Japan Meets Andrew Marston

My Neighbor Totoro

Dazaifu Shrine

The Shrine at Dazaifu is beautiful. The grounds were much more extensive than I imagined and I was stunned by the gorgeous buildings and structures. This is definitely a lesser sought gem of Kyushu Island. Although I don’t mind being a tourist, it was refreshing to tour a place that is an attraction for mostly Japanese. For some reason visiting places pandering to foreigners seems somewhat like a false flavor of true Japanese culture. However, Dazaifu was bustling with natives and it I felt as though I was really connecting with an authentic slice of Japan. Above are pictures from area in and around the Shrine. In my photographs I usually dislike including people and instead highlight the timelessness of the structures. This time it was nearly impossible with all the crowds. Ah well.

If you click straight down this road it will lead you to the entrance to the Shrine grounds. This is the main boulevard for vendors hawking such prizes as hot grilled mochi balls (rice balls filled with sweet bean paste) to giants stuffed Totoros.

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宝満山 Summit

宝満山 (Treasure Full Mountain)
After visiting the shrine, I stuck to my original plan of climbing the nearby 宝満山. However, at this point dusk was quickly approaching. Not good. Although equipped with my trusty Henry Shires tent and a whole lot of gumption, in the end this was a camping venture that was not to be. Yes, I did climb to the very peak. Yes, I did set up my tent. And then, yes, I checked the temperature: -6C. People who aren’t prepared for this kind of cold can die at minus 6. In my pack was three or four more layers I could have dawned; however, after traversing for two cold hours up to a frosty peak lit only by my headlamp and the glow of nearby Hakata, I knew this was not a battle I wanted to fight overnight. Spirits somewhat doused, after wrestling my tent back into it’s all-too-small stuff sack I made my decent and caught the last train home.

The summit was incredible though. Simply breath-taking. At the very peak hikers are rewarded not only by a stunning view of Fukuoka but also by an ornate shrine. I look forward to a return trip and continuing along the ridge to the neighboring mountains. Next time I will start earlier in the day and most likely bring a friend. There is something both eerie and dream-like about hiking in the dark with only an LED headlamp to assess your surroundings. I am not unduly afraid of the dark, nor was did I feel the least bit concerned of encountering trouble on the trail, but the tunnel vision that occurs when one is able to focus on a single  patch of illuminated snowy slope was interestingly unnerving at times. All in all, I’m glad I made it to the peak, and I’m glad I didn’t stay the night.

Next week: A video of the excursion. So far it’s about half way edited and I’m getting excited.