All Our Bags Are Packed!

                             Travel bog # 9 Kagoshima

Warm welcoming at the dock

A new friend

Nearby, volcano starts to send off some steam. Our guide was surprised about the activity. A few days later lava began to spout out of the volcano.

                              Minamikushu-Chiranchokori

This is a unique town - well groomed...  

...and very clean

Town's telephone booth         Light posts with historical design

The folks living here believe foliage should be "trimmed" or "groomed" in an irregular fashion to represent what nature looks like.

More importantly, the town is known for its (historical) samurai homes. They are still occupied by the ancestors. The streets in the samurai village meander in a variety of directions making it difficult for "the enemy clan" to attack as well as to provide an easier defense for the home owners.

When the samurai were not fighting for the shogun, they would live ordinarily lives: farming, merchants, etc.

Some of the homes were raised for better airflow and ventilation. However, Ninja warriors working for another clan could crawl underneath and attack the family

                              This area looks like a movie set

The bathroom (outhouse) was placed close to the street to allow the occupant to "ease drop" as to what may be occurring on the street.

Fun time exploring the area

The modern world: An internet transmission device installed in the eves of the old samurai house - mail delivered by motorcycle.

  Pretty gardens in all directions

Arlene finds a tealeaf hedge

A stream filled with fish runs through the town

Connected to the stream is a trough paralleling the town's main street.  The trough has running water. A strange phenomenon: Crab traps are inside the trough. Crabs are actually inside.

Koi are also inside the trough. 

One of the samurai homes is turned into a tea house.

Waiting for a cup of tea

                            Chiran Heiwa Park - Kamikazes 

This area was an airfield used to train and emotionally prepare these young men for their suicide mission.

According to the guide, only 10% of the Kamikaze missions were successful. Google indicated 19%! Google also indicated there were twice the pilot casualties than what the guide stated.

Jerry's first college roommate was a kamikaze pilot. The war ended just before this "older" roommate left for a mission. The roommate had a lot of psychological issues: guilt, failure, etc. Jerry changed roommates!

Statues recognizing the young men that died and "the mother" of all the men. 

Apparently, many of the men that "signed up" for the mission did not realize the intent of what was asked of them.

Partially underground barracks where pilots spent their last few nights.

The evening times were spent writing letters - mostly to their mother

                                  Left over from the war

 A Buddhist temple built to honor the pilots and provide an opportunity for the relatives to pray for the deceased.

    A marker for each deceased pilot placed throughout the park area.

Happy at time of photograph - not happy when it was time to take off. Our guide indicated that many of the pilots went to a local restaurant for a "last meal." They were so angry they slashed the wooden timbers with samurai swords. The cut marks are still available to see the results from the emotional outbursts.

                         The end result of a suicide attack!