Entering Taketa Town in Oita prefecture is like finding the mythical “land that time forgot” in the heart of Antartica. Tunnels seemingly guard the entrance to the inner city from all directions and when you come out the other end it’s as if you’ve stepped back in time 100 years. A train station seemingly unchanged since Meiji days and, along with it’s regular service, distinguished by a delightful, yellow one box car that trundles back and forth between Kumamoto and Oita daily on the Hohi line. “Jokamachi, the town below the castle” is compact enough to find everything you need within easy walking distance and towering above it all is OkaJo, the castle on the mountain. Sadly, only the stone foundations remain of what was once a flourishing empire but with a little imagination you can’t fail to be impressed by what was once here. Climbing up to the Otemon or main gate, you realize there is really only one way in, as the sheer rock cliffs of the mountain, fortified by the stone walls of the castle, protect it on all sides. Attacked by rivals, the Shimazu clan in 1586, the young warlord Chikatsugu Shiga -just 18 and with only a small garrison of soldiers - succesfully defended the castle against a massive army of thousands earning it’s reputation as a truly impenetrable fortress.

The Saga International Balloon Festival can be a fickle affair. Last year the entire event was cancelled when a typhoon swept thru the area, the second time in the last 5 years. Knowing this, we budgeted 3 days for balloon viewing and ended up needing them all. Following the banks of the Rokkaku River on day 1 we rode effortlessly thru the tall grass propelled by a fierce tailwind. Alas, our “divine wind” was too strong for the balloons and by the time we got there everyone had packed up for the day. I felt sorry for the food trucks staffing the event-never knowing whether the food they had prepared would end up sold out or thrown out. With rain forecast for the next day we had only one chance left. Setting out early in the morning we could see dozens of balloons aloft in the distance floating on the horizon like giant jellyfish. Everyone was getting excited but by the time we arrived the morning session had ended and we had to move on. Although we got close, our dream of riding with the balloons soaring overhead would have to wait another year.