少し天気の悪い阿蘇、初夏の九州縦断ツーリング（その２）[Kawasaki W800 Street]

少し天気の悪い阿蘇、初夏の九州縦断ツーリング（その２）[Kawasaki W800 Street]

Kobayashi Palace Hotel, Kobayashi City, Miyazaki Prefecture. It’s the third day of the Kyushu tour. Today, due to rain, the focus is on traveling. From Kobayashi City in Miyazaki Prefecture, heading north to avoid the rain, I’ll be riding to Aso City in Kumamoto Prefecture, where the accommodation is. I’ll choose the route while observing the clouds. National Route 268, Hosono, Kobayashi City, Miyazaki Prefecture. On days with bad weather, it’s best to forgo the scenery and enjoy visiting historical sites and other points of interest. National Route 268, Ogawara, Ebino City, Miyazaki Prefecture. I’ll head from Kobayashi City towards Hitoyoshi City in the southern part of Kumamoto Prefecture. National Route 268, Daimyoji, Ebino City, Miyazaki Prefecture. I’ll proceed in the direction where the clouds are thinner, checking the rain cloud radar. Seeing a bit of blue sky lifts my spirits. National Route 221, Hitoyoshi Loop Bridge, Ohata Town, Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture. I’ve entered Kumamoto Prefecture from Miyazaki Prefecture. The area around the prefectural border is deep in the mountains, with clouds hanging over the forest. Nishiki Town, Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture. As I enter Hitoyoshi City, there are more flatlands. In this plain area, there are historical sites from World War II. Yanase, Sagara Village, Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture. This place looks like an ordinary farmland, but it was once a straight road that used to be a Navy airfield. The road stretches straight for about 1,500 meters. Continuing on the airfield road, there’s a museum at the end. You can visit the rare inland naval base site. Secret Base Museum, a naval town in the mountains. The highlight of this museum is the "hangar carved into the cliff." I join the tour to visit the back of the airfield. Heading towards the cliff behind the museum. There are bunkers carved into the cliff behind the airfield. These are hangars and barracks dug by engineers by hand. There was even a torpedo adjustment room that could withstand bombings. This facility was forgotten until recent years. You can see the remnants of the runway on maps from the 1960s. Locals thought it was just an air-raid shelter. A survey rediscovered it as a large naval base, and a museum opened in 2018. The museum is very clean, and the exhibits are impressive. They display reconnaissance planes like the "Red Dragonfly." The 1500m runway is now a power plant and a road. It was educational to see the naval base remnants in a peaceful farmland. The museum was so wonderful that I stayed for two hours. Leaving the museum, I’ll head towards Aso. Ganshoji Town, Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Gradually, the rain clouds started approaching. National Route 3, Oka Town, Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture. I’ll ride along the coastal road to avoid the rain clouds. While avoiding the rain clouds on the right side, I head towards Aso. National Route 443, Shimozaru, Izumi Town, Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture. There is a famous bridge on the way to Aso. It’s an aqueduct bridge built in the Edo period. National Route 445, Misato Town, Shimomashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture. The aqueduct bridge is an arch bridge made of stone, and it was registered as a national treasure in 2023. Sentaki, Yamato Town, Kamimashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture. As I approach the bridge, dark clouds loom. I’ll head to the bridge before it starts raining. I arrived at the parking lot for Tsujun Bridge. Tsujun Bridge Parking Lot. I’ll quickly go see the bridge. As soon as I arrived at the bridge, it started pouring rain. The aqueduct is an impressive civil engineering structure. I strongly felt the desire to revisit when it’s not raining. I quickly switch to rain gear. Wearing rain gear is also part of the charm of long tours. From here, I will switch to a waterproof microphone. Once the rain gear is on, the rain is no longer scary. National Route 218, Yamato Town, Kamimashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture. There are ways to enjoy a tour even in the rain. It’s also fun to deliberately ride through difficult areas, like within the clouds. National Route 265, Takamori Town, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Takamori Observatory. Let’s take a look at the Aso area that I’ll be heading to. From the observatory along the national route, I’ll check the highland area. Fortunately, the top of Mount Aso is completely in the clouds. When the weather is cloudy, it’s enjoyable to enter the clouds. I’ll enter the highland road and increase the altitude. Aso Panorama Line. As I ascend the mountain road, the clouds get closer. I can almost touch the clouds. I’ve reached the area below the clouds. Raindrops are gradually forming on my rain gear. The road has become nearly impossible to see. The fog is so thick that I can’t even see the upcoming curve. It’s thrilling to ride carefully. (Probably) near Kusasenri or Komezuka in Aso. On days like this, there are no tourists, so no cars are on the road. It feels like I’ve been transported to a different world, alone. As I descend the highland, the clouds start to clear. Finally, I can see the grassland scenery. There are some horses, so I’ll stop my bike. There are a few horses scattered around the rainy grassland. It’s cute to see them grazing on the grass. The animals are also generally wet and look quite moist. It’s like being in the world of "Great Aso" by Tatsuhiko Miyoshi. Even in the rain and mist, Aso is a beautiful place. I descended from the mountain and arrived at Aso Town. As it is evening, I head to the hotel. When the weather is bad, I make the most of the evening. I head out to the bars in the hot spring town. Ryokan Kintoki, Uchinomaki Onsen, Aso. Aso has a well-developed hot spring town with many establishments. I enjoyed some horse sashimi, a local specialty. Feeling pleasantly intoxicated, I prepared for the next day and went to sleep. Ryokan Kintoki, Uchinomaki Onsen, Aso. It’s the fourth day of the Kyushu tour. The weather has improved, and I could see the caldera terrain of Aso clearly. Today, I will tour around Aso and head towards Nagasaki. First, I’ll explore the grasslands of Aso. After that, I’ll ride towards the Ariake Sea and visit coal mine ruins. Finally, I’ll cross the sea and head to Isahaya Bay. First, I’ll climb the hill in front of me. Prefectural Route 23, Akamizu, Aso City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Aso Town is located in the center of the caldera. It’s a unique terrain surrounded by the caldera walls. The scenery makes it clear that this was once a volcano. I’ll climb the hill to observe the caldera terrain. Prefectural Route 23, Kurumaeri, Aso City, Kumamoto Prefecture. I’ll drive up the mountain road, glancing at the bottom of the caldera. It’s a very scenic and pleasant road. At the top of the caldera wall, the road changes to a grassland path. There are continuous curves making it fun to ride. Prefectural Route 339, Milk Road. At the top of the caldera wall, a magnificent view opens up. I will drive on the famous "Milk Road." You can see the flatlands of the caldera bottom clearly. I can also see the southern Aso area where I rode yesterday. I will ride through the open and beautiful green grasslands. It’s a road you should drive at least once if you have a license. It’s worth coming to Kyushu just to ride here. There is an observatory overlooking the caldera terrain. Almost everyone who comes to Aso stops by this observatory. Daikanbo, Aso. It’s a few minutes’ walk from the parking lot to the observatory. You can see the beautiful caldera terrain. You can see the town of Aso and the ryokan where I stayed. Many international visitors were also there for sightseeing. It’s a panorama that can’t be captured even with a super wide-angle lens. Beyond the caldera, there are grasslands. I can see the caldera wall I rode along earlier. It was an amazing view that didn’t feel like Japan. Leaving Daikanbo, I head to the next destination. Next, I will ride the "Yamanami Highway." Prefectural Route 11, Yamanami Highway, Kumamoto Prefecture. After finishing the "Milk Road," I’ll reach an intersection. The road changes to the "Yamanami Highway." The Yamanami Highway also starts with grasslands. The green grasslands are beautiful. Prefectural Route 11, Yamanami Highway, Oita Prefecture. As I enter Oita Prefecture from Kumamoto Prefecture, the road turns into a mountain route. It’s a pleasant mountain road with no traffic lights. Chojabaru Marker, Yamanami Highway. There are photo spots along the Yamanami Highway. A straight road where many people stop for photos. On this day, there were many clouds, making the scenery a bit disappointing. After this, I’ll leave the Yamanami Highway and go to see a beautiful waterfall nearby. National Route 387, Kokonoe Town, Kusu District, Oita Prefecture. I’ll ride through the mountainous area north of Aso. Although there are many mountains, the road is bright. National Route 387, Oguni Town, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture. I have returned to Kumamoto Prefecture. I leave the national route and enter a narrow road. The waterfall is beyond the village, so I’ll drive carefully. After driving a few minutes from the national route, I arrived at the waterfall. Nabegataki Parking Lot. Nabegataki requires advance reservation, and tickets are purchased via smartphone. Descending the stairs from the parking lot leads to a river. There is a beautiful waterfall at the end of the river. It’s not large, but it’s a beautiful waterfall. Water pours down like a shower. The unique feature of Nabegataki is that you can go behind the waterfall. You can see the forest through the water curtain. The abundant water flow makes it an ideal summer retreat. It’s a beautiful waterfall from any angle. The surrounding moss and greenery were also beautiful. It was a beautiful, cool, and interesting waterfall. Leaving the waterfall, I head to the next destination. National Route 387, Oguni Town, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture. I have returned to the national route. Riding through the mountainous roads, I aim for the Ariake Sea. National Route 387, Kamitsue Town, Hita City, Oita Prefecture. The mountain roads continue with little traffic. I ride through while feeling the scent of the forest. National Route 325, Shichijo Town, Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture. After about 30 minutes, I reached a flat city area. The tranquil scenery continues. Prefectural Route 3, Minami-mata Town, Tamana District, Kumamoto Prefecture. There is an interesting modern historical site on the way to the Ariake Sea. It’s a former coal mine that supported Japan’s modernization. It has been developed as a tourist destination for modern historical heritage. Manda Coal Mine. I paid the entrance fee at the reception and headed to the coal mine facilities. I could freely walk around the coal mine site. The brick buildings feel historic. The steel-frame headframe remains, and operations continued until 1997. You can see various structures made of bricks, tiles, and steel. I was also able to enter and tour the interior of the buildings. I thoroughly enjoyed the old buildings. There was a bath for washing off mining grime, and I could also see a light charging room. Heading to the area where the headframe was located. The light streaming from above was impressive. There are tunnels several hundred meters underground from here. There were also remaining controls for the lift and communication devices. The equipment at Manda Mine is well-preserved. This is the vehicle that transported coal to the port. The massive winding machine was impressive. The coal mine that supported Japan’s modernization was worth seeing. On the way to the Ariake Sea, I was able to visit a good facility. Finally, I head to cross the Ariake Sea. National Route 389, Nagasu Town, Tamana District, Kumamoto Prefecture. After riding for about 20 minutes from Manda Mine, I reached the sea. In the distance, I can see Mount Unzen in Nagasaki Prefecture. It’s convenient to take a boat from Kumamoto to the opposite shore in Nagasaki. I will board a ferry crossing the Ariake Sea. Ariake Ferry, Nagasu Port. The ferry has two decks for vehicles. Motorcycles board from the ground level. It was a ferry where motorcycles board first. I carefully rode on the steel deck to board. Ariake Ferry, Nagasu Port, Boarding. Ariake Ferry, Nagasu Port, Departure. The red two-layer bridge was beautiful. As the ferry departs, Mount Unzen gradually comes closer. In about 45 minutes, I arrived at the port on the Nagasaki side. Ariake Ferry, Tabira Port, Disembarkation. I head towards the hotel in Isahaya. Since the sun is still out, I’ll take a slight detour. National Route 251, Kunimi Town, Unzen City, Nagasaki Prefecture. Speaking of Isahaya, there is a famous reclamation project. There is a huge breakwater to protect the reclaimed land from the waves, and you can drive on the road on top of the breakwater. Isahaya Bay Reclamation Breakwater Road. The straight breakwater road continues for about 8 km. On the left is the reclaimed land, and on the right is Isahaya Bay. There is an observatory in the middle of the breakwater road. Unzen Tara Sea Line Observatory. I’ll cross the pedestrian bridge to see the road. The straight road was enjoyable to drive. The sunset over Isahaya Bay was beautiful. It was a fitting scene to end the day. Having visited all the places I wanted, I head to the accommodation. Unzen Green Road, Azuma Town, Unzen City, Nagasaki Prefecture. I booked today’s accommodation near Isahaya Station. Prefectural Route 55, Funakoshi Town, Isahaya City, Nagasaki Prefecture. In early summer, the days are long, so it was around 7:30 PM when it got dark. Finally arriving at the hotel, after a long ride, I was hungry. Hotel Grand Palace Isahaya. In Isahaya, I planned to eat eel. Eel Restaurant Gyosou. Isahaya’s specialty is "Rakuyaki Eel." The dish is known for its steaming hot pot, and the steamed eel is delicious. Eel with beer and side dishes made for a pleasant meal. The hotel and the eel restaurant had a partnership, so it was a bit cheaper. I went to sleep feeling pleasantly full. To be continued.

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九州ツーリングの３日目、４日目です。小林市から阿蘇、阿蘇から諫早に走ります。少し天気の悪いなかのツーリングでしたが、雨の日のツーリングの様子をみて貰えればと思います。

タイムチャート
00:00 ツーリング３日目のコース紹介
00:31 ひみつ基地ミュージアムへ
03:39 通潤橋へ
05:46 雲の中の阿蘇
08:30 宿へ
08:51 ツーリング４日目のコース紹介
09:32 ミルクロード・大観峰
12:11 やまなみハイウェイ
13:26 鍋ヶ滝へ
15:19 万田炭鉱へ
18:03 有明フェリーで長崎・雲仙へ
19:35 雲仙多良シーラインへ
20:45 宿へ、鰻屋へ