Exploring the hidden corners of the Uto Peninsula

The Uto Peninsula is quite possibly an overlooked little gem of an area that forms the route between Kumamoto and the Amakusa Islands, with the latter being a popular Summer holiday destination.

The Peninsula is largely a spine of green hills with settlements sprinkled along the coasts, with the Ariake Sea on one side and the Yatsushiro Sea on the other. Half of the peninsula is part of Uto City, and the other half belongs to Uki City. Each side of the Peninsula has a distinct look and feel too so try to travel both coast roads. Overall a very interesting place that I doubt many would stop to enjoy or give a second thought when travelling between Kumamoto and the Amakusa Islands.

This area is one of familiarity for us, as most of our time in Japan has been spent staying with the in-laws in Oda, which is the village that my wife Tomomi grew up in. 

Today I'm going to tell you about some of the interesting places in this area.

Looking toward Amakusa from the Misumi Ferry Building

Misumi

Misumi is a historic port town at the southern tip of the Peninsula and where the roads from both coasts meet. It is the gateway to the Amakusa islands across the water via two large bridges. Misumi West Port is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with a number of structures remaining from it's rise to prominence during the Meiji restoration and is a lovely spot to enjoy an afternoon or even a spot of fishing from the sea wall.

Round the corner from the West Port is the main town which centered around the quite lovely Misumi Train station. A short walk across the road takes you to the very interesting Ferry Building, a spiral structure that you can ascend via paths both the outside and inside, with the open top area providing nice views over the town and the sea. The Ferry Services are a vital connection to the Amakusa islands due to the train terminating at Misumi, maintaining a public transport option to the Islands. Catching the Ferry on a calm, clear day would be a wonderful way to travel, with it making a stop at Kamiamakusa island before heading down to Hondo and Amakusa City. I'll have to do this one day despite not getting along with boats due to motion sickness, it will have to be a calm day for sure!

The JR Misumi line runs between Kumamoto Station and Misumi and is a very popular line for locals, and a convenient way for travelers to explore the area by boarding at Kumamoto. The line runs Diesel trains and provides nice views of the Ariake sea for large stretches. There is a beautiful tourist train called the A-train which runs occasionally on this route, with a luxuriously comfortable interior and a bar. I hope to ride this Train in future!

Nearby to Misumi is Tobase Island. When I study maps I'm often intrigued by Islands and what secrets they might hold. Tobase Island though is just an ordinary place, but quiet and peaceful. There is a reason to visit however, and that is the Cat Cafe 'Kaju', an unexpected delight in such a location.

Here are some of my shots taken around the Misumi Ferry building and Misumi West Port.

Oda

Oda (also written as Ouda) is a small village on the Ariake Sea side of the peninsula, approximately half way between Uto City and Misumi.

The village is set in a flat basin surrounded by hills on 3 sides, with the sea on the other. The flat land is predominantly farm land, with houses and buildings scattered around the edges, with the majority on the hillsides. Like many Japanese rural villages, it is very peaceful, punctuated by the cawing of Crows and jingles punctually played over the Village-wide PA system to let the farmers know when it's lunch and dinner time. As a farming community, most of the population is aging and will continue to do so, and unfortunately it could be one of the many places that stories claim that will all but disappear as the elderly pass away and the young move to the cities. 

There is not much in the way of facilities, however despite it's small size, Oda notably possesses an Elementary school, a Junior High School, a Post office, a Soy sauce Factory and a new Community Centre. There is also a train station as part of the Misumi Line. 

A Farmer starting Spring preparations in the fields

There are two main places of interest for Tourists in Oda:

• Oda Pottery is a Pottery kiln and gallery where you can view and purchase beautiful handmade items. I love the style and we have some items at home (though I'm embarrassed to say I broke most of them in freak accidents) Finding more information on the Pottery is difficult, though a google image search showcases some of the pieces.

• Mikorai Beach Observatory - climb the hill behind the Junior high school on a clear day at sunset, combined with a low tide and you will be greeted with a spectacular view that I cannot quite put into words, and as I haven't managed to get the photo yet myself you'll have to see the images on google.

Beyond that there is not a whole lot to do in Oda except enjoy the relative peace and quiet. One day quite a few years ago now, I was home alone and bored in Oda for the entire day so I decided to hike up the largest hill on the peninsula, Odake (the hill directly above the farmer in the above photo). Odake stands at over 420m from sea level, and given I was starting from Sea level on a hot day it would be a reasonable work out at my usual brisk march.  I left a note on the table in Japanese that just said 'Peto > Odake' and then set off, taking roads through the village and eventually snaking up into the hills. Somehow in the forest I managed to find the little sign indicating the trail and then joined up with some farming tracks that followed the ridgeline for quite a while, with the trees occasionally clearing and providing nice views. Eventually the trail just abruptly ended in overgrown bush, I spent a good 20 minutes trying to find the trail but gave up and started heading down. Within a few minutes a Kei truck came hurtling up the road and much to my surprise it was the father in law! He had seen my note and hastily drove all the way up here to rescue me, not that I needed it but it was nice not having to walk all the way back down! A nice memory that will stay with me.

From Oda you can head inland and visit Ishiuchi Dam, a small reservoir set in a tranquil area where on a nice day you can sit and enjoy the summer bugs buzzing away or do a spot of fishing. I like it here as you really do feel like you are a million miles away from everything. There is even a museum, and a train station too.

To get a feel of Oda, I filmed a very amateurish video on my phone whilst going for a walk, but it gives you a good feel for what such a village is like.

And here are some shots taken around Oda this year:

Nagabeta Seabed road

Moving on from Oda, heading back towards Uto we come across a strange place that most of the time appears to be just a nondescript car park on the side of the road, by the sea. There is more than meets the eye though, as the Ariake sea has the largest tidal range in Japan, and as the tide drops, a road appears. This road is known as the Nagabeta Seabed Road.  Although I cannot find the information about the length of the road, having walked it I can tell you if goes out a fair way. It is actually used for farmers to cultivate seaweed but has become a popular tourist attraction in itself.

We were driving past this place most days and kept seeing the most peculiar thing - young people walking along the busy road (that does not really have provision for pedestrians), and often wheeling suitcases. What on earth are they doing here? It turns out they are fans of the anime 'One Piece', and thanks to a regional revitalization project in Kumamoto, there are statues of One Piece characters dotted around the prefecture. At the Nagabeta Seabed road, there is a statue of the character 'Jinbe', and fans travel from all over to see it, despite it being a long 30 minute walk from the nearest train station.

A telephoto shot of people walking the Nagabeta Seabed Road

In Closing

That's just some of the interested things around the Peninsula. The takeaway here is not necessarily about this area in particular, but that Japan has an abundance of places that are unassuming and often bypassed, but take the time to look closer and you can find beauty as well as genuine experiences that are off the beaten path.