there were quite a few customers😥

I bought four snake🐍 toys; one big one and three little ones. They're all pretty, I think the left one is the best.

Visiting Nagai Takashi Memorial Museum, Nagasaki

On Monday we had decided to take a drive to Nagasaki🚙 As usual, I bought some snake🐍 Chinese new year goods at Min-min boutique shop in Chinatown. 

Before that we went to Nagai Takashi Memorial Museum near Urakami Cathedral⛪ 

Takashi Nagai is a medical doctor who has written books such as "The Bells of Nagasaki" and "Leaving These Children Behind". He was involved in research into radiation physical therapy, which led to his exposure to radiation, and in 1945, he was diagnosed with leukemia and given only three years to live. On August 9 of the same year, he was exposed to the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. He was seriously injured and lost his wife, but he devoted himself to relief efforts for the victims. He fell ill the following year, but wrote several books from his sickbed. 

In 1948, with the cooperation of the people of Urakami and the Catholic Church, a hermitage was completed where Dr. Nagai could recuperate, and it was named Nyokodo (如己堂), after the saying "Love others as you love yourself". 

He spent the next three years until his death at Nyokodo with his two children.

You'll be greeted by a panel and a bronze statue of Dr. Nagai, who, despite being exposed to radiation himself, dedicated himself to providing medical care to patients and continued to pray for lasting peace.

Inside the museum, Nagai's favorite items and handwritten manuscripts are on display.

A collection of books and activities for victims of the Nagasaki bombing💣

A medical document written in his own hand. 

Saying goodbye SL Hitoyoshi at Tosu Station

A happy new year to everyone.

The arrival of new year 2025🐍. Today I'm writing a memory of the last SL Hitoyoshi train running. 

On March 23, 2024, the steam locomotive🚂 was making the final run between Kumamoto and Hakata. I don't like crowded places, so I went to see it at Tosu Station🚉 in Saga Prefecture. 

The train comes here at 2:53 pm. I saw a lot of train fans want to see the last one😅

He comes to a halt and putting out black smoke😞 

At 2:55 pm, train engineers blew the train whistle when they left👏 And I say goodbye😊

Visiting Hikiyama Exhibition Hall, Karatsu

Last Sunday we had decided to take a drive🚙 to Hikiyama Exhibition Hall in Karatsu, Saga. I've been there many times before, but I'd never been to the exhibition museum, so I decided to go. 

Karatsu Kunchi is a Japanese matsuri festival that takes place between November 2 and 4 every year. On the first night of the festival called Yoiyama, the 14 decorated floats with lanterns for fall🍂 The gold, sliver and red lanterns🏮 are shining brightly with flashes of light⭐

The entrance of museum. I have to pay the 310 yen entrance fee💰 here.

Fourteen floats, called Yama (曳山), are lined up through the glass from the corridors on the first and second floors.

The floats, which have different designs for each area, such as demons and masks, are built between the late Edo and the early Meiji periods and still in existence today😊 

  

Visiting Aoi Aso Shrine, Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto

In the evening, we went to Aoi Aso Jinja (青井阿蘇神社), a Shinto shrine in Hitoyoshi. 

According to Wikipedia, five of the structures within the shrine such as Romon (楼門), Honden (本殿) are listed as National Treasures of Japan.

During the 2020 Kyushu Floods the shrine was flooded, but only parts of the bridge were destroyed.

The Ichi-no-torii gate at the shrine entrance. 

Misogi Bridge (禊橋 -Misogibashi), an arch bridge spanning the Hasuike pond. As I mentioned above, the bridge was collapsed during the flood. It took three years to complete😄

Let's take a walk to the shrine.

Aoi Aso Jinja's Romon (楼門, lit. tower gate).  A thatched roof made of straw during the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

Honden or the main shrine⛩