The king of Beppu

June 30th, 2006

I have been asked by half of my readership (that’s you, Sarah) to post something from our Kyushu road trip last Golden Week. Alas, I don’t have those pictures on my computer at the moment, so here is something from our previous Kyushu road trip from Golden Week the year before last. Yes, we’re quite original when it comes to trip planning. I must say, though, that I’ve seen more of this island than probably 99% of the residents here, which earns me a little respect when they ask me where I’ve been in Japan. It’s interesting how all of our travels somehow revolve around wild monkeys. It seems to be a prerequisite for any location we consider vacationing in– abundance of wild monkeys. Some people go for the beaches, others for the food, and then there’s us; we go for the semi-domesticated wild animals. I will post evidence soon. Until then, please enjoy this large-costumed employee at one of Beppu’s “hells.” These are intolerably hot onsens, so instead of bathing in them we stand around looking at them. I’m not sure what the costumed man has to do with onsens, but I’m sure it had something to do with the cute factor, marketability, and the problems surrounding exactly how to make a keitai jangle out of a pool of water.

Entry Filed under: Japan