奇妙な熊本：噴煙と人影のない街

奇妙な熊本：噴煙と人影のない街

kumamoto is a strange city [Music] if I ask you to picture in your head one of the most populated cities in Kyushu you would probably think of something like this or maybe this i would have thought the same but in reality it was like this and this where was [Music] everyone hey guys I’m back i’m in Kagoshima the southernmost major city in Japan and this is the fifth day of my trip across Kyoshu i came all the way from Fukuoka just to visit the subtropical sanctuary Yakushima but that plan was ultimately held back by unforeseeable circumstances however thanks to this I got to explore Kagoshima and fell deeply in love with the beautiful city but my trip will continue now it’s time we head back north to Mount Ao the largest active volcano in Japan but to get there I need to make an interchange at Kumamoto first so that is going to be our first destination for today i’m always learning new things with each new trip to Japan this time I learned how to buy an iced coffee at a convenience store and it instantly leveled up my experience by half a notch because it’s cool to have coffee on the go but then you have to hold on to the cup for the rest of the day because there are no trash cans anywhere it can get a little annoying the weather report told me to expect rainfall but Kyushu would have none of that and if you couldn’t tell traveling Kyushu by train with a JR pass has been nothing less than a very pleasant experience kyushu’s major destinations are spaced out just enough the train rides put you in that adventure mood but never overstay their welcome japan loves its mascots and there are mascots for everything but now we are in Kumamoto it’s time for you to meet the apex predator of the ecosystem Kumama call him goofy all you want but he has brought in billions of dollars for the city and let’s be honest if it weren’t for him most people including me probably wouldn’t even know Kumamoto existed kumamon’s done his job so well his reputation has almost overshadowed the very city he represents it must be lonely at the top there were tons of food options in Kumamoto Station since I wasn’t in a rush I sat down for a bowl of ramen they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach so this bowl will decide if Kumamoto will win my favor kumamoto ramen is known for its use of garlic and the chashaman I ordered stayed true to that the fried garlic bits pepper powder and what smelled like a dash of garlic oil were a bold combination of flavors and the slices of chashu were delightfully juicy and tender but it gets even more interesting the shop took pride in its history of serving drunk salarymen since 1989 their secret is to dilute the tonkatu broth with chicken stock to mellow out the richness so when it goes down it stays down and that’s important when you have all the fun liquids in there after a miserable night’s out simply talking about it now still makes my mouth water and it definitely left a strong first impression of the city before I leave there was one more thing I had to do you see there is no direct public transport to Mount Aso tomorrow morning I’ll take a train from Kumamoto transfer at Higo Ozu for Aso station and then switch to a bus that’ll take me to Aso Sanjjo terminal which is like a base camp for the crater the problem is the transfer at Higo Ozu is only 120 seconds if I miss it the next train is an hour later and that delay would set off a chain reaction that throws the entire day off but the worst part is Higo Ozu is a small station in the countryside and there was absolutely zero information on which platform I should transfer to before you ask no Google Maps wasn’t my only source of information i tried my luck with Japanese apps dug through obscure Japanese websites but none of them were any help so my last hope was to get answers from within the station and guess what even the staff at the tourist info desk didn’t know but and this was really sweet of them they drew me a little map by hand they explained that while they couldn’t confirm the exact platforms there are only three platforms in total and even the two furthest apart are only about 10 m from each other so theoretically making the transfer in time shouldn’t be a problem at all it works every time i did not like the idea of relying my entire plan on a trust me bro but when traveling outside the big cities this is almost the norm you take what you get and adapt on the go so I thanked him folded up the little map and stepped out of the station outside there was a very sleek station mall which isn’t uncommon in medium-sized Japanese cities and above in Tokyo or Osaka these malls are but one among thousands of others but in the smaller cities the station mall complex can sometimes feel like the biggest or even the only hot spot in the city walk just a few blocks away and you’ll start to feel a very noticeable drop off to be clear by drop off I don’t mean the city becomes dilapidated or deserted it’s quite the opposite the streets are wide and clean cars run up and down the roads but you hardly see any people it’s an odd feeling but not one I’m unfamiliar with i first noticed it in Matsuyama and now again in Kumamoto where is everyone was the question I asked an izakaya owner when I was traveling alone in Stouchi last year and I showed him a few pictures of the empty streets but he didn’t seem to think anything was out of the ordinary that was the first time I realized firsthand that life in Japan isn’t all about buzzing crowds and neon lights outside the big cities things happen with little fanfare and the contrast isn’t a contradiction it’s the full picture realizations like that made me appreciate the quiet just as much as the spectacle and reminded me why I was on this journey in the first place in the end I didn’t explore Kumamoto my feet needed the rest and since I planned this as one of the light days I had that luxury but Dora insisted I try Moss Burger for dinner so I did the burger tasted fresh but other than that there’s not a lot to talk about but I did learn that Moss stands for mountain ocean and sun which represent and I quote the founders’s neverending love for nature and human beings my dude needs to chill talking about chill the night in Kumamoto was eerily quiet i said I enjoy the loneliness of solo travel but here’s the counterintuitive thing about it walking on empty streets like this can be calm or sometimes unsettling but it doesn’t truly make you feel lonely however when you walk past the crowds and see everyone is with someone else that’s when it hits the hardest the crowd is a reminder that you are the only one being alone it’s kind of like wearing only socks makes you feel more naked than just wearing nothing at all you know what I mean that night I stayed at a pretty fancy Leokan renovated from a traditional Japanese house over a century old i was in room Kettu or Lone Moon pretty cool name for a solo traveler like myself but let’s be honest here the room was very minimalistic and there’s no separate bathroom however this was their cheapest room there were much fancier options if you’re willing to pay more and the overall atmosphere of the establishment as well as the aesthetics was phenomenal so it’s something I would still choose to go back to if I visit Kumamoto again in the future it was getting late and I started to feel a bit stressed about all the different ways my plans for tomorrow could fall apart but the little handdrawn map gave me a bit of confidence maybe every once in a while things will go smoothly you just never know see you in the morning [Music] i was extremely excited for today because I was heading toward Japan’s largest active volcano Mount Aso as usual traveling outside the cities without a car takes some effort but at least the 2-minute transfer at Higoo was as easy as I was told it was a very small station i only had to go from one side of the platform to the other to board the connecting train that was already waiting and the whole process took about 5 seconds to complete when I finally reached AO station everyone got off the train and lined up for the bus to the Aso Sanjjo terminal the base camp we rode towards the peak the towns and rice fields in the distance quickly became a blurry diarama and as we get closer to the base camp the volcanic landscape gets more and more pronounced now if you’re starting to feel like everything was going a little too smoothly then I’ve trained you well sure enough the moment I got off the bus I was greeted with this the shuttle to the crater was temporarily suspended due to high volcanic activity and no one was to be allowed to get close to the crater you underestimate my power but after making it through the past few days nothing could tilt me anymore instead of just sitting there and playing the waiting game like most people were doing I figured there must be something I could do i talked to the staff and confirmed that only the immediate vicinity of the crater was closed off that meant it wouldn’t stop me from heading out on my planned hike to Mount Taka the highest peak in the area so I set [Music] off the trail to Mount Taka begins across a vast volcanic plateau the rugged expanse was covered in rocky outcrops and surprisingly colorful but sparse vegetation the smell of sulfur was heavy in the air and had I known better I definitely would have brought a mask the checkpoint I first came through soon disappeared behind the rolling hills and I reached a fork in the path to the left was the road to the main crater now off limits so I turned right stepping onto a wooden trail that led into an entirely different world this is the Sunna Senri Gahama or sands of a thousand miles it was a barren crater floor covered only by volcanic ash and rocks ejected from the crater not so far away every step I took was accompanied by dry crunches of the ash and the slightly salty sulfur taste on my tongue having crossed the sea of sands the path went upwards and as I started to follow the ridge to continue my hike the view opened up i began to encounter many more hikers on our shared pilgrimage and we exchanged brief greetings as we passed the hike itself had been very gentle up to that point so I was caught completely offguard by what came next the total elevation gain to the peak is about 350 m which doesn’t sound too bad but what I didn’t know was that most of it happens in this section a rocky 250 m climb at a brutal 40% grade with only arrows painted on the rocks to point you in the right direction and no real path the whole thing was super technical and very physical i was not prepared moments into my ascent it became clear this was much tougher than I’d imagined the crumbling rocks made every step a gamble and my heavy backpack wasn’t doing me any favors either the extra weight was constantly throwing off my balance making every movement feel like an accident waiting to happen so I had to stop i was only about halfway up but the view was already stunning from where I rested I could just make out the crater in the distance so I guess I did end up seeing the crater after all after weighing it all I decided to head back as much as I love a good adventure I’m not about to gamble with my safety it’s disappointing not to reach the summit but I walked a path few do and witnessed a view I’d never seen before knowing that next time I’ll come fully prepared it filled my heart with determination so I began my [Music] descent i retraced my steps back to Asos Sanjjo terminal and waited for the bus the weather had finally started to clear up a little but the volcanic fume still lingered in the air after winding our way down through the mountain ranges we eventually made it back to Aso Station traveling by train in Japan is never dull especially with a JR pass you just hop on take a seat and gaze at the scenery flying by in a days as your thoughts drift gently into the clouds villages in the distance came and went every now and then the trees on either side formed little tunnels of leaves and flowers there was a quiet warmth in the air and if I had the power to stop time this is the moment I’d choose i’d even put on some Joe Hisashi music here if copyright wasn’t a thing but I won’t the ride to Higo Ozu took around 40 minutes the transfer was a bit longer this time so we all waited on the platform for the connecting train to arrive it was 400 p.m the sun was already low and it was graciously pouring all its warmth onto the earth after a quick stop at Kumamoto station for some sweet and sour black vinegar chicken nanban I boarded the Shinkansen to [Music] Fukuoka by the time I got to Fukuoka it was already dark i topped up my IC card and checked into my hotel it had been a long day and I was ready to crash but since that nonban was the only meal I’d had all day studying my oncoming destinations over a few beers quickly got me hungry again so I gave into the temptation and set out on a night raid wandering off into the dark in search of something to fill that void guided by the soothing lights I walked into the only ramen shop that’s still open at the hour and bought a ticket for their special i’ve never seen ramen come with wantons before but to think that the ramen plus gyoza combo is extremely common this is basically that but with fewer steps and it’s one less dish to wash so I guess in the end everyone’s happy not to mention that the wanttons were actually really good the pork filling was seasoned with black pepper which is quite rare in traditional Japanese flavors the subtle kick cut through the mild creaminess of the broth creating a contrast that’s both bright and delightful it was delicious fukuoka’s night was restless the city does not sleep but I must tomorrow I’ll be boarding one of Kyushu’s most unique trains heading west to Nagasaki to uncover the adventures that await me there i’ll see you in 8 hours good night [Music]

My trip across Kyushu has brought me to Kumamoto. I knew nothing about the city apart from its mascot, but when I arrived, what I saw still wasn’t what I expected. What happened?

This is the 5th episode of It’s Sill Summer in Kyushu, where I travel across the least visited island of Japan and show you what I saw.