A Quiet Sunday in Izushi and Kyotango

I still haven’t gotten around to writing about my adventures in Kyushu—well, except for this one introductory reflection. Instead, I have been crafting Instagram posts and sporadically introducing some of the most famous tourist spots in Kyushu. My mind is still busy with all the beautiful places I saw there, making it difficult to focus on my last journey and defeat post-travel syndrome.

However, I finally decided to take action yesterday and went on a quiet Sunday trip to Izushi and Kyotango to beat the post-travel blues. The weather was sweltering at around 37 degrees Celsius. In an attempt to revive my joy for photography, I brought my old Nikon D3100 with me—from a discontinued series. My mom got it for me during my studies, and I am ashamed to admit I haven’t used it much since then. 

We originally wanted to go hiking, but, as I mentioned before, the weather makes it almost impossible to enjoy the outdoors at the moment. So, we opted for a townscape instead and went to Izushi, a historical town near Toyooka City. 

Izushi

Izushi Castle and the surrounding town were built by Tozama Daimyo in 1604. The area developed as a castle town for the Sengoku family during the Edo period. It is also the stage of the Sengoku Riot, one of the three major family riots that took place during the Edo period. 

Of course, I learned more about its history after visiting Izushi. My husband loves history and informing me about the places we go together. What I was looking for that day was cool shades and delicious soba noodles. You see, Izushi is famous for noodles. I don’t know why the noodles are served on five different plates though.

There is also a symbolic clock tower at the center of the town with restaurants and coffee shops scattered around it. Unfortunately, because of the heat, we didn’t dare to visit the castle this time: it seemed like a proper hike. Well, we can always revisit Izushi, so no regrets whatsoever!

Yuhigaura Beach, Kyotango

I love ending a quiet day with a trip to the beach. There is nothing more magical than watching the sunset on a Sunday. So, I wanted Takashi to take us to a nearby beach. I chose Yuhigaura Beach this time—south of Kyotango. 

The sound of waves, people laughing, and the sight of the blue sea warmed my heart. The beach was relatively clean, so I assume they have cleaning staff or volunteers. Beach pollution is a huge problem in Japan. I feel dejected at seeing trash anywhere because nature doesn’t deserve it. 

And I think the sky was angry at us too, because it started raining cats and dogs an hour after arriving there. In the end, I couldn’t see the sunset, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying Yuhigaura Beach. We returned home dead tired after another 5-hour-drive and slept in on Monday. 

How was your weekend? Was it quiet or eventful?