大阪の階段: March 2014

When I made it to Shimabara, I just HAD to go check out the "samurai street," where the street and several houses were preserved. In these houses lived the samurai and lords who served the lord of Shimabara Castle, which is infamous for a revolt of Christians some time ago...

I managed to get an idea of the size of the neighboring Mount Unzen (the volcano that wiped out the Kraffts and the professor who's student died in a similar eruption at St. Helens previously), which was hidden from view by clouds the entire time I was there, say for the glorious sunset I could see from the bus station as I wandered the town.

I strolled through a majority of the town, and passed by this hot spring (onsen), one of many in Shimabara thanks to past and current volcanic activity (there were 3 foot onsen too). A group of older ladies leaving the onsen as I passed, who were kind (and spunky) enough to direct me to the Koi (carp) City, a series of pools and channels that weave along and under the road and pathway of an area in Shimabara, which of course are home to some massive carp.

After finding the Koi City, I wandered down to the coast, both to wander a bit on the snail-covered rocky beach, and to poke around the town's martial arts training hall. The shouts and kiai of the practicing kendo group made me feel at home as I scrambled about the beach and the nearby park, where a somewhat abandoned series of memorials were placed.

Of course, I also got lost. What fun would it be if I didn't lose my way as the light fled the skies and I dopety-doed between the fancy-smanshy sea-side hotels, where all the other foreigners and tourists in town stayed? Being the anthropologist-in-training that I apparently am, I approached three locals, who were outside a house playing with a dog, about where to find a restaurant or shop with the best local food in town. Not only did they direct me, but the dog owner closed up her house and took her dog on a walk to show me the place. She set me up with the owner of the shop, traded contact information with me, and pointed me in the direction of my hotel.

This is the result: Shimabara Mocchi Soup! Man, it was DELICIOUS! Normally, you can have mocchi (pounded omnom rice cake) in soup only at the beginning of the year (which I sadly missed), but these people are fantastic enough to have the mocchi soup all year 'round as a local dish!

I met up with my guide and new friend the next day, and we walked around the neighborhoods and castle perimeter before we parted ways at the bus stop. She made sure the bus driver knew to help me get off at the correct stop, where I could scramble down to and check out the volcano disaster museum before dashing back to the Shimabara port for the ferry.

The museum folks were absolutely wonderful! They made sure I got to see all the best parts of the museum (with an English translator too if I wanted!), took care of my bags, and even arranged a ride with other of the workers to the ferry docks, instead of calling for a taxi.

This was definitely the best town I visited in Japan until this point, and I swore to return someday to somehow see everyone again and repay their kindness in one way or another.