We have enjoyed the Mitsui Garden Hotel previously and were lucky to get a spacious room which had a comfy seating area annd included breakfast. Using hotel booking apps frequently while travelling really helps to bring down the price. The staff are outstanding here. If we return to Kumamoto in the future, we would certainly stay here again.
Today we are going to explore areas of Kumamoto we haven’t yet seen. On our last trip we visited the Kumamoto Castle. So we aren’t going to tour it again. Instead we will start with Sakuranobaba Josaien Castle Town. It is located at the base of the castle and is a good place to find food. It is made up of streets and buildings modelled on those of an Edo castle town.
Kumamoto has endured multiple earthquakes, the most recent being in 2016. On a previous trip we spent much time touring the castle and saw first hand the exacting and laborious work of once again restoring it from incredible damage. We saw huge areas of massive boulders laid out on the ground. Each boulder had been made in the exact dimensions of the original. They were numbered and would eventually be used to recreate the damaged Castle stonewalls…one boulder at a time.
Kumamon is the mascot for the city of Kumamoto and he is the most popular mascot in Japan. It appears that he may have over indulged in ramen. Time for a nap!
The breakfast buffet is a feast. We are glad that we have breakfast included for 2 mornings as we will need to pace ourselves. One huge area features Japanese food and a separate area is western food. Like everything at Mitsui Garden, it exceeds expectations.
A highlight for us in the Western section was freshly fried eggs, lots of fresh fruit and yummy salads. We have discovered that in Japan, green salads are excellent, especially with the sesame dressing.
Out sightseeing and of course we meet Kumamon. This beloved fellow is everywhere!
When in Japan, our philosophy is that we need to try something at least once. The matcha ice cream here is quite authentic in its preparation and would not generally tempt us. But when in Japan, why not try it.
Next we headed to the beloved Suizenji Jojuen Garden. It is a tranquil Japanese garden built in 1632 by the first Lord of the Kumamoto Domain. It is laid out so that it reproduces in miniature form with 53 post stations the Tokaido (road that connects Tokyo and Kyoto during the Edo period) and includes Mt Fuji and a little Lake Biwa. There are about 150 cherry blossom trees.
At home, we are used to herons not appreciating people being close to them. If disturbed they will fly away with a squawk of annoyance. These herons at the garden are not fazed by our proximity.
We can imagine that this garden is a popular place year round as each season brings its own beauty. Being late fall, many of the features of summer are dormant, but it is a beautiful place to visit with the autumn colours at their best.
This cat seems to live here, and was somewhat friendly. We were intrigued by his lineage as this husky cat had very short stocky legs. Perhaps a Heinz 57 variety.
We visited the gardens in the late afternoon. The gates will close at 5:00 pm. However, the gardens will reopen after dark for a Christmas illumination presentation.
We liked this. It was by the Jack in the Beanstalk mural.
