Travelling from Miyazaki to Oita was a journey from sea to mountains, and from summer to autumn. Here in Taketa, clear mountain rivers wind among yellow-green fields of rice almost ready for harvest.
The country roads are bordered by clouds of pink and white cosmos flowers
I explored the centre of Taketa, a historic castle town, after I arrived.
Many shops have been in business for generations
The residents have come up with all sorts of interesting ideas to bring their heritage alive, including a musical tunnel that plays “Kojo no Tsuki” (“Moon over the Ruined Castle”), a famous song by local composer Taki Rentaro, when you walk through it! They are also making use of old buildings in creative ways.
This former public bath is now a cafe! The bathtub has become a seating area, while the counter is where bathers once washed themselves - the taps are still in place
I am staying in a farmhouse belonging to the Hadano family.
The farmhouse, takes its name, “Unchuzaka” (“Slope in the Clouds”), from the stone path behind which once led to a feudal lord’s hunting lodge
I was given a very warm welcome by them all, but particularly Kanta, their six year-old son, who sees himself as the boss of the establishment!
When Kanta saw me taking photos of the dinner, he got out his grandfather’s camera and started to do the same!
The whole family wanted to see the places I’d visited so far
This morning, Hadano-san senior took me around the neighbourhood.
On the way, I picked some “kabosu”, a famous Oita citrus fruit that’s good squeezed over sashimi
The local shrine. Many such shrines in Taketa were in fact Christian worship sites in disguise during the period when Christianity was banned
My intrepid guide clears the way! The rock pillars are molten lava from an ancient eruption of Mt Aso
Then it was time to set off for the Hidden Beauties, which were each connected in one way or another to water. Taketa is famous for its mineral water - both hot, for bathing, and cold, for drinking. We visited two cold-water springs, and drank delicious water that was bubbling up from the ground right there. Many visitors had brought bottles, or even tanks, to fill.
Water cress, in the background, also grows in the clear spring water
The main destination for the day was Hakusui (“White Water”) Dam, known as the most beautiful dam in Japan.
Ready to eat a homemade picnic prepared by my hosts!
Despite Taketa’s many mineral springs, historically there was a shortage of water for agriculture, to the extent that battles were fought over water rights. The dam was constructed in 1938 to form a reservoir and store water. However, the engineers faced a problem.
If you look closely, you will see that the dam is asymmetrical...
The Taketa area is made up of volcanic rock, which is relatively soft. A dam made of concrete would rapidly have sunk into the bedrock. Instead, the engineers came up the solution of using the same local rock, lighter than concrete, to build the dam, and moulding it to the contours of the original riverbed to reduce stress. The dam’s curves are not only picturesque, but also functional, lessening the force of the cascading water.
Even the surface was deliberately left rough, to create hundreds of tiny steps which produce the white water that gives the dam its name
There are also great views from the top of the dam
Volcanic boulders like these, which dot the hillsides, were used to build the dam
Not far from Hakusui Dam is another interesting piece of water-related engineering, the Meisei Aqueduct, one of the largest in Japan.
The aqueduct was built nearly a century ago to carry water to a neighbouring town, but looks even older
We made one final stop, to see where Hime Daruma are made. These papier mache dolls are unique to Taketa, and there is only one family of artisans still producing them. Unlike regular Daruma dolls, these “Princess Daruma” are female.
Goto-san and her mother work hard all year round, but there is still a long waiting list for their unique Daruma
Guess what I was given as a present by my hosts? My very own Hime Daruma! Now I will definitely never forget my time in Taketa
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