Sand Baths and the Southernmost Cape - A Kagoshima Travel Guide

I had drunk my fill of alcohol and should have collapsed into sleep.
Yet, I woke up as if rising from a deep abyss, slowly surfacing to the water's edge.

Hmm?

A sleeping bag wriggling beside me.
In the pitch-black tent, Hide, who was sleeping next to me, seemed to have woken up too.

"Isn't it hot?" Hide asked.

Yeah...

Unable to fully wake from my deep slumber, while still in my sleeping bag,
I drifted in a daze for a while, when

It's hot!

I felt a heat, no, a burning sensation, as if my entire body were wrapped in a heat pack.

The moment I felt my life was in danger from the extraordinary heat.
Sawa-chan and Kin-chan, who were sleeping on the other side, seemed to have woken up as well.

It's hot!!

The four of us scrambled out of the tent in a panic and sat down on the sandy beach.

I told you we shouldn't pitch our tent on the beach next to the sand baths...

You agreed to it too, saying it looked nice and warm!
This is no time to argue, we need to move.

◇◇

That was 35 years ago, the very year the Japanese National Railways was privatized and restarted as JR. I was camping out with my friends in Ibusuki, famous for its sand baths.

Sand baths—for those who don't know what they are, let me explain! (Yatterman style)

It's a bath that uses hot spring steam? You dig a shallow human-shaped trench in the sandy beach where steam vents out, lie down in it, and have sand piled on top of you. It feels like being an ingredient in a steamed dish; this is the famous sand bath of Ibusuki, Kagoshima.

That's right, back in my reckless youth, I foolishly pitched a tent on the edge of a steaming sandy beach (lol).

It's been since that time that I've ridden this line (the Ibusuki Makurazaki Line)...

Located in the west, sunrise in Kyushu is late. In late February, it was still dark at 6:00 AM. I boarded the train departing from Kagoshima-Chuo Station. Oh right, back then the station was called Nishi-Kagoshima.
Today is a weekday. Is it for club activities? I was swayed by the train along with high school students commuting early in the morning, and while dozing off, I remembered those days from 35 years ago.

Yes, today's Nagu-Nagu Tourist (Nagu-Tsu) is a train trip. Oh, but we will be walking, too (lol).

◇◇

The first

destination is here (Nishi-Oyama Station). I built it up so much, but I'm skipping Ibusuki Station (Hey!)

You just want to visit the northernmost or southernmost points, don't you? (lol)

Just like Kareigawa Station, which I introduced the other day,
this Nishi-Oyama Station also has a "disproportionately large" parking lot.

Tour groups arrive at the station by sightseeing bus. It's a mystery that a station becomes a destination. Let's call it the JR Kyushu Magic.

Now then,

let's have breakfast. It's just a little before 8:00 AM. We'll set up camp in the rest hut next to the parking lot. That said, even though it's a popular station, there are very few people around at this early hour.

Why did we come here so early, and why did we board the 6:20 AM train (arriving at Nishi-Oyama at 7:48 AM) in the dark?

If we missed this, we wouldn't be able to arrive by train until noon.

Once again, here is a question.

What time train will we take next? Are we heading toward Makurazaki? Or are we heading back toward Ibusuki (Kagoshima-Chuo)?

Nagu-Tsu focuses on one place at a time.
I like trips where I can experience things deeply.

I wonder what time the train is?
The answer will be revealed... later.

Until the train time

Walking to the next destination (lol)

Walking along the path by the tracks, looking back

Oh!

According to the timetable, in a few more minutes...

After waving at the train, I leave the tracks and head toward the coastline (south).

The southernmost point

Nagasakibana, the southernmost point of the Satsuma Peninsula. This is (also) a place where the legend of Urashima Taro remains.

Walking for about two hours

Arrived at Nagasakibana. It's a tourist spot that's hard to call thriving (hey!), a tourist spot overflowing with a desolate Showa-era feel.

If you want to enjoy the area deeply, take one more step further. When you go down to the rocky area further beyond the Nagasakibana Lighthouse,

As you can see, the weather was gloomy today. I'd love to see Mt. Kaimon on a clear, sunny day too...

On the final day, I'll change my plans and try Mt. Kaimon again.

Yes, I've walked for a little under two hours so far.
It is currently 11:00 AM.
So, here is the answer to the quiz.

The answer is: take the 14:34 train and head back to Ibusuki!

If that's the case,

Considering about an hour for lunch and another two hours to walk back, I'll need about three hours. I realized I don't have as much time as I thought, so, lunch it is!

Let's head to the shop I noticed on the way here, 'Mango no Mori'!

Even though it's Mango no Mori,

When you think of bonito flakes, you think of 'Makurazaki'.

Right?

No, no.

Ibusuki's bonito flakes are also delicious.
Actually, personally, I'm a fan of Ibusuki-produced (Yamakawa-produced) bonito flakes over Makurazaki's. They aren't sold very often, so if you see them, grab them immediately.

Once you've got your Ibusuki bonito flakes,

Anyway!
I got sidetracked...

Today's lunch is bread, not Japanese food.

This one in the photo is a hot sandwich made with Ibusuki's namaribushi (semi-dried bonito), smoked, mixed with onions and mayonnaise, and pressed between slices of bread.

Hot!
It's so hot I can't even hold it,

Chomp! *Huff huff* Hahaha.

It brings a smile to my face
It's bound to be delicious

And now, dessert. Hehe.

Now that we're full, let's head back to Nishi-Oyama Station.

Actually, we don't have much time.
Will our Nagu-Nagu crew make it back in time for the train?

To be continued

Stay tuned!

A Kagoshima trip themed around "water mist, steam, and waterfall hopping"
Did you enjoy today's installment as well?

Wait, did any steam actually appear?

Hehe

Cape Nagasakibana is a place where the legend of Urashima Taro remains

Speaking of Urashima Taro...

Exactly. Hehe.

(To be continued...)

If you want to read the Kagoshima trip from the beginning, click here