The first thing I have to say is I can no longer trust Google Maps for transit info. Especially not in the Japanese countryside. I already had it make me walk further than I needed to because it’s bad at backtracking even when it’s quicker, e.g. getting off at a later station and walking back. This morning I was counting on getting on a bus and then switching to a train because it was supposed to be the fastest way from Imari to Karatsu. Unfortunately Google Maps doesn’t seem to know that the weekend schedules are different.
I got to breakfast at the hotel and the whole cafeteria was full of high school girls. Or maybe college. I’m old and kids look like kids. The buffet was picked over but fortunately most of them were finishing up and they started refilling things as I was trying to make my choices. There were a LOT of choices.
I didn’t fill up all of the spaces on the plate but two of the spaces have two different things. And while it looks like I didn’t get a lot of food, I was completely stuffed.
I made it to the station for the 9:49am bus, which wasn’t a thing on weekends. Looking at the schedules, it was quicker for me to wait for the 11:03am train. I had plenty of time to kill but I noticed there was a free work space at the station. I should’ve used that time to plan tomorrow’s travels but I just watched some YouTube videos.
The train was even smaller than the one yesterday. Ran like a bus (again) and was diesel rather than purely electric. It wound through the countryside and I think it dropped off a couple of people but only one got on.
I made it to Karatsu around noon and had them clear my Suica (did I mention I mistakenly touched the wrong reader in the middle of the trip from Nagasaki to Imari?) and got some advice on touristy spots. Then I took a cab to the ryokan I’m staying at. Couldn’t check in so early but they did let.me stash my luggage. The ryokan wasn’t close to the station but it was very close to the castle.
Here’s a view from the top of the castle of the peninsula where the ryokan is.
And a view of the castle from that bridge leading to the peninsula.
Does it look like there are a lot of stairs to the castle? There were a lot of stairs to the castle.
There was a ¥100 elevator that I was planning to take on the way down, but I missed it and walked down. Fortunately I didn’t trip on the uneven stairs.
The wisteria were starting to bloom and attracted a lot of bees.
The castle is a reproduction built during the Showa era which usually means it’s all museum inside. At least it wasn’t just concrete on the inside.
And being so high up the view was pretty nice.
I walked to the former residence of Taketori, a local coal magnate. It was huge. The entry room was 4m tall and he even had his own noh stage in one of the wings. I didn’t take any pictures of it but it was a mansion and a half.
From there I went to Karatsu jinja (another shrine) where I again took no pictures. I do have one of the former Karatsu Bank, where they proudly say it looks like Tokyo station. The guy who designed Tokyo station was from Karatsu and designed the bank building too. I don’t see it.
Then I went to the Hikiyama Float exhibition hall where they house all of the portable shrines used during the November festival. With that I had completed the recommended route and thought I’d better figure out where I’m going tomorrow. I know I need to end up in Hagi, but I told my cousin I’d swing by and have lunch with her. I just wanted to sit down and have a drink while I figured it out. (I mean coffee, tea, or juice.)
The menu looked delicious but I knew I’d have plenty back at the ryokan so I didn’t get any real food. I did sneak a picture of the inside.
I also didn’t think I’d need my usual Wilkinson but I took a picture of the selection in the FamilyMart.
Then back to the ryokan. I haven’t posted any pictures from my hotel windows because who needs pictures of parking lots. This is different.
And then dinner, in the room. I’m not going to describe things unless someone really needs to know. It was delicious.
My overeating continues.