Kagoshima

Japan Rail offers an excellent, reasonably priced ticket for foreigners called the JR pass which can be used on local, express and the fast Shinkansen trains all over Japan, and it can be purchased for 1, 2 or 3 week validity.

I had been to Honshu and Shikoku islands of Japan's four main islands so far and so decided to go to the wesetern island: Kyushu. I read about the natural beauty of Kagoshima, which is almost the southwestern point of the island.

Using the JR, in the fast speed in Shinkansen train, I was in Kagoshima in less than four hours.

Searching for things to do, I was inspired to go to Ibusuki.

Right when you reach the Ibusuki train station, there are signs for the sand bath. I know about mud baths, especially in Calistoga in California. About a mile walk away from the train station, is the location for the sand bath.

It looks like a fantastically run operation. It is on the Kagoshima bay and the sand is naturally heated by thermal hot springs under the coast. The sand on the beach is hot and there are signs indicating that one could get burned and walking on the beach is prohibited.

You sign up for a sand bath by paying ¥1500 and get a robe called Yukata and a cloth belt called Obi. You also get a pair of slippers, face and a bath towel. After putting your belongings in a locker, you wear the Yukata, slippers and walk down to the sand bath area right on the beach. It is a shed with a thatched roof.

The assistants there make a sand platform for your head and you lie down on the warm sand. They heap the sand fully covering your body and you feel weighed down and a little claustrophobic.

A clock right in front tells you when you started the bath and 10 minutes is the recommended time for the bath, however, the other folks who just did it said they think 15 minutes is more appropriate. Photography is prohibited in the sand bath area.

As you lay in the warm sand, a gentle breeze from the bay wafts on the only exposed part of your body, your face, and even though you are profusely sweating, you feel very pleasant.

I was worried whether I would be able to get up given that the sand seemed so heavy, but it was relatively easy to do.

You are a ushered to an area where you discard the Yukata and use the hot water pond to rinse the sand off your body. Then you can be in an onsen, which is like a giant hot tub.

There is also a sauna with about 83.9C/183F temperature. After three minutes in the hot sauna, I showered and left. It was an unexpected new experience.

Famished after this, I found a highly rated Izakaya and was there minutes before it was about to open at 6 PM. The staff there was very helpful and told me that the drink of choice in Kagoshima is Shochu, which they recommend diluting 50% with hot water.

The salad with amberjack, tuna and shrimp was fantastic. A fun dish I had was something you cook at your own table on a very small grill.

By now it was time to find a nearest ryokan and wake up early for the hike to an active volcano.