Today’s our full day at sea until we arrive in Kyushu at 9pm. I’m going to take the day off from blogging and just have Chat GPT do it for me..

Greetings from the deck of a ship bound for Shinmoji in Kyushu! Today has been a mix of tranquil ocean views, personal relaxation, and a bit of physical exertion. Here’s a look at my day as we sail from the bustling harbor of Yokosuka to the serene beauty of the southern coast of Japan.

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

Nothing really happened today which was totally by design. Out first time staying at a ryokan, I only booked us for 1 night and the whole experience was so rushed as we checked in at 5pm and were shooed out of there by 10am (Japanese efficiency). Now that I know better, stays at an onsen town must include at least a full day to take it slow, eat, and soak in hot springs.

We’re proud to announce that we were able to get the 3 stamps on our onsen day pass yesterday plus I asked our ryokan if they would stamp it too as they also participate in the program. This is a nice little souvenir to bring home and put in a box that will never see the light of day.

Being in southern Japan, I assumed it would be much warmer than in Tokyo. It’s basically the distance between Minneapolis and Tennessee. Weather today was on and off rain and around 45f so kind of chilly but there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.