雨妤魚 's page

This is probably the place that left the deepest impression on me during this solo trip.

Because I ran into a strange person.
It all happened very suddenly. Her capsule toy rolled over to my feet, and I simply picked it up and gave it back to her. But then she actually threw it back at me and even tried to punch me. I instinctively pushed her away, and then she tried to swing her bag at me.

And then the tragedy began.
The 2-liter bottle of water I had just bought got knocked over, leaving only half of it, and I still picked it up and drank it.
(Sorry, store employee...

Looking back, I really feel like I was such a mess.

What was even more absurd was that she later just ran away and eventually even hid in the restroom.
The building staff and security guard kept following her, while I stood in the bedding store trembling all over with anger and crying nonstop.
Fortunately, some kind Taiwanese people helped record everything on video for me.

The employee at that store really moved me. He didn’t act like I was a bother at all and kept comforting me through a translation app, staying with me until I slowly calmed down. In the end, he even asked if I wanted to buy any bedding.

But there’s still something I don’t really understand.

I had already called the police, so why did the building staff and security guard still let her get away?
Was it because they didn’t want the situation to become a bigger issue?
Or were there other considerations in how they handled it at the time?
Even now, I’m still a little upset and can’t quite understand it.

The police eventually arrived and took my statement.
The kind Taiwanese people also gave the video they recorded to the police, and some nearby passersby were willing to be witnesses for me as well.

I was actually pretty moved, because I was afraid no one would help me, but then so many people suddenly stepped forward to help.

The police also recorded my passport information, comforted me, and told me that if they caught her, she would be severely punished. They also asked me not to hate Japan because of this incident.
(I immediately said, “Nihon daisuki.”

I wasn’t actually hurt that badly. Only one fingernail broke and bled a little, but I felt so wronged at the time. I really couldn’t stop crying, and I kept trembling...

I hate this, because I don’t think I did anything wrong...

But looking back now, I’m still very grateful to the Taiwanese people who recorded the video for me, the passersby who were willing to be witnesses, the employee who patiently comforted me using a translation app, and the police who ultimately came to handle the situation.

Later, I also started thinking about why I came here in the first place. It was because I thought, “Ah, since I’m already in Kumamoto, I might as well shoot some more material.”
I even felt a little nostalgic for the nearby shopping district, so I came over to take a look.

But then something like this happened...

And because of that, I started reflecting on something.
If I’m only doing it for content and don’t properly experience the moment, then what kind of work can I possibly create?

If every trip is only about accomplishing a goal, taking a few photos, and collecting pictures to put in an article, will what I ultimately write really leave anything in other people’s memories?

And when I look back on this trip many years from now, what will I remember?

I once watched 18×2 Beyond Youthful Days, and there’s a line in it that I really like:

“The people we meet on our journeys always leave something in my heart.”

What about me?

Have I ever left something in someone else’s heart?

To me, what truly remains after a trip isn’t just the photos, the attractions, or what I ate (though those remain too). More importantly, it’s the people I met and the things that happened.

And honestly, seeing more and more people participate in this event has made me a little anxious.
I even used to secretly feel happy and think:
“Good thing hardly anyone knows about this event. I can still openly share it with my coworkers!”

But now that more and more creators are participating, I’ve started thinking again.
Because this means that maybe my work really does have a chance to be seen by more people. I hope my writing isn’t the kind of article people forget as soon as they finish reading it.

I hope someone will smile knowingly after reading it. I don’t like writing formulaic articles that all feel the same.

I also don’t want to simply arrange where I went, what I ate, and what I photographed into different combinations.
Because if traveling is only about checking off attractions one by one, then after the trip ends, maybe the only thing left will be the itinerary.

But if I truly lived in that moment, then even if that day was an absolute mess!
I can still tell a story about a memory that belongs only to me〜

So many souvenirs, with a dazzling selection you could never get through it all. But if you go later, the dango are half off.
Otherwise, even one tiny skewer isn't exactly cheap.
Today I also got to try Kumamon-shaped ningyo-yaki.
And it happened to be the last day!
It's less than a minute from the station exit,
and it'll have your wallet bleeding in no time.

It's right next to Kumamoto Station, so you'll see it as soon as you come out. The flowing water display on the first floor is beautiful, and there's also a tax-free counter.
I even found the comb endorsed by Jang Wonyoung!
100 points right away.
The whole space also feels very comfortable.
After shopping, I just hopped on the train and went home.
But the 3.3% tax-free deduction really hurts.
I guess all department stores are like this.

So far, my favorite castle is... Kokura Castle!

I actually only had an hour left to look around, but there happened to be very few people that day, so I had an absolute blast 🤣
And Kokura Castle isn't just a place where you look at historical exhibits. There are lots of interactive features, making it great for learning about the castle while having fun.

I especially liked the “Book of Five Rings” section!
When you put your hand on the scroll, a quote appears on the screen with super cool effects ✨
I tried all five of them〜
There was also a horseback archery experience. I thought it would be pretty easy, but my arms actually got pretty sore!
But I still did it twice〜

And then there was the most ridiculous expense of this trip.
I thought engraving would only cost JPY 30, but then I found out I had to buy a souvenir coin, so it suddenly became JPY 700 🥹
And the worst part is that I... engraved! It! Wrong!
When you think about it, the souvenir coin actually cost more than admission〜 Oh well, I'm on vacation, after all.
Anyway,
travel is full of things you never planned to spend money on, but end up buying anyway!

Also, there's currently an event where anyone with the character “千” in their name can enter for free〜 I'm so jealous.

Kokura Castle also has a VR experience, but I arrived too late and couldn't try it, which was a bit of a shame.
I'll definitely have to come back for it if I get another chance! (Because everything else was so much fun.
And the whole place is really beautiful. Even the restrooms have a faint woody scent 😍
Finally, I went up to the fifth floor and got some photos of Kokura at night.
All I can say is that this place was way more fun than I expected〜 I really recommend it.

There was also a little unexpected twist.
My original plan was: hurry to Kokura Castle → go back to Mojiko and shoot some more footage.
But then...
Pa! Chin! Ko! Appeared!
It was my first time playing pachinko, and it had me trapped for two whole hours 🤣

Luckily, I won in the end!

Suddenly, those two hours didn't feel wasted.
(And I'd always wanted to try it anyway.
So that's it〜 Everyone should go check out Kokura Castle, because even someone like me who doesn't really enjoy visiting castles thought it was a lot of fun!

I finally got to ride the A-Train this time!

I don't know if it was because of the torrential rain warning, but the train was almost empty. Or maybe it was because I took an afternoon train. Either way, the whole ride was unexpectedly relaxing.

After getting off, I walked around nearby first. Since I had reserved a different A-Train for the return trip, I had a total of two and a half hours to wander around here.

But... unfortunately, I hadn't done any research at all.

Everyone, please make sure to take the boat to Matsushima to see the dolphins. Don't be like me!

I wandered around here, wandered around a convenience store, then went to a supermarket, and eventually even went to a clothing store? The whole trip was just me wandering around aimlessly because I didn't know what to do 😔

Later, when I was getting ready to take the train back, I suddenly noticed that everyone was carrying a blue souvenir bag.

I even went out of my way to ask a Malaysian person, and that's when I learned that you could take a boat to see dolphins. And his Chinese was so good!

Then, when I went back to board the A-Train, I couldn't help asking the couple in front of me where they'd gone.

Then I saw the blue bag... They enthusiastically showed me their dolphin photos.
All I could do was console myself by thinking that I get seasick, so it wouldn't have suited me anyway.

Misumi Port is very pretty too, but it was cloudy today...
Great, that didn't make me feel better at all, and now I've even started blaming myself...( ･᷄ὢ･᷅ )

Also, look at the JPY 500 sparkling drink I just bought. I even asked the train attendant which one they recommended, and after happily bringing it back,
I knocked it over the very next second!
Then I had to go ask the attendant if they had a mop...
I did clean it all up myself in the end!
But
what is going on today? 🥲 Ugh, I hate this.