王小鈞's Reviews Page 5/31

When visiting Kumamoto, I don't think you necessarily need to rent a car. There are streetcars in the city, which are very convenient for independent travelers.

The Kumamoto City Tram has the A Line and B Line, connecting many popular places such as Kumamoto Station, Kumamoto Castle, the downtown shopping districts, and the Suizenji area. Just check the routes to plan where you want to go. Transportation is relatively simple, without having to constantly figure out complicated bus routes.

I also really enjoy riding the streetcar. There's no need to drive or look for parking, and sitting on the streetcar watching the Kumamoto cityscape while slowly moving along really adds to the travel atmosphere.

Aso Shrine has a history of over 2,000 years and is well worth stopping by when visiting Aso.

The shrine suffered considerable damage during the Kumamoto earthquake, but after restoration, many of the buildings have been returned to their original appearance. The torii gate in particular looks truly impressive.

The weather was perfect on the day we visited. The blue sky, white clouds, and shrine buildings looked beautiful in photos, so the great weather definitely didn't go to waste. You can set aside 2 hours to take a leisurely walk around, take photos, and pray. It's a wonderful experience.

Don't rush off after visiting Kumamoto Castle. Sakuranobaba Josaien at the foot of the hill is well worth visiting at the same time!

The entire complex was designed around the concept of an Edo-period castle town, with old-fashioned buildings lining both sides of the streets. Walking through it feels like you've traveled back to the Edo period. Although it isn't very large, it's fun to explore, eat snacks, and take photos along the way, and the atmosphere is quite relaxed.

My favorite area was Sakura-no-koji, which has quite a few shops featuring Kumamoto specialties. You can buy souvenirs and enjoy food and drinks as you go, including sea urchin croquettes, Jindaiko ice cream, and Kumamoto's signature horse meat dishes.

The complex also has Wakuwakuza, which introduces Kumamoto's history through interactive exhibits and is much more interesting than simply reading text. If you happen to catch a performance by the Kumamoto Castle Omotenashi Busho-tai, you can take photos with them too, making it a fun little experience unique to Kumamoto.

I think it's best to include this with a visit to Kumamoto Castle. After climbing up to the castle and learning about its history, come to Josaien to eat, look around, and buy souvenirs.

Kumamoto Castle, one of Japan's three most famous castles, underwent extensive restoration after the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes and has now regained its original appearance. On this visit, although traces of the restoration were still visible in some places, it still felt very much like the castle it used to be, and walking through it was quite impressive.

Admission to Kumamoto Castle is JPY 800 for adults, and I personally think it's well worth visiting. Besides touring the castle tower, you can also see the progress of the post-earthquake restoration along the way, which gives you a better understanding of the castle's history.

I also highly recommend visiting the nearby Kumamoto Castle Museum Wakuwakuza. It has quite a few interactive activities that let you learn about Kumamoto Castle's history in different ways, along with some mini-games. You can even dress up in period costumes, which was surprisingly fun. A combined ticket for Kumamoto Castle and Wakuwakuza is currently only JPY 850, making it a much better deal than buying separate tickets.

After touring Kumamoto Castle, you can also stop by the nearby Sakura-no-baba Josaien. It has plenty of restaurants, souvenirs, and Kumamoto specialties, so it's a convenient place to eat and take a break after visiting the castle. It fits nicely into the itinerary.

Admission to Suizenji Jojuen Garden is currently JPY 500 for adults. The garden's official website also notes that there is no dedicated parking lot, so if you're driving, you'll need to use a nearby paid parking lot.

Suizenji Jojuen Garden is one of Kumamoto's most iconic Japanese gardens. It is a pond-strolling garden fed by natural spring water from Aso, with a pond, artificial hills, pine trees, and a historic teahouse. It's very pleasant to walk around.

The garden was first created by Hosokawa Tadatoshi in 1632 and was later expanded by successive lords of the Hosokawa clan, gradually taking on the appearance it has today. The scenery is actually quite varied, with thoughtful little details in every corner. It's a great place to stroll, stop, and take photos.

This time, I finally had enough time to explore the whole garden properly. Otherwise, I might have just hurried through and missed the pleasure of appreciating it.

If you're visiting Nagasaki, I highly recommend making a trip to Shikairou. It's near Oura Cathedral and about a 2-minute walk from the Oura Cathedral streetcar stop, so it's pretty easy to find. The restaurant has an elevator that takes you directly to the dining room on the fifth floor, so you don't have to climb the stairs. That's really convenient for anyone who's been walking all day while traveling.

I highly recommend getting a window seat, where you can eat while looking out at the ocean. The atmosphere is very relaxing and has a bit of Nagasaki's distinctive port-city charm.

My first thought when the champon arrived was, “This is loaded!” It was packed with vegetables, seafood, and other toppings, and the portion was quite generous. I thought I'd be really full after finishing it, but even after eating the whole bowl, I still wanted a little more.

If you want to try one of Nagasaki's signature local dishes, champon is definitely worth adding to your itinerary!

And taking your time eating by a window with an ocean view makes the whole dining experience even better.

Shimabara Castle isn't very big. At first glance, it looks like a small, elegant castle. The current keep was also rebuilt later, but I think the overall design is quite stylish and looks great in photos. After climbing to the top floor of the keep, the view was surprisingly good, and you can see almost the entire city of Shimabara. The exhibits provide a fairly comprehensive introduction to the area's history, especially the arrival of Christianity and the Shimabara Rebellion. I didn't realize how many stories this area had until I saw them.

Getting there is also fairly easy. It's about a 10-minute walk from Shimabara Station. But it's a little more inconvenient if you're coming from Shimabara Port, since the bus schedule can sometimes be really frustrating. If you arrive by ferry at Shimabara Port, I'd recommend taking a taxi. It saves time and keeps you from waiting around for the bus.

Overall, Shimabara Castle may be small, but it's not just a place where you walk around, take some photos, and leave. The historical exhibits inside are actually worth taking some time to explore.

This time, I bought a ticket online in advance for entry at 3:00 p.m. I was a little worried there wouldn't be enough time, but I ended up getting to all the main things I wanted to do! As long as you plan ahead and go from one to the next, the itinerary is actually pretty smooth.

What I liked most about Huis Ten Bosch was all the flowers. No matter where you go, you can see huge displays of flowers. It's truly spectacular, and I really admire the staff who maintain them every day. Keeping everything this beautiful all the time can't be easy.

I also saw the light show this time, and it was better than I expected. The atmosphere at night was also very nice.

Unlike Disney or Universal Studios, where it feels like you're constantly going on rides and waiting in lines, Huis Ten Bosch is better suited for strolling around at a relaxed pace, taking photos, and enjoying the scenery. The pace is much more comfortable, especially for people who like taking pictures.

On the way to Glover Garden, I saw this famous pudding shop, so of course I had to try it!

The signature pudding has a rich vanilla flavor, with plenty of visible vanilla seeds. It's smooth overall, with a noticeable milky taste. It also looks great in photos.

If it's your first time buying one, I'd recommend the original flavor. It's simple and a safe choice.

Overall, the pudding is good, but considering the price, I personally think trying it once is enough.

This place is seriously so cute! The penguins inside were super lively. We happened to catch feeding time, and watching them scramble for fish was unbearably adorable. We also met one penguin we absolutely loved—it came right up to the window and kept interacting with us. So cute!

There’s also an outdoor penguin area with no glass separating you, so they feel even closer. A lot of the penguins were just standing around lazily without moving, totally in grandparent mode. The cutest part was seeing a super tiny baby penguin. Seriously adorable!

Besides the penguins, there are also quite a few marine animals inside, and the ocean view outside is expansive and beautiful. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time this visit. Otherwise, we could’ve easily spent over 3 hours taking our time exploring and taking photos!