Kumamoto.guru

28/09/2022

Kumamoto recently released a video (with English subtitles) on the making of the One Piece bronze statues. Check out the post on kumamoto.guru for more info!

28/08/2022

Nishiki Secret Base Museum in Nishiki in southern Kumamoto Prefecture

I had the chance to visit this secret naval base in the town of Nishiki a couple days ago. After doing a number of translations about it without actually having visited, I was glad to be able to see the exhibits and tunnels first-hand and learn about life in Kyushu during WWII.

Check out my in-depth article on our website (https://kumamoto.guru) to learn more about what you can see at the museum and to learn why the Japanese Navy built a secret base so far from the sea smack dab in the middle of Kyushu.

28/08/2022

Finally! New York-style pizza in downtown Kumamoto!

Pizza Yankee is scheduled to open in October on the corner where the Natas donut shop used to be (along Kagomachi-dori Street just past Tsutaya).

26/08/2022

Kyushu's only bungee jump location: Bungy Japan Itsuki Bungy!

Located in the quiet valley village of Itsuki in the Hitoyoshi-Kuma region in southern Kumamoto Prefecture, Itsuki Bungy lets jumpers leap from a bridge 66 meters above the beautiful Kawabe River.

Covid has affected the operating hours, so be sure to make a reservation ahead of time. One jump costs 15,000 yen, with discounts for additional jumps. You can also reserve the jump for an hour for 50,000 yen and jump as many times as you'd like!

Itsuki doesn't have a train station, so driving is the only option. It takes about 1.5 hours from Kumamoto City and about 40 minutes from Hitoyoshi.

While you're in the area, check out Keiryu Villa Itsuki, a beautiful new set of bungalows offering overnight stays and afternoon barbecues. You can also rent a kayak to explore the Kawabe River. You can also just bring your bathing suit and hop in the perennially cold river for some quick respite from the summer heat!

#渓流ヴィラ五木

15/08/2022

I checked out the new Jinbe statue in Uto the other day, it's huge!

The statue is located at the Sumiyoshi Kaigan Park along the coast of the Ariake Sea. It takes about 45 minutes by car from downtown Kumamoto City and is quite a pleasant drive through farmland if you avoid Route 3.

The park is also where you'll find the Nagabeta Sea Road, a length of road that stretches directly out into the Ariake Sea and is only accessible at low tide. The park was quite busy when I visited, and there was a line about 10 people deep to take pictures of the statue.

Be sure to stop by if you're on your way to Amakusa! The view over the sea is great, and if the weather cooperates, you can get great views of Mt. Unzen in Nagasaki Prefecture on the opposite side of the sea!

08/08/2022

Kumamoto is a city with a rich history and unique culture, famed for both the enormous Kumamoto Castle and its delicious cuisine. Downtown, you'll find fantastic food at rea*onable prices, great shopping spots, plenty of hole-in-the-wall bars and ramen shops, and impressive cultural attractions like the aforementioned castle. This guide will tell you all you need to know to make your visit to Kumamoto City a great one....

https://kumamoto.guru/one-day-itinerary-for-kumamoto-city-getting-in-and-around-kumamoto-and-seeing-the-sights/

All you need to know to make the most of your visit to Kumamoto City, including major sightseeing spots, great places to eat, shop and more!

17/10/2021

The next One Piece has been unveiled!

Nico Robin has made her grand appearance on the grounds of the Kumamoto Earthquake Museum, which itself is the site of the former A*o Campus of Tokai University in Minamia*o, Kumamoto Prefecture.

There is still ongoing construction around the museum so road access can sometimes be different than on Google. The museum closes at 5PM.

The final originally planned statue to be unveiled is Zoro in Ozu. The date is still a secret, but it should be before March 2022.

*o

07/10/2021

Shiraito Falls⛲️
This little-known spot is just a bit over half-an-hour outside Kumamoto City. While not particularly tall, the high volume of water rushing over is impressively loud. Shiraito makes a perfect quick stop for the family or solo travelers and is located pretty close to Rakunoh Mother's A*o Milk Bokujyo 🐮

The waterfall is especially active right after a good rain 🌧 in the A*o area.
lab is located nearby and offers an excellent variety of locally grown teas 🍵 to drink and take home, plus some really tasty sweets!

31/08/2021

A*o Sanjo Terminal on top of Mt. A*o Volcano now open!

After a period of uncertainty about what would happen on top of Mt. A*o after removal of the ropeway, the new A*o Sanjo Terminal is now open for business. The terminal acts a bus transfer station, where visitors can take a bus from A*o Station and hop on the shuttle bus that takes visitors to the Nakadake Crater.

Free parking is also located nearby. If you wish to drive up to the crater, it costs 800 yen per normal car and 600 yen per kei (light) car. You can also walk to the crater from the free lower parking area, which takes around 15 minutes.

Following the Kumamoto Earthquakes, a large visitor center was planned for construction right next to the crater, but continued volcanic activity prevented progress. Volcanic activity has subsided recently, and both the A*o Sanjo Terminal and crater viewing areas are open to visitors.

*o *o

30/08/2021

Nami's statue is finally unveiled!

As part of the ongoing statue series in Kumamoto Prefecture, a new statue of Nami was revealed at Moe no Sato in Nishihara, Kumamoto Prefecture on July 31st, 2021.

The final two statues of Robin and Zoro are planned to be unveiled by the end of the year. There was also a surprise announcement by the governor at the ceremony for Nami's statue: Jinbe is also getting his own statue! The location has yet to be released, but we'll keep you posted here and on https://kumamoto.guru.

19/08/2021

The 36+3 Sightseeing Train The 36+3 D&S train is JR Kyushu's newest sightseeing train. Launched in 2020, the 36+3 (pronounced "sanju-roku plus san") is all about Kyushu. The train makes a circuit around Kyushu each week over five different routes, each route highlighting a specific region of Kyushu. The name "36+3," while rather unwieldy, refers to Kyushu being the 36th biggest island in the world....

https://kumamoto.guru/explore-kyushu-in-luxurious-comfort-the-new-363-sightseeing-train/

Check out Kyushu's new rea*onably priced luxury liner! Find out what makes the 36+3 super-special and see elegantly designed interior!

12/08/2021

A Front-Row View of Volcanic Sakurajima - The Ibusuki Tamatebako Sightseeing Train

https://kumamoto.guru/a-front-row-view-of-volcanic-sakurajima-the-ibusuki-tamatebako-sightseeing-train/

The Ibusuki Tamatebako Sightseeing Train The Ibusuki Tamatebako runs between Kagoshima-Chuo Station and Ibusuki Station, and takes about 50 minutes one-way. The train was designed by Eiji Mitooka and features a number of east-facing window seats that allow passengers to more comfortably enjoy the vi...

19/07/2021

A*o Milk Factory is now open in A*o!

Once known as Hanaa*obi, the facility has been renovated and renamed as A*o Milk Factory. It is now the flagship shop for Abe Farm and their popular A*o Milk line of products.

A*o Milk Factory features locally made dairy products, including milk, cheese, and yogurt, plus a cafe and rose garden. Hanaa*obi used to have pick-your-own strawberries, but this seems to have been put on hold for the foreseeable future.

A*o Milk Factory is located in the Uchinomaki area of A*o City and is a good place to stop if you're visiting Daikanbo.

(photo courtesy A*o Milk Factory)

*o *omilkfactory *omilk

16/07/2021

Finished writing up a quick (read: very long) overview of my 3-day JR Kyushu Rail Pass journey! If you're thinking about taking one of Kyushu's many wonderful trains, take look to find out all the cool options you have!

Reminder: Anyone with a foreign passport is eligible to buy a JR Kyushu Rail Pass until March 2022! A three-day north Kyushu pass costs just ¥9500, and a three-day for south Kyushu is just ¥8000! The great thing is that Kumamoto/A*o is both north and south!

https://kumamoto.guru/my-3-day-jr-rail-pass-adventure-though-northern-kyushu/

An adventure by train as I spent a long weekend riding every sightseeing train on the northern half of Kyushu using the JR Kyushu Rail Pass

11/07/2021

Taking the Sonic to Oita

The next leg of the involves taking the Sonic Limited Express to Oita, where I'll transfer to the A*o Boy to head back to Kumamoto.

The Sonic, with it's Sonic the Hedgehog-ian blue livery and Mickey Mouse-adjacent logo, may look like it's headed to an amusement park, but in fact it just runs down the northeast coast, connecting Hakata with a couple of cities in Oita Prefecture.

It has electricity but no wifi, which is the first time I've had such a configuration on this trip.

The train switches directions at Kokura, so be sure to flip your seat around once you start going the wrong way.

11/07/2021

Kyushu's only operating steam locomotive - the SL Hitoyoshi

The SL Hitoyoshi is an antique yet fully operating steam locomotive that used to run between Kumamoto City and Hitoyoshi. Heavy flooding along the Kuma River in 2020 in Hitoyoshi damaged the railways along the former route, and the SL Hitoyoshi now runs temporarily between Tosu and Kumamoto.

The engine itself is a sight to behold as it chugs up the track belching black smoke. ("It doesn't run very frequently so the environmental impact is minimal," is what I like to tell myself.) You can get up pretty close to the engine and see all the shiny k***s and levers involved in keeping this train running.

Big windows offer great views of the outdoors, which is nice in Kumamoto but transitions into apartment highrises as you near Fukuoka. Here's hoping the train returns to Hitoyoshi soon!

10/07/2021

The Kawasemi Yamasemi train is purdy...

Originally running between Kumamoto City and Hitoyoshi, severe flooding last year in Hitoyoshi necessitated a move to Fukuoka. The train now runs between Hakata and Mojiko and is linked together with the Isaburo / Shinpei.

JR Kyushu is running a special rail pass campaign for foreigners in Japan. Instead of being limited to foreign visitors with a tourist visa, until March 2022, anyone with a foreign passport can buy a JR Kyushu Rail Pass. The value and convenience can't be beat!

09/07/2021

Hidden gem for train-lovers in Bungomori

If you're a fan of Japanese train design and Eiji Mitooka, the Bungomori Roundhouse is definitely a place worth visiting.

Renowned industrial designer Eiji Mitooka and his Don Design company are the design force behind almost all of JR Kyushu's sightseeing trains, plus a number of peripheral buildings. Bungomori is a small town where you'll find a small museum dedicated to all things Eiji Mitooka. There are books, artwork, design collections, blueprints and more chronicling the work of Mr. Mitooka. The space is pretty tiny, so don't budget yourself more than an hour or so, but it's definitely worth the stop.

09/07/2021

Kyushu's most popular sightseeing train: Yufuin no Mori

The Yufuin no Mori runs from Fukuoka (Hakata) to Oita, with the main destination being the quiet resort town of Yufuin.

Yufuin is a small but popular hot spring resort town in eastern Oita Prefecture surrounded by picturesque mountains.

The Yufuin no Mori winds through dense verdant forests, crisscrossing over clear mountain streams and gradually climbing until you are surrounded by the crisp air of the Kyushu Mountains.

The emerald green train blends in with the scenery, and it's wide windows offer spectacular landscape views. If you're lucky enough to get a seat up front, you'll get an engineer's-eye view of the train as it squeezes through narrow tunnels and thick greenery.

The train offers light fare and refreshments and has a lounge with window-facing seats to emphasize the views.

09/07/2021

Restroom or onsen?

Made a quick stop at Oita Station and noticed the restrooms decorated like the entrance to a hot spring♨️ Oita, and Beppu especially, is renowned for it's hot springs, so naturally the station had all manner of hot spring-inspired decorations.

Next up is Bungomori via Yufuin on the Yufu Limited Express!

09/07/2021

The Trans-Kyushu Limited Express

This workhorse of a train connects the cities of Kumamoto and Beppu by way of A*o-Kuju National Park in central Kyushu. There isn't any wifi or electrical outlets, and you may pass through prolonged sections without cell service, so it's best to just sit back and enjoy the views!

09/07/2021

Let the rail journey begin!

Today starts three days of heavy duty train riding, all thanks to the JR Kyushu Rail Pass being available for foreigners living in Japan until March 2022.

I'm starting in Kumamoto and heading out on the Trans-Kyushu Limited Express to Oita, where I'll take an express train to see an old railway turntable in Bungomori, then take the Yufuin no Mori sightseeing train to Hakata. After that, it's back to Kumamoto on the Mizuno Shinkansen.

The highlight of today is the Yufuin no Mori, Kyushu's most popular sightseeing train that connects Fukuoka with Yufuin, a hot spring resort town in the mountains with an emerging art scene and beautiful scenery.

Of we go!

08/07/2021

Here comes Nami!

Nami from finally makes her appearance in statue-form! After repeated COVID-19-related delays, the next statue in the Straw Hat Pirates bronze statue series is set to be unveiled on July 31st, 2021 at Moe no Sato in Nishihara, Kumamoto Prefecture. The event will be live-cast on Youtube, so be sure to tune in!

07/07/2021

Costco comes to Kumamoto!

Costco opened up its third Kyushu location on April 1st, 2021 in Mifune, Kumamoto Prefecture. The other two stores are in Fukuoka Prefecture, making this the first store aimed at servicing central and southern Kyushu. It is conveniently located just next to the Mifune exit off of the Kyushu Expressway and features all the amenities you'd expect at a Costco in Japan, including a gas station.

While you're in the area, stop by downtown Mifune and check out the Dinosaur Museum and the statue of Brook from One Piece at the Dinosaur Park!

03/07/2021

Kumamoto Prefecture is Japan's #1 producer of this plant. Can you guess what it is?

Kumamoto is famous all around Japan for its produce, and is Japan's top producer of both tomatoes and watermelons. Kumamoto also happens to be Japan's number one producer of another crop that doesn't get talked about nearly as much: to***co! Although consumption in Kumamoto is near average for the rest of Japan, Kumamoto is Japan's largest producer of leaf to***co, growing about 16% of the country's total output.

Japan doesn't produce that much to***co compared to big producers like China and Brazil, but to***co fields are pretty common here in Kumamoto. June is harvest sea*on and the fields are easy to spot, filled with broad-leaved to***co plants that are around waist high.

Knowledge of the harmful health effects of to***co are slowly changing the smoking habits of people in Japan, and demand has decreased markedly in recent years. Decreased demand can mean lower prices for raw to***co, so hopefully there is incentive to switch to more health and lucrative crops in the future.

***co

02/07/2021

The Soul King Brook has come to Kumamoto!🎸

Brook is the sixth member of the Straw Hat Pirates☠️ to appear in bronze form in Kumamoto Prefecture. After a number of COVID-19-related delays, the new statue was finally unveiled in the town of Mifune at the end of 2020.

Brook and his guitar are located right in the middle of Fureai Hiroba (Friendship Park), just across the road from the Mifune Dinosaur Museum🦖 🦕

Word on the street is that the remaining three statues🗾 will be unveiled sometime this before March 2022, so stay tuned here for more info!👳‍♂️

01/07/2021

Great views at the new A*o Ohashi Bridge!

After the former A*o Ohashi Bridge collapsed in the 2016 Earthquakes, the surrounding topography had changed so much that there were questions about whether it would even be possible to build a new bridge connecting the southern half of A*o to Kumamoto City. After five years of planning and hard work, a new bridge spans the gorge separating Minamia*o from the entrance into A*o.
There is a rest area on the Minamia*o side of the bridge that offers simple refreshments and a great view of the mountains that make up the south side of the A*o Caldera.

If you get stuck in fog and can't see five feet in front of your car, like in the last picture here, don't worry! Take a drive around Minamia*o or up to the top of A*o, and by the time you're done and head back to the bridge, the fog likely be all gone!

*o *o " *oohashi *obridge *o

29/06/2021

Obento no Hirai - Kumamoto's hometown convenience store!

Hirai is so popular and such a staple of Kumamoto life that lots of Kumamotoans think it is a national chain! The actuality is that Hirai started here in Kumamoto and now boasts around 140 shops throughout Kumamoto, Saga, and Fukuoka Prefectures.

What makes Hirai so popular is that most locations have an on-site kitchen, meaning bentos and other foods are made fresh. There are also places to sit down and eat food that is made to order. Meals are also extremely cheap, with a big bowl of curry & rice & chicken katsu or a tonkatsu bowl for just 500 yen.

They are also famous for their "sarada chikuwa," a chikuwa fish paste tube stuffed with potato salad, dipped in tempura batter, and fried. This carb bomb is one of Kumamoto's junk soul foods and is the perfect snack for driving through the Kumamoto countryside.

28/06/2021

The Kumamoto Castle Keeps are now open for business!

It's been five years since the earthquakes of 2016 so severely damaged Kumamoto Castle and the surrounding area. While many of the castle's walls still lie collapsed just as they were on that fateful day, the Kumamoto Castle Keeps (aka the Tenshukaku) are finally reopened to the public as of June 28th 2021. The reopening was originally scheduled earlier, but COVID-19 forced a postponement until things settled down.

The keep interior has been completely redesigned, adding a ton of state-of-the-art exhibits about the castle, plus a cleverly hidden set of elevators finally allows anyone to reach the top of Kumamoto Castle. There is also a new companion app that goes with the exhibits that acts as your personal translator and guide through the history of the castle.

Slowly but surely, Kumamoto Castle is getting back on its feet, and there is no better time than now to see not just a wonderfully restored set of keeps, but also take a close look at some of the ongoing renovations throughout the castle grounds. It's not every day that you get to see a castle being built!

09/02/2021

An outdoor basketball hoop, a rarity in Japan...
The court is dirt though, so still not ideal conditions, but it's better than nothing and the cliffs in the background make for a nice view😊
This is Ishigamiyama Park, located in the western part of the city close to Mt. Kinpo. It is the only park in the city where you can barbecue, and there is also a cushioned surface running course and dog run.

The park is just a short distance from the Shimada Museum of Arts, so stop by if you're in the area!