KUMAMOTO

A lesson in history

castle_405776641 Kumamoto Castle in Kumamoto, Kyushu, Japan

This peaceful city of Kumamoto has had a turbulent history

I am watching a red-cheeked black bear, move slowly through the crowd. He sways from side to side, shaking hands with children. He’s not any bear, but, Kumamon the bear, is the local mascot created to give an identity to the town of Kumamoto in Kyushu, Japan, when the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) started operating from here in 2010. Since then, the popular mascot has brought in millions of yen to the town, has even gone to the Cannes Festival and has been voted the best mascot in Japan . In a country that has a quirky pop culture where people are crazy about cutesy home-grown characters like Hello Kitty, this is not unusual. The red-cheeked bear is now found on everything from souvenirs to sake bottles, trash cans and even men’s underwear! He has a massive Twitter following and many YouTube videos.

mascot._341114930 Kumamon mascot in a public place

The Kumamoto prefecture in the shadow of Japan’s largest active volcano, Mt Aso. is called the ‘land of fire’ and is mainly a lush agricultural region. We drive through miles and miles of emerald rice paddy fields, irrigation canals and greenhouses. Kumamoto town is a castle town located on the Shirakawa river, most famous for its magnificent castle which is one of Kyushu’s iconic landmarks. Constructed in 1601 by the warlord Kato Kiyomasa, most of the original structure was burnt down in the late 19th century when it was sieged. Much of what remains of the castle today is a reconstruction except the walls and moat.

The formidable castle framed by greenery, with its 49 turrets and 29 gates is most known for its musha gaeshi or curved stone walls to combat intruders. This was considered impregnable and they say that even the most agile ninja was defeated by its construction. The slanted windows and wooden overhangs were perfect for dropping huge rocks or boiling oil on invaders below. The stones also used to be called nezumi ishi (mouse stones) meaning even mice could not scale them! Toshi san our guide, says that the existence of the walls even today is a testament to the skill of the stone masons of yore. We walk through the castle grounds which are dotted with gargantuan camphor and gingko trees. Surrounding the castle there are also more than 800 cherry trees which bloom into life in the Cherry blossom season.

Inari_281618213 Tori gates in the Inari shrine

This peaceful city has had a turbulent history. The castle was the site of the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion, when it was sacked and burnt. The castle has been attacked several times and the town was damaged badly by air raids in World War II. After a great restoration, unfortunately, the castle was again badly damaged from the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Kumamoto in April 2016. Many roof tiles, walls and turrets have collapsed. We see a turret that still stands in spite of stones falling off from its base. We see evidence of reconstruction efforts in the orange cranes surrounding the castle today with metal supports “Billions of yen will have be spent to once again have the main tower restored by 2019, and the entire complex in 20 years,” explains Toshi san..

We visit the Shinto shrine in the castle grounds, where Kato is enshrined. In front of the shrine are hanging wooden tablets with wishes from pilgrims. A tiny stall sells good luck charms. I dip the bamboo ladle into the spring water here and have a taste, it as it is said to bring a long, prosperous life.

tram_406771249 Vintage tram at a stop near Kumamoto castle

It’s a tranquil experience to stroll in the lush Japanese garden called Suizenji Jojuen (Suizenji Garden). Built by the Lord Hosokawa Tadatoshi in the 17th century as a tea retreat, it was chosen by him because its spring-fed pond had crystal clear water for making green tea. The park is a miniature re-creation of Tokaido, an old road that connected Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto with 53 small landmarks created, including a little Mount Fuji! With a translucent pond as its centre with hungry carp, the garden with small coned hills and elegantly shaped pine trees , pebbles and stones, is almost otherworldly. School children in navy blue skirts and white shirts stroll around the lawn with their friends, as gardeners clamber on ladders to prune and manicure trees into works of art.

My favourite spot here is the Inari shrine with its trademark vermilion tori gates and the classical wooden teahouse that was moved here in 1912 from the Kyoto Imperial Palace. It’s a great place to sit down and take in the views over some green matcha tea and sweets. I see an artist painting the scene, some others sit on benches contemplating and drinking in the natural beauty.

Kumamoto is, however, not all time warp. Vintage trams trundle along the main streets. The center of the city is filled with covered shopping arcades and shops selling local craft, food and the ubiquitous Hello Kitty souvenirs. The Cherry Blossom Street next to the castle is a re-creation of an Edo-era streetscape with cafes, restaurants, shops and a performance stage. There are stalls selling green tea ice cream as well as matcha cold tea. Aso milk and frozen yogurt made from milk of cows that have been grazing on volcanic soil is also sold here. There is also a high tech museum called Wakuwaku za which recreates scenes from the town’s history, displaying samurai gear, the reconstruction of the castle in yesteryears and even provides a stage for dressing up in historical costumes and taking photographs.

waterfall_644556106 A waterfall at Kikuchi Keikoku

Kumamoto is also famous for its gourmet cuisine. The most famous local item on the menu for carnivores is horse meat. Legend has it that that a shortage of food in a battle left Kato with no option but to eat his horses! Another local delicacy is Karashi Renkon, a lotus root that has a specially prepared horseradish filling. Shops sell the local sweet called Jindaiko— glutinous rice mochi coated with red bean paste and formed into long rolls.

Our meal at local restaurant Yamami Chaya is a feast—we sat at low tables and floor cushions in a separate enclosure, with an array of dishes in front of us—small delicate portions of grated and pickled radish, deep fried tofu, sticky rice, baked eggplant, burdock, miso and wheat flour dumpling soup served in fluted bowls and cups. The meal besides being a gastronomic treat is also an aesthetic and almost-spiritual experience. Like everything else in Kumamoto.

This browser settings will not support to add bookmarks programmatically. Please press Ctrl+D or change settings to bookmark this page.
The Week

Topics : #travel

Related Reading