【Kumamoto One-Day Trip】A Historical Journey at Kumamoto Castle + Shopping at the Arcade + Visiting Kumamon's Office + Direct Flight to Hong Kong!

📍 #Kamitori and Shimotori Shopping Arcade Kumamon's Office 🧸 Sightseeing｜Food Tasting｜Cultural Experience｜Convenient Travel Tips On the last day of our Kyushu trip, we drove from Kurokawa to Kumamoto for a relaxing yet fulfilling one-day adventure💨. 🕍 First Stop: Kumamoto Castle A landmark of Kumamoto! This is my second visit, with the last one being 20 years ago. Revisiting this time, the castle feels even cleaner and more polished✨. The beautifully renovated historical exhibition area is highly educational, teaching us many stories about the Edo period and Kato Kiyomasa📜. Although the main keep is still under restoration, walking around the castle walls is already awe-inspiring📸, with plenty of spots for great photos! 🛍 Second Stop: Kamitori and Shimotori Shopping Arcade For lunch, we explored the shopping arcade🍜, trying Aso beef croquettes, Kumamoto ramen, and local takoyaki. For dessert, I highly recommend a warabi mochi shop—the mochi melts in your mouth and isn’t overly sweet, definitely worth a try🍡. We also bought some Kumamon-themed souvenirs, perfect for gifting to friends! 🐻 Third Stop: Kumamon's Office To wrap up the day, we couldn’t miss visiting Kumamon’s office🧸. Although we didn’t get to see Kumamon in person, the exhibition area and merchandise are incredibly cute, with some items being Kumamoto exclusives. It’s a great final stop for grabbing some bargains! ✈️ Travel Tips for Returning The biggest surprise was taking a direct flight from Kumamoto Airport to Hong Kong via Hong Kong Airlines—super convenient! No need for transfers, and the airport is small but efficient. After a day of exploring, heading straight back to Hong Kong felt so relaxing! ⸻ 📌 Practical Tips: • 🚗 Driving is recommended for flexibility (Kurokawa → Kumamoto takes about 2 hours). • ⏰ Kumamoto Castle opening hours: 8:30 AM–5:00 PM; plan for at least 1.5 hours. • 🛒 The shopping arcade is perfect for lunch and shopping. • ✈️ Direct flights from Kumamoto to Hong Kong are limited, so book early for peace of mind. ❤️ Summary: Kumamoto’s one-day trip is simple yet exciting, combining sightseeing, food, shopping, and cultural experiences. With direct flights to Hong Kong, it’s the perfect ending! Even as a second-time visitor, I discovered many new impressions—highly recommended for those who haven’t been to Kyushu yet😚!