Oita, our first stop in Kyushu

Our first stop in Kyushu was in the Oita Prefecture. Rika-chan introduced me to her friends Tetsushi and Kristina, whom invited us to visit at their house, cafe & store called 'Te De.'


'Te De' literally means 'by hand,' which is precisely what they sell, textiles and furniture they make by hand. All the furniture, clothing, and textile items you see in these photos are designed and created by Tetsushi and Kristina.


You can visit their website at http://www.tede.jp/index.html - I promise, it will not disappoint you.


They are not just crafts people either, they also started a cafe, which is open on the weekends and serves Mexican food - a personal favorite of theirs. (Note: the stools were designed and crafted by Tetsushi -super cool!)


After a fun night drinking sake, they took us to a local onsen, where we had a relaxing bath in natural hot spring water. The next morning they served a delightful breakfast of fresh strawberries, yogurt and toast, as we discussed their plans to continue expanding their business.



After breakfast they took us to a place where we drank the cleanest, tastiest natural mineral water, which is said to cure many ailments.




Then, we visited a beautiful waterfall called Meisui No Taki, which means "waterfalls of famed water."




(Kristina and Tetsushi)


We took a short hike through a beautiful forest. When it began to snow, we took it as a sign to break for lunch at a local cafe. It was a great visit.