This is just a post for those coming to study/live in Kumamoto to talk about some of the things you can do for fun in Kumamoto City. There is a lot to do, so also talk to your friends, and see what they recommend outside of this list! Also, get creative and look into the interesting workshops you can attend, such as the traditional sweets workshop I wrote about in a previous post.
Karaoke
There are a lot of karaoke places in Kumamoto. *Note, these are the type where you sing in a private room with your friends, not where you sing in a bar in front of everyone*
It can be a great way to blow off steam and have fun with your friends. I've only been to a few of them, but there seems to be a range of quality. The best thing to do is check one out, and if it meets your karaoke needs, stick with it! Some of them make you register for membership, and others do not. Some places offer all-you-can-eat ice cream and all-you-can-drink (including alcohol, though watered-down). This brings me to the next fun activity.
All-you-can-eat/drink Restaurants
If you plan on maintaining a healthy diet, I don't recommend going to these restaurants too often. For between 2500 and 3500 yen, you can have all-you-can-eat/drink for 90-120 minutes. These places usually serve a variety of different foods, from the standard izakaya fare like chicken wings and edamame, to pizza, french fries, pasta and desserts. Usually the alcoholic drinks are very weak, but they are all-you-can-drink as well. It's nice to go to one of these places for special occasions.
RoundOne
This place is a multi-storey activity centre, with three main areas: bowling, karaoke, and "spo-cha", which is a large area with batting cages, roller-skating, a mini arcade, and lots more. It's reasonably priced for a few hours of entertainment! I recommend going to the spo-cha area, as it also includes "mini" versions of karaoke and bowling. Wear comfortable shoes and go with lots of energy!
Arcades
If you are into Japanese arcade games, or arcade games in general, you may enjoy spending time at an arcade. They can be found in a few places downtown, and UFO Catchers (crane-games) can be found in almost every shopping area. I wouldn't spend too much on UFO Catchers though! As tempting as it may seem, you are NOT likely to win anything, even if you try just one more time. There are stores that sell things that are available in UFO catchers; I would check out ぐるぐる倉庫 in particular.
Movie theatres
Movie theatres in Japan are a little different from where we live in Canada. In Canada, you go early so you can get into the cinema early. In Japan, when you buy a ticket you choose an assigned seat, and you are only allowed into the cinema 10 minutes before they start previews. So, if it is a popular movie, you may want to go early to buy a ticket, but you do not need to line up to get the best seat. Theatres give different discounts for different things, so check the websites. For Hollywood movies, there are usually two versions, one with subtitles (字幕) and one that has been dubbed (吹替). Make sure you pick the right one! Popcorn sets are usually cheaper than they are in Canada, and you have more variety of food items to choose from (caramel popcorn!). Another difference that I've noticed in the places I've gone is that the lights in the theatre don't come on at all after the movie until the end of the credits.
While you might not get all the popular movies from Hollywood in a timely fashion, it's still fun to go to the theatre in Japan.
