Around Kumamoto City in One Day 31/03/2012

My welcome passport (given after register to the city council) for the Kumamoto City attractions was expiring. So, I decided to wake up one Saturday morning (the last day of the pass) to go to all these places. Coincidently, the one day pass I bought expiry date was that day.

One day Pass for Kumamoto City Tram and  Bus

Welcome Passport (Kumamoto)

 Kengunmachi 健軍町

the final stop for the city tram

My first stop was Kengunmachi 健軍町, the last stop of the city tram. There was a shopping street. However, compared to the shimotori, here was quite quiet and few people. Maybe the time was still early. Then, I took the tram to the Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Garden Entrance 熊本市動植物園. The garden was quite far from the tram stop. But the view along the route was beautiful with all the sakura.

even the entrance to the garden was beautiful!

Sakura from the Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Garden

Animals from the Garden

Areas near the green house

Plants inside the Green House

Gardens everywhere

①&② Art works related to the garden

③ cabin from the San Antonio USA (sister city of Kumamoto)

④ Train for the children theme park

① Chinese style hut (from the sister city of Kumamoto)

② Tram stop

③ Ferris wheel in the garden

④ very skilful plant art 

I was so captivated by the blooming sakura. It was blooming everywhere and at every corner inside the garden. The zoo was so so only, but the garden was nice. The animals in the garden include elephants, kangaroo, zebra, giraffe, monkeys, exotic birds, etc. While for the botanical side, the variants were a lot. There was even a green house. The Japanese style garden was not bad too. But nothing beats the sakura. There was bicycles for rent too. One of the highlight of the garden was golden hair monkey 金丝猴, it was initially a loan from a zoo in Guilin 桂林, China. However, due to the popularity, it became a permanent resident of the zoo. I couldn't take a front view photo of the monkey, so I took a video. They looked like try helping each comb the hair or catch insects amongst the golden hair.

After touring the place for around 2 hours, I left for Residence of Mr. Janes, a pioneer in western learning for Kumamoto. The residence looks like a normal western home, actually I felt it was almost the same with the Nagasaki and Kobe foreigners residence. There were a few turns one needed to take before reach the place. I spent some time just trying to figure out the route. It was near to the Suizenji 水前寺. Neighbouring the foreign residence was Natsume Soseki 夏目漱石 3rd house in Kumamoto. Japanese were amazing at preserving all the historical stuffs. I felt sad when thinking that in Malaysia, a lot of old historical buildings were demolished to make way for the new developments. Inside the Residence of Mr. Janes, there were display of the red cross society history in Japan too. In fact, it was the birthplace for red cross in Japan. There were old furnitures and stuffs from the Meiji era.

Natsume Soseki 3rd house in Kumamoto

Residence of Mr. Janes (Kumamoto Western Learning School)

① A portrait of Mr. Janes

② the material used for that building

③ Memorial for Japan Red Cross Society

④ gift from the royal families to the Red cross

Next, I went to Tokutomi Memorial Site 徳富記念園. It was quite far from the tram stop. I don't know who was this Tokutomi san, I wanted to visit here because from the welcome passport, the house there looks like 'rumah panjang', house built on stilts. I couldn't believe that I was the only tourist there. Others were officers in that memorial site. The memorial site houses Tokutomi daily use items, books, and some other portraits. Everything was carefully preserved. 

Tokutomi Memorial Site

Tokutomi Memorial Site (daily used items, portraits, books, and newspaper articles)

By this time, I was so hungry. So, I took tram to Torimachisuji stop 通町筋. This was a shopping area with lots of shopping malls and shops. I liked one of the curry house there, Sri Lanka Kumamoto, I think that it has one of the most authentic curry meal one can find in that area. After a very sumptuous meal, continue to Koizumi Yakumo Residence 小泉八雲熊本旧居. This Koizumi was an author, also known as Lafcadio Hearn who was famous for Japanese legends and ghost stories, like 'Kwaidan 怪談: Stories and Studies of Strange Things'. He came to Kumamoto after receiving a teaching post in Kumamoto high school. The house was his accommodation during his stay in Kumamoto. I met a very friendly volunteer here, he even help to take photographs and showed me how to go to Natsume Soseki 5th house in Kumamoto.

Koizumi Yakumo Residence was near the shopping mall

Now, the distance was long. My legs starting to ache already. Finally, I reached the 5th house. It was special, a traditional Japanese style house was merged with a western style house. There were copies of Natsume Soseki's books and information about his wedding and daily lives. The surprise here was now only I realised he was the 1000 yen man. Wow, an author made into the banknotes, I must find his book to read. There was a statue of him with a cat. Ok, I am going to find his book "I am a cat". The house was spacious with a lovely garden.

Natsume Soseki 5th house in Kumamoto

a group of people doing Hanami 花見 outside the Kumamoto castle

Then, I went to the Kumamoto most iconic place, the Kumamoto castle 熊本城. One of the top hanami  花見 place in Kumamoto was the castle. It was planted with lots of sakura. This was the third time I went to Kumamoto Castle. This time, I entered through a different gate, Akazuno Gate 不開門, it literally means 'unopened door'. From the explanation board, that is a common belief that evil spirits will come from northeast, so this gate that face northeast will normally be kept close so that the evil cannot enter. The castle looked gorgeous with all the blooming sakura. There were a lot of tourists compared to the places I have gone earlier. I had a habit of eating soft cream when I visited a place because normally a place of interest have their own version of ice cream. This time, I had tomamo gelato and salt ice cream. However, the only thing I could taste was sweet. Not so recommended.

Kumamoto Castle with sakura 熊本城の桜

Sakura in Kumamoto Castle

① Stone wall of two styles 二様の石垣

② a reconstructed old building

③ tiles for the Kumamoto Castle

④ Map stone 地図石

view from outside the main gate of Kumamoto Castle

Tomato Gelato (from Yatsushiro) & Salt Ice cream (Amakusa)

Next, I went to Kyu-Hosokawa Gyobutei 旧細川邢部邸. From the map, it was suppose to be very near the Kumamoto Castle. However, it was an illusion. It was very far, maybe I was very tired from all the walking already. But, along the way, all the sakura is blooming. Very beautiful and pleasing to the eyes. I did not realise it was pass 4:30pm already, but the lady at the counter let me pass. The surrounding was like a typical Japanese garden with a traditional building, while I think almost the same with all the other samurai houses. The differences lie only on the person and the history of it.

Kyu-Hosokawa Gyobutei 旧細川邢部邸

around the Gyobutei

It was almost 5pm and I had to leave. So, I walked back to the Kumamoto Castle, I planned to go to a place called 桜の馬場城彩苑, however, I overestimated my walking pace and the place was closed. However, the view of sakura was really soothing. Before I reach the tram stop, there was a traditional music performance near the Kato Kiyomasa 加藤清正 statue. I enjoyed it very much!

the statue of Kato Kiyomasa 加藤清正

That day, near the Kumamoto City Bus Terminal, there was a Sakura Matsuri 桜祭り going on. A lot of food stuffs were being sold here. However, from my fatigue that day, I could not bring myself to eat fried stuff, I left without buying anything.

Nonetheless, It was a wonderful day!

sakura matsuri 桜祭り

sakura! sakura! sakura! I love spring!