I really had no plans for us here in Kitakyushu besides spending the night and then getting out of here to go on to our next destination. I did google the city when I was making our trip itinerary and saw that Toto (yes the toilet manufacturer) was headquartered near where we were planning on staying and they had a free museum which conveniently opened before we needed to head to Fukuoka. I joked to Joanna that we should go and she emphatically said “Heck yes!”. This company is #1…or is it #2 in our household as their bidet washlet was the first thing we bought after we got the house a year and a half ago.
I think I’ve fully adjusted to the time change as I woke up at 6am which is my normal time I wake up at home. I walked 15 min to the nearest Anytime Fitness, got a quick workout in, came back to grab our stuff, and walked to the station. Again, coin lockers are so helpful when you have some time to kill but don’t want to lug things around.
The Toto museum was 3 stops away from the monorail and just a 10 min walk from the station. I couldn’t believe it when we got there that the freaking building is shaped like a toilet seat!!! It’s probably weird that we had such a good time but it was free admission and this was such a good shit-uation to take advantage of before we needed to head to our next destination.
The company was founded in the early 1900’s originally making porcelain dishware. In the 1920s they moved into “sanitary porcelain” and designed their first toilet. The experience was really cool in seeing all the iterations of toilets and bidet seats that they’ve designed over their +100 year history. I learned that they they also have an XL toilet which can handle the size weight of a sumo wrestler. They also displayed some weird father and son mascot they used in 2015 for a commercial. It was too odd not to share. Of course they had a personal demo experience as well so you can test out the future of pooping technology. I just looked up the cost of the toilet and holy crap, it’s $23,000….that’s in yen right?
They had a map where you can put a sticker on where in the world you’re from. Looks like Minnesota is well represented but someone from Panama needs to come visit though.
We were a little short on time so we skipped the sinks and faucets section of the museum as riveting as they may be as it didn’t flow with our schedule. The next section was the home decor showroom. I REALLY wish we had this back home because Joanna and I both love Japanese design and functionality, especially because our house is a bit smaller and could utilize some of these space saving features. We’ve been updating the house with Japanese and Scandinavian design aesthetics called “Japandi” which a lot of the showroom displayed. I also love the Japanese wet bathroom system but I don’t know how realistic it is to install in an American home.
We checked out the giftshop on our way out and you’d better believe we bought a souvenir. It’s a cute little ceramic toilet!
We caught the monorail back to the train station, bought tickets to Fukuoka on the bullet train that was set to leave in 10 minutes, and got on the bus to Kurokawa Onsen town. We picked up some bento boxes before getting on the bus as it was a 2.5 hour ride to our destination. This portion of the trip made me a bit nervous because it needed a bit more coordination and fewer people have this place documented. If you’re in Kyushu, you’re likely going to go to Beppu or Yufuin onsen towns as they’re more easily accessible. I wanted to continue our road less traveled plans so I was able to find this place were truly only locals go. I reserved bus tickets as soon as they were available, we just needed to make sure we got to the bus station on time because if you’re not early in Japan, you’re late.
I absolutely love traveling to the rural parts of Japan either on bus or train. I have yet to do a long distance road trip by car but that might need to happen on the next trip. Living in Minnesota, I’m used to flat boring uninteresting landscapes with corn fields on either side of the freeway. It’s so nice looking out the window while moving through Japan’s countryside as you see people working in their rice paddies, cross winding rivers, and drive through long tunnels through mountains. There was one point on the ride where we passed through a bamboo forest. This is my first time in Japan for the cherry blossom season so I noticed a few trees blooming on the hills and along the rivers as we drove past.
We are staying at Ryokan Okonoyu in Kurokawa Onsen Town. I had arranged a pick up at the bus station when we arrived. The driver Tabatares-san welcomed us and brought our bags into the car. He asked me if I spoke Japanese, I said “Yes, but it’s terrible, do you speak English?” he said “Yes, but it’s terrible also” and we both laughed awkwardly.
I was telling my friend Aaron that I’m getting such a rush in being able to put simple sentences together in Japanese and understand people’s responses. Right now I’m basically just asking if they have x, where is y, can I have z, or what time is whatever. It’s working, I’m getting the information I need, but people here don’t know how much of a funny person I am. I have thoughts to express and I can’t do them in Japanese yet! Like this morning, the juice they served at breakfast was delicious and I asked the staff member in Japanese if it was apple juice, she was so excited that I got it right because it’s probably from a regional apple variety. I told her that it was delicious but that’s where my Japanese ended. Joanna and I both did a 3 month study abroad in Beijing doing intensive Mandarin in 2008 and 2009. I told her I’d like to do that again in the future but for Japanese for 1-3 months. Maybe take a sabbatical off work once the house is paid off.
The website description of the Ryokan (Japanese inn) wasn’t exaggerating that they were right along the river because our room was literally, right along the river. We have a really nice tatami mat floor with a balcony overlooking the water. We were given yukatas to wear during our stay and told that dinner will be at 5:30 sharp. Of course we had to do a little photoshoot of our very Japanese outfits. I feel like we were transported to 1960s Japan.
Dinner was an elegant feast: beef tataki, steamed sakura tofu, shabu shabu with wagyu beef from Higo prefecture, grilled river fish, steamed egg, tempura vegetables and shrimp, miso soup with mochi, and an almond tofu dessert. Everything was beautifully cooked and seasoned.
The main onsen (hot spring) bath at this ryokan turned out to be an open air mixed gender bath which was a first for me. Usually they’re separate. I looked it up afterwards and mixed gender apparently is getting more and more rare when it used to be the norm in Japan. I actually liked it more because it’s usually just me in the hot water with a bunch of dudes and I get bored quickly with no one to talk to. The onsen faced a nearby waterfall and the river passed right by. Definitely one of the best onsens I’ve ever been at. I managed to snap a quick pic as there was no one around. We also got to check out one of the private onsens as well. Nothing like rejuvenating your soul while soaking in over 100f degree water.
This is my favorite post yet. The Toto museum is…quirky, the puns…as expected. Japanese countryside is gorgeous. Food is so interesting and beautifully presented. A table full of Japanese ceramics is a feast in itself. Photoshoot is 5/5. Such a cozy bedroom with tatami mats and floor futons. I can imagine how good it must have felt to be in a hot bath surrounded by a waterfall. A really interesting mix of experiences. And naked in a public pool?? What a country!