Some travel days feel like a serene stroll through history. This wasn’t one of them. Between dodging school groups in matching red hats and marveling at walls designed to repel ninjas, our visit to Kumamoto Castle became equal parts awe and chaos. Here’s how we survived – and...
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Plans change. Sometimes you wished to defy fate, especially when you want to have things go your way for a journey you planned so meticulously. Despite the number of times I refreshed the website for Mt. Aso's crater activity in hopes to see the alert go away so perhaps we can still have a glimpse before sunset, it didn't happen.
So in this blog post, I'll be taking you to a little journey of how we end up utilizing our backup plan, even though I really didn't wish to use this plan at all. So if you do ever need to find something to do as an alternative plan when Mt. Aso isn't in the mood to see humans, perhaps this post can help you!
So, the final result?
After a lot of standing and walking, we decided to stroll back along the shopping arcade instead of going for a karaoke session so I can get my daily soak like a fish out of water, while my friends can get their laundries done!
Though we did end up chatting more while watching TV while they took their turns to shower and sort out their suitcases, and that's how we ended our day!
But will that actually stop me? When I've been dreaming of seeing volcanic craters with my own eyes? Of course not! So guess who's stopping by at Aso Station because there might be a chance we'd still be able to check if local buses can operate to take us there, right?
Yeap, that was me with my wishful thinking.
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| Proof we pivoted from volcanoes to anime pilgrimages! |
That, ladies and gentlemen, was how I ended up taking pictures of the bronze Usopp statue from One Piece while side-eyeing bus schedules in Aso Station, and such was our afternoon after leaving Joyfull Aso before heading to our stop at Kumamoto, but of course Kumamoto still delivered joy (and crispy pork) we never saw coming!
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| Image taken along the way from Aso to Kumamoto |
So in this blog post, I'll be taking you to a little journey of how we end up utilizing our backup plan, even though I really didn't wish to use this plan at all. So if you do ever need to find something to do as an alternative plan when Mt. Aso isn't in the mood to see humans, perhaps this post can help you!
Detour: Usopp Statue & The Bus That Wasn’t Operating
There are actually ten different statues of the current locations all across Kumamoto Prefecture, consisting ten different characters where I'll be sharing a map below! Popular characters such as Luffy, Sanji, Usopp, Chopper, Zoro, Nami, Robin and more are listed. While none of us actually managed to finish watching the entire series of One Piece, we decided to still take a photo of Usopp while we're here at Aso Station!
By the time we arrived at Aso Station, the day was still bright and breezy, and it's difficult to imagine there were actually some volcanic activity happening not too far away from us, so my hopes were brought up once again as I gleefully ran my way from the parking lot to the bus station to search for their latest operation updates!
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| Aso Station from the parking lot |
However, with Mt. Aso still belching uninvited gas, what we ended up doing at Aso Station were:
✔️ Confirming that buses to Mt. Aso were still canceled (sigh +999)
✔️ Take pictures of Usopp’s statue (since we're here, might as well, right?)
✔️ Secretly hope the Straw Hat crew would manifest a crater visit for us (didn't happen in time, it is what it is)
Gas emissions: 1, Jin’s volcano dreams: 0.
Oh well, at least Usopp’s standing tall for us to photograph him, and Mt. Aso isn't going anywhere. So in defeat, I've accepted our reality and drove back to Kumamoto.
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| The 5pm check-in rush—worth it for that bathtub later. |
Sotetsu Grand Fresa Kumamoto: Check-In Chaos & Bathtub Bliss
By evening, we parked our car in a nearby building (with a discounted rate!), brought what's necessary (without leaving valuables in our car), and dragged our suitcases to Sotetsu Grand Fresa Kumamoto, where:
- The self-check-in machines were packed (pro tip: arrive pre-3pm to avoid queues, or just check in much later)
- The room had a bathtub comfortable enough to drown my Aso disappointment (with some help from bath salts)
- The location was perfect—Shinshigai arcade is just steps away!
We booked a triple room so we got a bed each! The room is nowhere as spacious as the room we stayed in Kokura, but it was enough for a one-night stay. Plus their coin laundromat was available (as per my friends' request) so it was still a pretty big W for us, despite them needing to queue for quite a while to get laundry done. And since we noticed the queue, we decided to just head out and do laundry later, so off to Shinshigai Arcade we go!
Shinshigai Arcade: Shopping & Michelin-Starred Pork
With our hotel being super close to the shopping arcade, it's clearly the first stop for us right after check-in! Consisting of various shops from drugstores to souvenirs, fashion to karaoke outlets, there are plenty to do here!
As a self-proclaimed shopaholic, we hit Kumamoto’s famous arcade for three priorities:
1. Retail Therapy
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| Strolling as we go~ |
With the super filling meal we had from Joyfull Aso, our tummies were still pretty much filled even after checking in! So we shopped for a while along the streets, from looking at quirky souvenirs to checking out drugstore items to compare prices and of course, checking out more Kumamon merch (because obviously that's a NEED if you're traveling to Kumamoto), we window-shopped until we got really hungry, and that's when we began walking to indulge in our next Michelin-starred stop!
2. Katsuretsu Tei’s Tonkatsu (★)
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| Not all Michelin-starred meals have to break the bank, trust me |
At this Michelin-starred spot, we devoured:
- 💎 Premium loin katsu (so tender it made me forget about volcanoes for a moment)
- 🍚 Bottomless rice & cabbage (because carbs heal wounds)
- ✨ Secret sauce (with some grinding involved)
While I personally have a stronger preference for my tonkatsu at Gohantotororo Toromugi, I absolutely love the idea of grinding your own sesame to blend with their tonkatsu sauce! It might feel a little tiring at first, but doing this together with friends can be fun, and the meal tastes unique and gives you a sense of accomplishment so I'd say it's still a great experience!
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| Crispy, juicy, and worth every calorie. |
Since we're able to order rice and cabbage refills, I managed to finish another three bowls of rice, and rest assured my tummy was filled and happy! Oh did I mention we actually had to queue for a seat because there were so many of us queueing in their main branch? It's popular with the locals and travelers too, and I definitely understand why after a meal here.
3. Art Museum
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| Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto |
After our meal, we decided to drop by Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto as we strolled along the downtown. There are different sections that we can visit for free, and there's also an exhibition that is time-limited that will require an entrance fee. We actually also managed to see works by Yayoi Kusama, and we're really happy too!
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| Contemplating life in a Contemporary Art Museum (featuring Friend B) |
There are also many art pieces made of sand that are beautifully arranged, and 'mesmerizing' was the least creative word I could think of when it comes to describing them. It almost feels like we could really spend hours and hours here!
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| I also colored this while waiting for Friend A to browse the rest of the paid exhibition! |
Not to mention, they also have various merchandise, art prints, frames, and so much more that you can also purchase! I also managed to find prints from an artist I happened to know from a collaboration with my favorite voice actor's narrations, so I was really happy (and did spend quite a while to pick which print to get).
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| As someone who likes clear, shiny things, they caught my eye (especially the emerald-colored one) |
After a lot of standing and walking, we decided to stroll back along the shopping arcade instead of going for a karaoke session so I can get my daily soak like a fish out of water, while my friends can get their laundries done!
Laundry vs. Baths: The Evening Divide
After returning to our hotel, our group split:
- 👚 Friends A & B: Laundromat warriors (bless them, the queue was still long but they gotta do what they gotta do)
- 🛁 Me: Soaking in the tub like a happy goldfish for the entire hour
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| Our room comes with TV with multiple channels (though all in Japanese) |
I headed straight to the tub as soon as I tossed my coat onto my bed, heard my friends heading out, and thankfully brought my phone, along with my onsen bath salt to enjoy my me-time in the bathtub while listening to my favorite music, clearing my game dailies, and updating my family on my travels. By the time my friends were back almost an hour later, I was just about to get out from the tub to catch some sleep!
What's Next: Morning Buffet Redemption
On the following morning it's going to be a day where we explore a little more in Kumamoto before leaving the city with its super lovable mascot! But of course, our room did come with breakfast, so we'll talk about that next time!
Tips and Key Takeaways
From our experience of missing out the crater and having to change our plans, there are definitely a few things I'd like to share!
- 🔥 Mt. Aso closures? You'd also want to check bus schedules here first (especially if you're visiting Mt. Aso by public transportation) and always have a backup plan.
- 🍖 Katsuretsu Tei: Worth the Michelin hype (go before 7pm!)
- 🛌 Sotetsu Grand Fresa: Book a room that comes with a bathtub along with a breakfast plan, you'll appreciate it if you're walking a little too much!
If you're also looking for accommodation or tickets and would love to support my blog, kindly consider booking via my referral links! It doesn't cost you more, but it'll help supporting my blog when you make a booking!
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"Save this itinerary for your Kumamoto backup plan! Pin it below or bookmark for later. Also, ever had a Plan B day that outshined Plan A? Share your stories below! ↓
