Cliff(y) Goes Travelling

[Tsubame 322] Kumamoto - Shin Tosu  (35m) ETD: 12.11pm (GMT + 9) ETA:  12.46pm (GMT + 9) On the last day of the validity of our 5-day JR Northern Kyushu Area Pass, my BFFs and I departed Kumamoto for Huis Ten Bosch in Sasebo. We took the shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) from Kumamoto railway station to Shin Tosu railway station, and then changed to the orange-bodied Huis Ten Bosch train to our final destination.

Kumamoto City, Kumamoto, Japan Being the capital city of one of the prefectures in Kyushu that shares the same name, Kumamoto covers a total area of approximately 390 square kilometres. Having an abundant supply of high quality underground water, it's the place where the tradition of eating basashi (lit. raw horse meat) began, although nowadays the horse meat is considered a delicacy.

8-2 Tetorihoncho, Tsuruya Department Store, Chuo, Kumamoto, Japan Daily: 10.00am - 7.00pm Who hasn't seen Kumamon before? Created by the government of Kumamoto Prefecture in 2010 to draw tourists to the region after the opening of Kyushu Shinkansen line, the black bear has been enjoying tremendous popularity not only in Japan, but also throughout the world. When in town, you can see it in action at Kumamon Square.

1-1 Honmaru, Chuo, Kumamoto, Japan Sun & Public Holidays: 9.00am - 5.00pm [till end March 2020] Kumamoto Castle is one of the most impressive castles in Japan, even though only a few structures have survived since its construction in the early 1600s. Unfortunately, it has sustained serious damages from a series of violent earthquakes in April 2016. At the point of writing, the castle complex is undergoing extensive restoration that may take up to 20 years to complete.

1-14-19 Kasuga, Nishi, Kumamoto, Japan From eastern Kyushu, we shall move on to Kumamoto that's located in the central region of the island. The Route Inn group was founded in 1977, currently operating many branches across the country. One of which is Hotel Route Inn Kumamoto Ekimae (3*) is just a few minutes away from Kumamoto railway station.

Yufuin, Oita, Japan Yufuin is a lovely hot spring town in Kyushu with an area of approximately 127.7 square kilometres. It's located on a flat river basin surrounded by mountains with the twin-peaked Mount Yufu as the most prominent feature of the town's backdrop. Increasingly more hot spring baths are available for tourists, but quite a number remain strictly for local residents only.

Yufuincho Kawakami, Yufuin, Oita, Japan Literally meaning 'golden fish scale', Kinrin Lake in Yufuin is famous for the mist created on its surface as a result of the mixing of hot spring water and cold spring water. The lake is named such as it's inhabited by yellow fish whose scales appear like golden sparkles to the eyes when the sun sets.

Yufuincho Kawakami, Yufuin, Oita, Japan When it comes to shopping in Yufuin, the pedestrian only Yunotsubo Street is the answer. Stretching over 500 m, there are plenty of shops to eat and drink, as well as to buy gifts for your families and friends back home. This post also features Yufuin Floral Village off the main shopping street.

2900-5 Yufuincho Kawakami, Yufuin, Oita, Japan All these while, I'd always been wanting to book a hotel room with private open-air hot spring bath. My prayer was answered as I chanced upon Yufuin Kotobuki Hananosho (3*), an accommodation that's located close to Yufuin railway station, while doing my trip research. Opened in 1995, the hotel has got 50 guest rooms.

Beppu, Oita, Japan Declared as a city in Oita Prefecture in 1924, Beppu has got more than 2,000 hot spring facilities within a total area of slightly above 125 square kilometres. In fact, it's the second largest in the world in terms of the volume of water available for hot spring bathing, just one spot behind Yellowstone National Park in the USA.

Beppu, Oita, Japan Daily: 8.00am - 5.00pm In the previous post , I've written on three of Seven Hells of Beppu: Oniishi Bozu, Umi and Kamado. Today, we shall take a look at the other four: Oniyama and Shiraike in Kannawa district, as well as Tatsumaki and Chi No Ike in Shibaseki district. There's actually one more 'hell' besides those seven that my BFFs and I didn't go to.