Itoshima, Shiraito Falls, and Couple’s Rock
Leaving Fukuoka, and the city pace, was an exhale I was looking for. It was well worth the minor anxieties of renting and driving a car in a foreign country. There’s a rhythm you only find when the scenery flips from dense city blocks to farmland, seaside, and open space.
Farms, Roads, and Minecraft Trees
I struck out for Itoshima, about an hours drive from Fukuoka. I set the map to avoid tolls and keep me off highways, always one of my favorite ways to get lost and find the backroads where all interesting things are kept. Along the way there were
high tunnels (plastic-covered greenhouses). Some filled with strawberries, some with shiso leaves maybe? Tractors, culverts, irrigation ditches. All of it felt familiar, reminders of where I come from, growing up in Colorado. My sister still runs a permaculture vegetable farm, so snapping photos of culverts and tractors to send back home made me feel close to them, even halfway across the world.
One minute I'm hedged in by farms stacked up beside pockets of homes, the next—pop!—the road spat me out at the ocean’s edge. Boats, ferries, families fishing. Farms and sea life cheek-to-cheek.
Shiraito Falls
By late morning I climbed toward Shiraito no Taki (Shiraito Falls). The air turned cooler, but the crowds thickened. I lucked out, only waiting twenty minutes for parking. By the time I left, the line of cars stretched for several miles. I wandered the base of the falls, enjoying watching families family. We all had the same idea to get out of the heat.
I sat down near a young Japanese couple with a toddler, who playfully knocked over his water bottle. Free of kids, I jumped up, grabbed it, handed it back. Dozo (here you go). Arigatō gozaimasu (thank you), they said bowing multiple times. I replied iie iie (it's nothing) and added kodomo wa kawaii desu ne (your child is cute isn't he!), followed with a parting, yoi ichinichi o (have a good day). They surprised me by finding me later, introducing me to their son, and replying in kind, wishing me a good day. It was a tender thing. That kind of small connection cuts through any cultural distance. Fellow parents, figuring it out.
A BBQ Burger with Orange
Around four o’clock I was starving. What I really wanted was a cheeseburger or something equivalent. The Japanese have a habit of taking any food and making it better. I was confident I could find something that would not disappoint. Oh My Goodness, was just the place. The owner and his wife had built the place themselves, proud of Kyushu, proud of what they'd made. He and his wife were charming hosts.
The burger? Pulled pork with a slice of orange. No barbecue sauce, just the citrus. I don’t normally like barbecue much, but this hit the spot. The orange gave it a brightness and moisture that was somehow better than the original idea of a cheeseburger. Ako would hate it (she’s anti fruit-in-savory), but I loved it. Ha!
Couple’s Rock
Toward sunset I reached Sakurai-futamigaura (Couple’s Rock). Two stones, standing in the surf, bound by a thick braided shinto rope, symbolizing marriage. I took a deep breath thinking of my bride in South Carolina, and then set up my camera to play with reflections, and see what I could make of the scenery.
It was also a good chance to take photos for a few people (with their camera), shashin o torimashō ka? (shall I take your photo?). People always say yes and they're so grateful. It's something I love to do at home or when I travel. It's a small gift you can give to anyone anywhere.
Reflection
My time in Itoshima was special. Full stomach (onaka ippai), and full heart. I realized something: I like my own company. I’d been nervous about loneliness on this trip, but it hasn’t come. I miss Ako, I miss my friends, but being by myself here is a gift, from me to me. I'm grateful for it.
Next was two days Aso Kuju National Park. Two nights in the mountains, slower pace, laundry to do, maybe a hike. But today — today was greenhouses and waterfalls, oranges on burgers, rocks bound together by rope, and the steady joy of noticing. More on that soon.
More photos from the journey will keep showing up here.