Exploring Kumamoto, Japan

About 10 days ago, decorated Yamakasa were set up in front of Hakata Station, and the area was bustling with people. See our blog (July 7, 2025). The Hakata Gion Yamakasa ended with the Oiyama held yesterday (July 15, 2025). You can see the Oiyama on Youtube. At around 5am, the Yamakasa raced through the early morning streets of Hakata. Despite the early hours, many people were gathered, and Hakata really felt like a lively town. On the day of the finale, I went to Hakata to give a lecture. However, it was around noon when everything had finished. When I went to the front of the station where the decorated Yamakasa were set up, they had already started taking them down. Location:   https://maps.app.goo.gl/CUqdU9kVZr686urd8 The dismantling work was large-scale, requiring the use of a crane. If the dismantling work was this difficult, one can imagine that the installation work must have been even more difficult. While watching the dismantling work, I noticed that the tower's pi...

Kumamoto Station Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/65HRgN6fP84jRymw6 There were Tanabata decorations at the entrance to Kumamoto Station. Tanabata is a Japanese festival held on July 7th. It celebrates the meeting of two stars, Orihime and Hikoboshi, who can meet only once a year. People write wishes on paper strips and hang them on bamboo branches. The kindergarten children gathered at the entrance and began singing Tanabata songs together. Usually, the station is only filled with tourists and business travelers. It is a rare sight to see kindergarten children, so many people (including me) stopped to listen to the children's singing. I took the Shinkansen "Tsubame"  for work at Fukuoka University. There were Tanabata decorations in Hakata Station as well, but the ones in Kumamoto Station were a little more impressive. However, outside the station, the situation was reversed. A magnificently decorated Yamakasa float was set up. Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/CU...