Daydreaming Diaries

Why don't I just edit the previous report? Because some people already read it and I want to post something new. haha.
I'm sorry I really became addicted to blogging.

Somehow I forgot a few little things to add to my yesterday's travel report. So I will make this 2 or 3 little adds in a separate blog post.

Kyushu/Kumamoto
I already talked about the impressive nature and landscape of Kyushu and if people want to go hiking or cycling in the nature I recommend Kyushu, but Kyushu is not just nature. There are also big cities with train stations, like Fukuoka or Nagasaki, but there's enough "green space" with it, so that it can't be compared to a stay in cities like Osaka or Tokyo.
I already told you about my mount Aso trip, which impressed me a lot, because it was something new for me to visit a volcano.
For people , who like or would like t try to go to a Japanese hot spring, I also recommend Kyushu, especially the Kumamoto area is very popular for its hot springs. There are a lot of them. I haven't been to one yet, but I'm intending to visit one with my boyfriend, but in Kansai area there aren't that many hot springs and I think it's not the same to visit a hot spring in a big city like Kobe or to visit a hot spring in a natural area like Kumamoto.
Some of you probably read my post about the Kumamoto castle, if not, it doesn't matter. Kumamato is also famous for it's castle, which is together with the one in Himeji and Nagoya one of the 3 most popular castles of old Japan.

You can't enter every room or building of the castle, but the offered things you can enter are quite pretty and very interesting I think. If you are interested in Japanese culture and traditions you definitely should visit at least one of those three castles. (Himeji, Nagoya, Kumamoto)
The people in front of the castle selling the tickets or handing out some guides are able to speak at least broken basic English and there is an English guide available, so you don't have to worry.
If you are afraid of heights climb up to the castle's tower wouldn't be the best idea, because the stairs are old wooden stairs, but not dangers at all. And on the top room in the castle there are no windows or at least in summer the windows are open an it seems to be window-glass-less. Maybe not the best for people, who are afraid of heights, but there are enough places, which aren't that high you can enter at Kumamoto castle.

Shimanto
Another place I visited is Shimanto, closed to Nakamura in Kochi prefecture. I didn't know this place before, but I wold it is famous for its River and Kochi city is famous for its castle, but I didn't visit the castle.
The Shimanto River seems to be one of the most famous rivers in Japan, but I'm not very interested in rivers to be honest. haha.
Shimanto city wasn't special at all, it was a quite normal place. I visited a shrine there, which seemed to be very old and not visited by anyone at all. Furthermore the part of the city I lived in was really ugly. Dirty houses, a broken play-ground for children, a supermarket, a city-hall and a library were the things I saw or visited at least once. On the way to the library for studying some Japanese I crossed the Shimanto river by a bridge by riding my bike almost every afternoon, but still didn't understand why this river is so special or famous.
There are a lot of little boat trips offered at the Shimanto river, but I didn't join one.

I think most young people are interested in the modern Japan only less in nature or Japanese culture, therefore I don't recommend Shimanto to young people, who want to go out in the evening or want to go shopping. Furthermore I didn't noticed anyone speaking English in this city as I tried again to request something for my alien registration card at the city hall in English, but was told there's no one able to speak English, so I explained my request in Japanese to them again.
Actually I don't recommend this city for foreign people, who came or are intending to come to Japan for a vacation or during their holidays, because in my opinion, it doesn't offer enough sightseeing possibilities or activities for short-term stays and there are a lot of cities and places preferred and more recommended before visiting this city and its river.