王小鈞's Reviews Page 4/31

The Aizu Bukeyashiki - Samurai Residence is a museum full of Aizu history. The grounds are larger than expected, and the exhibits are quite extensive. At the bus stop by Aizuwakamatsu JR Station, you can buy a one-day bus pass for JPY 2,000 that includes admission to three attractions: Tsuruga Castle, the Samurai Residence, and Sazaedo. You can also travel around the loop clockwise or counterclockwise, making it easy to plan your day. I recommend allowing about an hour and a half to explore the Samurai Residence at a leisurely pace. There is no shade at the bus stop in summer, so be sure to protect yourself from the sun before heading out!

From the top of Mount Iimori, you can look out over the castle town of Aizuwakamatsu. Besides its pleasant scenery, it is also a sacred mountain filled with historical stories. For JPY 250, you can take the escalator up the mountain and experience Aizu's rich history along the way. The most moving part is the story of the Byakkotai. During the war, about 20 boys between the ages of 15 and 17 mistakenly believed that Tsuruga Castle had fallen and, overcome with grief, took their own lives here. Standing before the monument and offering a stick of incense felt especially heavy, and made the tragedy of this history even more palpable.

Almost every time I go to Japan, my family asks me to bring back a box of Taisho Pabron. It's considered a classic household cold medicine in Japan and has long been trusted by many Japanese families. On this latest visit to Japan, I discovered that the familiar packaging had been redesigned! The newly upgraded PRU version has more modern packaging, but it's still the same familiar brand.

For us, it's more than just buying medicine. It's like a regular souvenir we always bring home whenever we visit Japan.

When visiting Hakata, besides shopping and enjoying the food, I also highly recommend visiting these two historic temples and shrines.

The most impressive feature of Tochoji Temple is the Fukuoka Daibutsu. Admission to the Great Buddha Hall is JPY 100. The 10.8-meter-tall wooden statue of Shakyamuni Buddha is solemn and magnificent, and looking up at it from close range is truly awe-inspiring. Photography is not allowed inside the hall, so you can only admire it quietly, which makes the peaceful atmosphere even more noticeable.

Behind the Great Buddha Hall is a special “Hell and Paradise Pilgrimage.” You go from a bright area into a dark passageway, with scenes of hell depicted on the walls. Walking the entire route feels very immersive.

After visiting Tochoji Temple, walk to Kushida Shrine in Hakata Gion to experience the history of Hakata’s guardian shrine and its traditional festival culture. The two attractions are not far apart, making them perfect for a leisurely visit on the same day while taking in Hakata’s historic charm.

This time, I visited Kyushu's famous caldera lake. The lake is vast, surrounded by mountains and natural scenery, and looks magnificent even from a distance.

The lake was formed by a volcanic eruption about 5,700 years ago. It has a circumference of about 15 kilometers and reaches a maximum depth of 233 meters, making it one of Kyushu's most iconic lakes.

What surprised me most was that we arrived just in time for sunset. As the sun slowly set over the lake, the entire surface turned golden. It was so beautiful that I couldn't stop taking pictures.

If you're traveling around Fukuoka on your own, I highly recommend adding Kushida Shrine to your itinerary!

The shrine is in central Hakata, and it's easy to walk there from Kushida Shrine Station on the subway. Afterward, you can continue on to Kawabata Shopping Arcade and Nakasu, so it's easy to combine them into one itinerary.

Kushida Shrine is an important shrine to the people of Hakata. Once you enter the grounds, it's surprisingly quiet and peaceful, even though the lively downtown area is just outside. Besides praying, it's also a nice place to stroll around and take in the shrine's details.

What caught my attention most was the enormous, ornate yamakasa float. It was even more impressive than I imagined! The intricate decorations are fascinating up close and give you a better sense of the local culture of the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival.

There's also an interesting "test stone." I heard that strongmen in the past could lift it, so I decided to take the challenge myself...

The result, of course, was--**it didn't budge at all!

There's also a famous old ginkgo tree nearby, and you can see a unique zodiac direction plaque on the tower gate. Every corner has little details of traditional Japanese culture.

If you're shopping in Hakata, consider stopping by Kushida Shrine. It doesn't take much time, but it lets you experience a very different side of Hakata.

Mameda Town in Hita was one of my favorite places on this trip to Kyushu. It was once a tenryo, a territory directly governed by the shogunate during the Edo period, and prospered through commerce. Today, you can still see many preserved traditional buildings throughout the neighborhood, which is why it's also known as “Little Kyoto in Kyushu.”

I actually prefer quiet little places like this to popular tourist attractions.

There aren't tons of tour buses or crowds of tourists. Along the streets, you can see traditional Japanese homes, old houses, and a natural sense of everyday life. I slowly wandered the streets without any particular itinerary. Just looking at the streetscape and taking in the local atmosphere felt very relaxing.

Mameda Town is somewhere I'd like to come back and stroll around again.

Kurokawa Onsen really has the feel of a Japanese hot spring town!

The entire hot spring village is scattered throughout the valley along the Tanoharu River. Each ryokan is surrounded by forest, and although the town isn't large, it has plenty of character. Walking around feels like getting away from the city and taking a vacation in the mountains.

The most unique thing to do here is use the Nyuto Tegata hot spring pass. If you have enough time, I highly recommend buying one. You can choose three different ryokan to soak at, and experience each one's open-air baths without staying overnight. It's really fun to try different baths!

Each hot spring has its own features. Some are hidden in the woods, while others are beside the ravine. Soaking while taking in the mountain scenery creates a very relaxing atmosphere.

Kurokawa Onsen has also preserved traditional mixed-gender open-air baths, making it a very unique experience for anyone interested in traditional Japanese hot spring culture.

One of Kumamoto's most famous ramen shops, the long-established Kurotei Ramen is definitely not to be missed! Kurotei's signature feature is its **rich tonkotsu broth + charred black garlic oil**. As soon as it arrives at the table, you can smell the intense garlic aroma, which is irresistibly fragrant.

This time, I ordered the signature **tonkotsu ramen + two raw egg yolks. Mixing the raw egg yolks into the piping-hot broth makes it even richer and smoother. Highly recommended if you like egg yolks! If you're not comfortable eating raw egg yolks, you can order a soft-boiled egg instead〜 There's also a version with double chashu, so meat lovers can go straight for that. The ramen itself is delicious. The broth is rich without feeling heavy, and the noodles are springy with just the right texture, without being overcooked. The charred black garlic oil on top is truly the soul of the whole bowl! The deeply roasted garlic flavor blends into the tonkotsu broth, taking the aroma to another level and making it more addictive with every bite.

Besides the ramen, the pan-fried dumplings and fried rice are also pretty good. If you're with a group, you can order them to share.

If you're in Kumamoto and want to try something different and local, I recommend the long-established Chinese restaurant Kourantei. Try Kumamoto's signature dish, Taipien (たいぴーえん). It looks a lot like a mixed glass noodle soup, with plenty of ingredients such as vegetables and seafood. The broth was more flavorful than I expected and not as bland as some Google reviews said. It's light yet flavorful and perfect for a bowl during your trip.