Driving Route: Fukuoka Rent-A-Car Higashinaka Branch - Hita - Beppu (149km)

Attractions: 海地獄、血の池地獄

Meals: Lawson Wakamiyamachi, 岡本屋, 地獄蒸し工房鉄輪

The first time I drove overseas was in New Zealand in 2019. To be honest, I was a little apprehensive of driving in Japan because, well you know, the language barrier and the unfamiliarity of local traffic rules and such.

I talked to the girls and presented the budget vs the pros and cons of both and we bilaterally agreed to do self-driving. Boy, what an experience it was!

I surveyed a lot of online sites for a better deal but eventually decided on Toyota Rent-A-Car because the website was easy to navigate and understand. I had my eye on the Economy Plus AQUA model (from July 2021)

I love that my preferred car was well described with the boot dimension laid out properly. We need a small car to navigate small countryside roads and narrow parking while at the same time, accomodate for 3 person's luggage.  

As a result, this was the maximum result. 2 medium luggages, 1 small luggage and 1 backpack were a perfect fit without obscuring the driver's view. 

I felt like I have passed the planning test with high score hahahha.

I chose this location for pick-up as it was a full service shop complete with a free transfer from airport international arrival door itself. You could choose to return the car to the same shop or other places, subject to additional charge.

Initially I chose another shop near the domestic terminal side of Fukuoka Airport because our last night's lodging was walking distance from there. However I changed my mind on the day of collection. Returning the car to this shop allowed us to take the same complimentary van transfer back to international terminal and find the free airport shuttle bus from international to domestic side. Like this we would not need to fluster on the day we were scheduled to fly back home.

This was an easy model to get familiarized with, except I do not like that the gear stick was not located between the front seats. It was up on the center console and after day 3, my left hand was still blindly searching for it omg.

The rental fee for about 8 days was approximately JPY85,580, complete with the full TOYOTA Rent a Car Double Protection Package and the rental of ETC card. 

Last I used the site, they didn't collect any deposit or online payment at all. You just need to book the car you want for the duration you need, receive the confirmation email, arrive to the shop timely and pay the rental fees there itself.

On ETC card, you're gonna need it or else you're going to need to fork out cash at every toll you encounter. If you rent the ETC card, the shop will print your full usage statement during the return procedure and we can pay then.

Our toll came up to JPY16,240.

We have enough cash to pay it at the end because we recorded the amount in our phone every time we pass the a toll hahaha.

There was supposed to be a more economical Kyushu Expressway Pass but the shop attendant said that the government has suspended the pass temporarily.

If anyone has any doubt of choosing to rent a car or using public transportation, I'd say go for car rental for the flexibility of it. Personally I do not like to lug my luggage everywhere.

One of the major points to consider when selecting lodgings of the nights in each cities are the distance of the nearest konbini to our lodging. Sizeable cities like Kumamoto and Fukuoka are really easy but towns like Takamori are abit challenging.

Though when we finally decided to travel around in rented car for the entire duration of the trip, even this point became redundant. With a car, everywhere becomes accessible lol.

When you talk about Japan, you can never not talking about コンビニ | konbini | convenience stores. Or if you visit Japan as tourist, you can never not step one (or even half foot) into one. 

If I want to rank the 3 major brands, it would be 7,L,FM for bento choices, L,7,FM for fried food and sandwiches and L,7,FM for the numbers of stores I have visited. The last rank was pretty far out solely because wherever we went, L actually outnumbered the other two by approximately 10:1 lmao.

Are these sake in carton boxes?

There was one time I was chatting with my Japanese principals from Tokyo headquarters and the topic of "alcohol in konbinis" came out. I was thinking that it was really common to find them, right? They'll be in the refrigerators. 

I got excited seeing sake in carton boxes. 

Famima's cat-themed food, near Marukoshi Supermarket in Beppu City on our first night.

Second day breakfast was Famima's 焼き紅鮭🍙@JPY148、チョコクリームたい焼き＠JPY130、生とろプリン＠JPY158、Coffee from 暖かいsection@JPY-I-forgot

According to the official Famima directory, 別海牛乳と生クリームのフレッシュでコクのある風味が楽しめるプリンです。This sorcery of melty pudding is made of milk from Betsukai region of Hokkaido and fresh cream. 

I never ever buy pudding in Malaysia.

And I bought pudding for breakfast every single time we have to eat konbini meals for breakfast, except when I want to go washoku, like why break the aesthetic? 

Mt. Rainier's Caffe Latte_espresso enhanced version@JPY-I-Forgot-And-I-Will-Find-Out-From-My-Receipts, enroute to 湯布院 Yufuin from 別府 Beppu. This heavenly beverage is from Morinaga Group.

A friend had just came back from Tokyo the week before my trip and I was forever grateful for her recommendation of coffee ☕ because I can never live without coffee now. I bought coffee every single day, sometimes 2-3 times more.

Breakfast at Lawson at Takamori City, 5 minutes drive from Pension Sanrinsha before we left Takamori, Aso for a long drive to Aoshima, Miyazaki. ミックスサンド@JPY297, クリームとろーりジャージー牛乳プリン＠JYP-I-forgot, Mt. Rainier Caffe Latte (Can I call this the OG?) that I found myself to be enjoying more than the espresso version.

I could not find the Ham and Cucumber Sandwich (with wasabi mayo!) that I bought at Lawson at Hita Town anymore for the rest of the trips so I had to settle with the mixed sandwiches. TT

Oh! There was Daily Yamazaki also! 

Geotag told me it was somewhere between Hinokage and Nobeoka along Route 218. We only stopped there for toilet break but I had to get this set for the kiddo. 

This photo here is the reason that 7 has cemented its top position in my heart. We finally arrived at Kumamoto City, where the ratio of 7 with L is equal, as far as I can see. 

It was a dream of mine to eat washoku style breakfast so here's Kyushu available-only お漬物詰め合わせ@JPY210、ひじきの煮物＠JPY200、塩むすび＠JPY105、7-Premium's 銀鮭の塩焼＠JPY338. All from 7-Eleven at Jotsukamachi, Uto near Nagabeta Kaishorou Tidal Road. 

I bought the salmon because our lodging at Kumamoto actually had the fish grill. In the end, I was too lazy and the salmon was cooked anyway so I just popped all of them into the microwave oven lmao.

It would be even better if there's 味噌汁 misoshiru (I forgot) and 納豆 natto. Natto only came in a pack of 3; the other girls do not fancy such adventurous food so early in the morning so I didn't buy them in the end.

Very adorable Cinamoroll cake @ JPY398 that I saw at 7-Eleven at Kamitori Shopping Arcade but didn't buy.

Another toilet break haul at Lawson in Isahaya, Nagasaki. The previous day was Hinamatsuri so they had this JPY298's set came with 2 三色団子 and 2 pieces of 桜餅.

I was not particularly fond of the 三色団子。It was quite heavy and jelak but the 桜餅...  It sent me into wagashi heaven. Also on an unrelated matter, I was pretty stoked that TAKUMIさんposted lots of his 桜餅 adventures in his Twitter recently as well. 

Breakfast in Nagasaki consisted of 塩麹仕立ての焼さば御飯@JPY390, 7-Premium's ひじき煮@JPY128 and 半熟ゆでたまご@JPY98, なめこ汁@JPY-I-forgot that came in cups and my usual zero calories green tea.

I think I have drunk at least 10 bottles of this green tea at this stage of journey (no wonder my weight didn't increase although I ate a lotttt ahahaha).

All these were purchased from 7-Eleven Fuchimachi, Nagasaki. It was near the Fuchi Shrine, where the ropeway connecting to Mount Inasa Observatory is.

One last breakfast haul at Lawson Kukomae, Hakata in Fukuoka before we hauled luggage to the airport opposite for flight home. My last favourite coffee, トーラク's たまごのプリン@JPY-I-forgot and ファイナンシェクリームチーズ＠JPY178

I would love another washoku breakfast to keep me full until lunch at DMK airport but our last lodging didn't allow cooking (not even microwave oven wtf) so cold breakfast it was.

Only 九州 edition hahaha.

I can now finally say "はい、行ったことがあります。" whenever people ask me "日本へ行ったことがありますか。"  Honestly, I think I have been asked for more than 10 times and it always pained me to answer "いいえ、まだです。T_T" 

I went with 2 girl friends; both whom were like me, never been to Japan before. And it came as a bafflement to people that out of so many run-of-the-mill places (Tokyo, Osaka, Nara, Hokkaido etc), we picked Kyushu Island as our first Japan experience. 

There is no science behind our decision, it was just that the flight tickets to Fukuoka were the cheapest of all places at the time of our decision ahahaha and my logic is that "No matter where you go in Japan, it is bound to be a magical experience"

 Date:

2023年02月26日 to 2023年03月07日

 Transportation:

01. Thai Air Asia

02. Car rental via Toyota-Rent-A-Car

03. Kyusho Ferry from Kumamoto Port <Kumamoto> to Shimabara Port <Nagasaki>

 Places and Attractions Visited:

02月26日: Travel

02月27日: 海地獄, 血の池地獄

02月28日: 狭霧台, 金鱗湖, Yufuin Floral Village, 湯の坪街道, 黒川温泉, 城山天文台

03月01日: 上色見熊野座神社, 高千穂峡, 高千穂神社, Aso Panorama Line

03月02日: 青島ビーチパーク, 鬼の洗濯板, 青島神社, 鵜戸神宮, T宮崎県の高原町のトトロ, 長部田海床路

03月03日: 熊本城，桜の馬場 城彩苑, 上通拱廊街, 長部田海床路, 下通商店街

03月04日: 九商フェリー, 鯉の泳ぐまち, ポケットパーク, 清流亭 鯉の泳ぐまち観光交流センター, 平和公園, 爆心地公園, 長崎新地中華街, 稲佐山山頂展望台

03月05日: 出島, 三原, フルーツバス停, 祐徳稲荷神社

03月06日: Canal City Hakata, 太宰府天満宮, 岩田屋本店

03月07日: Travel

 Meals and Restaurants:

02月27日: Lawson, 岡本屋, 地獄蒸し工房鉄輪

02月28日: Family Mart, 湯布院囲炉裏焼き 四方山（よもやま）, お食事処 旨乃蔵

03月01日: Lawson, そば処 天庵, ジョイフル 阿蘇一の宮店

03月02日: Lawson, LDK, yakitori dining にごお

03月03日: McDonald's,　麺屋山むら,　焼肉ライク熊本下通

03月04日: Lawson, 長崎ちゃんぽん老李、清香園

03月05日: 清流亭 鯉の泳ぐまち観光交流センター, 中華と唐揚げ 元祖タレカラ 春吉店

03月06日: bills Fukuoka, 河太郎、一蘭天神

03月07日: 7-Eleven

 Accomodations:

02月27日: 別府リキュ

02月28日: ペンション 山林舎

03月01日: ペンション 山林舎

03月02日: 熊本市民泊 お宿華

03月03日: 熊本市民泊 お宿華

03月04日: Grand Base Nagasaki City

03月05日: Best Western Plus Hotel Fukuoka

03月06日: Enzo Fukuoka