A Note from Chizuru — August 2026
I originally wrote this story in Japanese on January 25, 2018.
Reading it again now, I realized that this small day out already contained many of the things I still enjoy today: beginning the morning with an onsen, following whatever catches my attention, taking a homemade lunch, and letting the day unfold without trying to fit too much into it.
Rather than rewriting the story completely from today’s point of view, I decided to share it in English while keeping the feeling of that winter morning in 2018.
It wasn’t a carefully planned sightseeing trip.
It was simply one of those mornings when the weather felt good, the air was clear, and staying at home suddenly seemed like a waste.
A Morning That Felt Like Something Good Might Happen
The weather wasn’t as warm as it had been a few days earlier, when there had almost been a hint of spring in the air.
But it didn’t feel as though winter had completely returned, either.
Perhaps my memory of cold weather had changed since coming to Kagoshima, but to me, the air simply felt cool rather than painfully cold.
There was almost no wind that morning.
If I said that winter in Kagoshima felt gentle, local people might laugh and tell me I had no idea what I was talking about.
Still, little patches of green were steadily beginning to spread, and there seemed to be less of the dry, faded color of winter everywhere I looked.
Maybe I had slept especially well the night before.
I woke unusually early and almost jumped straight out of bed.
The sky was clear, and the cool morning air made me feel more energetic than usual.
I wanted to go somewhere immediately.
It was one of those mornings when you have the strange feeling that something good might happen.
Scenes from That Morning — January 2018
Starting the Day with an Onsen
It had been a while since I had started a day with a hot spring, and that morning I suddenly wanted to do exactly that.
So I got ready and went out.
As usual, I stayed until I felt completely satisfied.
After soaking in the warm water, even the cold air outside felt pleasant.
The weather was beautiful.
I breathed in as much of the clear winter air as I could.
And I remember thinking:
It would be such a waste to spend a day like this inside the house.
One Waterfall Led to Another
There was a waterfall I had wanted to see for some time: Sakaide Falls.
When I looked it up, I discovered that it was near Tatsumon Falls.
So I packed a homemade lunch and set off.
What I thought would be a simple visit to one waterfall gradually became something more.
Tatsumon Falls.
Tatsumonji-zaka, an old stone-paved road.
Kanayama Bridge.
Sakaide Falls.
And Tatsumon Falls Onsen.
One place seemed to lead naturally to another.
There was no grand itinerary.
I simply kept finding something else nearby that made me want to go a little farther.
Everything I Saw Made Me Happy
That is probably the simplest way to describe the day.
Everything I saw made me happy.
The waterfalls.
The old road.
The bridge.
The winter landscape.
And after walking around in the cool air, the onsen felt wonderfully warm.
Nothing especially dramatic happened.
But I felt completely full inside.
The Lunch I Forgot to Eat
I had gone to the trouble of packing a lunch before leaving home.
But somehow, I became so satisfied by everything else that I completely forgot to eat it.
By the time I realized, the day was almost over.
So I took the lunch home and ate it there.
I remember thinking:
What an idiot.
But perhaps that was also proof of how much I had enjoyed the day.
I had gone out expecting to see a waterfall and eat my lunch somewhere along the way.
Instead, I kept walking, looking, discovering, and soaking in warm water until even hunger slipped out of my mind.
Next Time, a Quiet Picnic
Next time, I thought, I would slow down a little more.
No need to see everything.
No need to keep moving simply because something else is nearby.
I would find a comfortable place, sit down, open the lunch, and enjoy a quiet picnic properly.
Slowly.
Without hurrying.
Perhaps that kind of day would be even better.
Places from This Little Journey
Tatsumon Falls Onsen Area
Tatsumon Falls
Kanayama Bridge
Tatsumonji-zaka
Tatsumon Falls Onsen
A Note for Visitors in 2026
This story describes a day I spent exploring Aira in January 2018.
Road conditions, access, opening hours, admission information, hot spring facilities, and other details may have changed since then.
If you would like to visit any of these places, please check current information before you go.
What has not changed for me is the feeling behind this story.
You don’t always need a carefully planned itinerary.
Sometimes a clear morning, a warm onsen, a place you have been curious about, and enough time to follow whatever catches your attention are more than enough.
And if you become so happy that you forget to eat the lunch you packed…
Well, you can always eat it when you get home.
Originally published in Japanese on January 25, 2018.
Read the original Japanese article →
出張や観光で霧島に来られた方で、
静かに過ごせる場所を探している方は、こちらもご覧ください。
