Day 6: Japan Album Release Tour JINSEI 2024 – Travel Day to Miyazaki

December 24, 2024

This day, me and Shunichi travelled to Miyazaki, located in the Miyazaki Prefecture on the eastern coast of Kyushu. Me and Yanagi San were invited by Katsunari Furuchi, an amazing drummer that has his own club, Old Earth. We had a flight that evening from Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya to Miyazaki. My plan was to leave my large suitcase with Gaku, who would return to Tokyo, and buy a smaller case for the upcoming tour days. Gaku agreed to keep my suitcase for when I returned to the Tokyo area. I asked the front desk for a box to pack the clothes and other essentials I needed for this part of the tour and handed my large suitcase over to Gaku.

Satoshi and I decided to have breakfast together before he travelled back to Kurashiki via shinkansen. We walked to a place I’d visited before, run by an elderly lady who makes the most amazing and healthy miso Udon—Miso Nikomi no Kadomaru,an eatery since 1926 offering traditional Nagoya-style miso stew made with thin udon noodles. When Satoshi recommends food, I usually follow his advice, and it’s always a wonderful experience.

After this hearty breakfast, I said goodbye to Satoshi and texted Yanagi to finalize the day’s plan. He had already checked out of the hotel and was walking around the city. We would reconnect with Satoshi later in the week. My first task was finding a smaller suitcase. After meeting Yanagi at the hotel, we decided to walk around Nagoya, enjoying the pleasant weather.

Nagoya has a charm of its own, with its spacious layout, stunning architecture, green spaces, and relaxed atmosphere. Spending time with Yanagi felt like hanging out with a younger brother. He’s a special person, and though his English matches my level of Japanese, we manage to communicate well. Music, of course, is a universal language for us. During the tour, Yanagi began stepping into the role of translator at gigs, further developing his English skills and for me it was a good way to learn some more japanese words:)

Shopping in Japan is an overwhelming experience—massive department stores with endless options. After some time exploring, we found an affordable suitcase. We returned to the hotel to pack and then set off for the airport.

The 40-minute journey to Chubu Centrair International Airport was smooth. The train ride to the airport, was especially picturesque, and I captured some great photos during sunset. At the airport, we treated ourselves to beers and fresh sushi while waiting for our flight.

The flight itself was uneventful, lasting about 70 minutes. Upon arrival, we collected our luggage and took a short train ride to the centre of Miyazaki, where we checked into the Hotel for the night. The room was comfortable, and I took advantage of their laundry service to wash some clothes. For a late-night snack, I walked across the street to a 7-Eleven. After catching up on video calls to the Netherlands, I called it a night.

The next day, we would travel to Miyakonojo to meet Katsunari at his club, Old Earth. Exciting performances awaited us in Miyazaki!