This place combines a bus terminal and shopping mall. Several well-known restaurants have locations here, such as Kokutei Ramen, and the lines here are much shorter. You can also take a bus to and from the airport, and there is a souvenir shop on the first floor, making it very convenient. The entire building incorporates lots of greenery, and it looks quite beautiful in photos at night.
SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto | Review by Lucas L.
Other Reviews by Lucas L.
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The Orion Hotel Motobu Resort & Spa
Look to Okinawa’s northern Motobu area to find The Orion Hotel Motobu Resort & Spa, a luxe retreat set staunchly with oceanfront rooms. Select from 238 guest rooms across 12 floors, each with a spacious 50㎡ to boot and private balconies. Slip into a relaxed pace and sip the glittering air of views blessed by Emerald Beach and Ie Island. The hotel also offers extensive amenities including natural hot spring baths, an infinity pool, and a variety of restaurants and bars.
The room was very spacious and comfortable, and you could see the beach directly from the balcony. The welcome drink was draft beer with the same name as the hotel〜 It’s very close to Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, so staying here is very convenient if you’re planning a visit to the aquarium!
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Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
“Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium” is a popular tourist spot, located in Okinawa’s Kaiyohaku Park. If you take the building’s escalator down from the 4th floor to the 3rd, you’ll find yourself at the entrance to the aquarium. The aquarium is designed as a “deep dive” into the ocean as you go down to the 2nd and 1st floors, so as you descend, a magnificent world filled with mysterious Okinawan ocean creatures unfolds before you!
The most famous thing here is undoubtedly the huge aquarium tank shown in the picture. I watched the enormous whale sharks and giant manta rays swimming gracefully for a full 20 minutes～It was really soothing～The downside is that there are just too many visitors! Also, the aquarium and surrounding park cover a large area, and it’s quite a walk from the parking lot to the aquarium entrance, so I recommend wearing comfortable shoes.
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Mameda Town
Hita City, neighboring Fukuoka and Kumamoto, was a prosperous “Tenryo (directly ruled by the Shogunate)” merchant town in Edo Period. The city is still dotted by classic buildings and earthen walls, which earned the nickname “Little Kyoto in Kyushu.” Roughly a 15-minute walk from Hita train station will take you to Mameda Town, where houses of merchants still remain who were providing goods to the Shogunate during the Tenryo Era.
This is a place I visit every time I come to northern Kyushu because it’s halfway between Oita and Fukuoka. The shops along the old street sell ceramics, sake, and delicious eel rice. I always stop here for lunch. The area isn’t very large, but if you have time, you can take a leisurely stroll around, even though there aren’t many shops. Oh, and if you come, don’t miss the old shop that sells miso~
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