Kumamoto castle
Kumamoto castle is near downtown in Kumamoto city. Kumamoto castle was built by Kiyomasa Kato about 400 years ago and is the one of the three greatest castle in Japan. It is famous as Mushagaeshi, name of stone wall. Mushagaeshi was useful for guarding Kumamoto castle from enemies during battling because shape of Mushagaeshi is curve so it was difficult to climb it. Also, Kumamoto castle has many trees and some of them are camphor trees. They are symbol trees of Kumamoto Prefecture. Today, we can see inside of Kumamoto castle and sometimes hold events in Kumamto castle. Therefore, Kumamoto castle is important for history, culture, people of Kumamoto.
basashi
Basashi is raw meat of horses. It is popular food in Kumamoto but almost Japanese usually don't eat it. Basashi is handed down that Kiyomasa Kato thought to eat horse about 400 years ago. When they didn't have foods to eat during the war, he ate his war horses. Basashi is low fat and low calorie so, it is more healthy than beaf or pork. We eat basashi special day, for example in o
ikinaridango
Ikinaridanngo is the famous foods. It is the local sweets in Kumamoto. The potato and the anko are covered with the dough.It is the taste good!!
Amakusa
Amakusa has a lot of mountain and the sea. In the summer vacation, a lot of people go to swimming in the sea. We can eat the sea foods in the Amakusa. Do you know the Pearl Sun Beach? If we go to there in summer, We can watch the beach that is shining bright. That is limit in the summer. So I have never watched it. There is beautiful place. When the time is low tide, we can go to another island.
Mt. Kinpou
Mt. Kinpou is in northwest of Kumamoto city and the height of it is 665 meters. Most people call Ichinodake Mt. Kinpou but in formal, Mt. Kinpou is generic name of Ichinodake, Kumanodake, Sannodake, and Mt. Arao. We can climb Mt. Kinpou in a day. There are an observatory on the top of Mt. Kinpou and we can see Ariake Sea and some lands on the sea in a day and we can see beautiful night view at night. At the observatory, there are many padlocks. Many couples hope to be together for long time and they put them on Mt. Kinpou. Mt. Kinpou has been for long time and it has seen Kumamoto for long time so I think it is important for Kumamoto like Mt. Aso.
karashirenkon
Karashirenkon is local dish in Kumamoto. Karashi is mustard and Renkon is lotus root in English. It is made that holes of lotus root are stuffed by mustard powder, soybean paste, and honey and we spread flour on it and fry it. Lotus roots have excellent effect of blood-forming medicine. Tadatoshi Hosokawa, who was feudal lord of Kumamoto, ate Karashirenkon for his healthy. It was begining of Karashirenkon. Many people of Kumamoto eat Karashirenkon in a dairy life so Karashirenkon is familiar in Kumamoto.
藤崎宮例大祭
In fall, fastival of Fujisaki-gu is held every year. A lot of people parade the main street in Kumamoto downtown.
Kurokawa hot spring
Kurokawa hot spring is one of the famous it in Japan. It has selected the best hot spring of Japan in several years ago. It made this hot spring more popular. There are many hotels and a lot of sightseer visit there and enjoy soaking the spa every year. There are a lot of nice survenior shops so, we can enjoy shopping, too. If you get a wooden admission ticket called 'Nyujou tegata', you can choose three hotels and enjoy open-air bath. If people visit this hot spring once, they will surely feel that they want to visit there again.
Shirakawa Suigen
water
We can drink the water in Kumamoto. There is a lot of natural water, and it is so clear. I don't know is there any place to drink the groundwater. The quality of water is not good compare with that of ten years ago. In Kumamoto has a many source. The Shirakawa source, the Todoroki source and so on.
Aso
Aso is a lot of mountain and hot spring. Mt. Aso is the very beautiful place. Do you know the Kusasenri? There is the field and a lot of the horse. We can ride it and we can go for a stroll. In December 22nd and 23rd, there is going to take place the X'mas Ballon Illusion Festival. The Festival is the very fantastic. It will start at 19 o'clock. If you have a time, you should go to there.
