Kumamoto Castle

This weekend, in addition to going to Suizenji park, Graham and I also went to Kumamoto Castle with a few of the other students who didn't do homestay. 

Check below for more pictures and details!

With a "passport" that we received at the prefectural office, we were able to get into Kumamoto Castle for free! It's an interesting place to see traditional architecture and learn a lot about the history of Kumamoto. The turrets around the castle are the oldest wooden towers in Japan (or so said the staff member there)!

The main castle building is a museum, and you can see artifacts and scenes from different periods in Kumamoto's history. We climbed up the main tower and had a look around (the view was great), then went up one of the older turrets. There is a lot to see at the castle though, so we will definitely be back (especially since it's free!).

Also at the castle, you can see short skits and dances by the Kumamoto Castle Performance Group. It was extremely windy when we went, but the performances went on anyway. 
Here's a short video of part of their performance


There was an extremely cute little boy waving a toy sword along with the performers. He did quite well! Actually, you can see him in the video if you look closely.


After leaving the castle, we met up with another student and his friends for supper. There is a market near the castle with souvenirs and restaurants featuring specialty products of Kumamoto. This time, we had one of the most famous dishes, 馬刺し AKA horse sashimi! It was extremely tasty! We also grilled it, which was fantastic as well. It was probably the best meal I've had since arriving to Japan (and the most expensive, at about $20... HA food is so cheap here). It's not something I'll eat every day, but it was nice. It tasted similar to beef, but a bit sweeter.

The market:

Graham, Kumamon and I