Kikuchi River Gorge - Middle of Kyushu

We recently went on a wonderful day trip to Kikuchi River Valley.  It was only a hour or two drive away all through the mountains.  What better way to celebrate the 24th of July (Utah Pioneer Day) then go on a lovely hike, as would we do back home.  In fact hiking/trailing around this river reminded Samantha and I so much of our various outdoor adventure hikes back on the Wasatch Mts.  This place was packed: 1. being summer time and 2. Japanese people are very active and outdoorsy; people from young and old don’t really just sit around all day watching TV, they are out and about all the time.  In fact we just recently heard on the news that Japanese women are #1 in life expectancy in the world (the men are #4; meanwhile our obese homeland is #35-ish).

This river surrounded by vibrant green vegetation, and the entire river was the most crystal clear blue we’ve ever seen.  It rivaled the Mediterranean waters near Cyprus.  Many visitors had brought picnic-ing items and just relaxed on the rocks with their family.  It was a wonderful photography experience for us too, as you can see below.  We definitely would like to return with a film camera to capture all the colors and scenery.