After yesterday's mountain hairpins, today was a glorious "car-free" day. We skipped the hotel breakfast in favor of a slow morning, finally stepping out to tackle Kumamoto’s biggest icons at our own pace.
A Lesson in Samurai Survival:
First stop: Kumamoto Castle (850¥). It’s still a giant puzzle-in-progress following the 2016 earthquake, but they’ve turned the renovation into a fascinating exhibit. Armed with Google Translate, I dove deep into the bloody history of feudal lords and the Satsuma Rebellion.
The highlight? I took a mini-quiz in Japanese and scored a solid 75%! I owe my "distinction" entirely to Netflix’s The Last Samurai. Who says binge-watching isn't educational?
The "Non-Horse" Lunch:
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| The horse meat lunch that never happened |
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| Mid level lunch, a fast-food chain |
We struck out on a lunch reservation at the fancy horse-meat place, so we consoled ourselves with "appetizers" of black bean ice cream and peanut crackers. For the main event, we wandered into the shopping arcade and landed at Yayoi. It was a total steal—steak and gyudon sets for 3,000¥ with service and bottomless rice. No horse meat, but good deals make happy people.
Greed, Not Need:
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| There's always space for more |
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| Young ones at the arcade |
Post-lunch, we found ourselves at Hoshino Coffee. Despite being full, I caved and ordered the soufflé. I have zero regrets.
To keep the momentum going, I made an impulse buy at a bookstore: a mini Japanese cookbook (1,600¥). My logic? If I study the language through recipes, I’ll learn faster. I just hope it doesn’t suffer the same fate as my Midnight Diner comic, which is currently sitting at 5% read...
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| More snacks, in case we get hungry! |
The Time-Zone Oops:
We headed back for a video catch-up with H in England. Because of the ongoing doctor strike, she was home to chat, but I managed to forget the time difference and woke her up an hour early. My bad!
The Tofu Jackpot:
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| This blue curtain leads to tofu heaven. Some of the best places are kept a secret |
After the "average at best" Izakaya experience last night, we hit the jackpot for dinner: Ogawa, an incredible tofu restaurant.
If you had told me this morning that tofu could be crafted into a meal fit for a king, I would have been skeptical—but how wrong I was! Every dish was a revelation. It was so fresh, creative, and satisfying that it made last night’s dinner at the Food Village look like a total scam. Who knew bean curd could have such a glow-up?
Today’s Reflections:
History is better with subtitles: Google Translate makes me travel like a pro.
Even if I think I am full, the stomach has a secret "dessert compartment" that opens specifically for Hoshino Coffee.
Tofu is the new Steak: Don't ever settle for average Izakaya food when there is a tofu masterpiece waiting around the corner.
Pace is everything: Sometimes, the best way to see Japan isn't through a car window at 50kmph, but at the slow, steady walking pace of one hunting for a very specific JLNT / cookbook.
Tonight, the castle stands silent outside our window—still under its scaffolding "armor," but beautiful nonetheless. I’m tired, I’m 75% Japanese-literate (according to one quiz), and I’m ready to see what the volcanic peaks of Aso have in store for us tomorrow.