Exploring Kumamoto, Japan

On January 20, 2025, we were walking around Ninomaru Park in Kumamoto Castle. Sprinklers were watering the grass in the park. Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/XnUMPDhFE6zTQikT9 The watering was part of the lawn renewal work. We learned that this kind of tedious work is necessary to maintain a large lawn. I think that this walk was a wonderful field study for us. Watering Photos A whitish soil has been spread all over the square. If you get closer, you can see that it's also sprinkled with lots of small blue granules. After researching online, I found that the small blue granules appear to be granular fertilizer. This is a fertilizer developed in the US specifically for lawns.  

Within Kumamoto Castle, there is a shrine called "Kato Shrine" that enshrines Kato Kiyomasa, the samurai who built Kumamoto Castle. This is a photo of when we visited Kato Shrine on the morning of New Year's Day 2025. There weren't that many visitors, so we were able to take our time to finish our New Year's greetings. Date: January 2, 2025 Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/4DRn6ufkCSEPN5nd6 The next photo was taken in July of last year (2024) at the same location on an ordinary day. On a normal day, it can be a much quieter visit. Date: July 11, 2024 At the entrance to the shrine, there is a place to wash your hands called a "temizuya." During the New Year, the "temizuya" at Kato Shrine was covered in flowers and was very beautiful. At the entrance to the shrine office, Kumamon, the mascot character of Kumamoto Prefecture, dressed as a samurai, was welcoming visitors. The highlight of Kato Shrine is the view of Kumamoto Castle from up close. ...