Exploring Kumamoto, Japan

The other day, I had the opportunity to see the dawn scenery at Senomoto Plateau (920m above sea level), so I took some photos. Shortly before 6:00 a.m. on April 11, 2025, a contrail drew a straight line in the blue sky. The act of drawing lines on empty space seems to express "challenges to new things" and "hopes for the future." It's a simple scene, but it's one of my favorite scenes. Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/UvgXn2UZo17xXpRS8 If you look slightly to the side, you can see the Aso mountains in front of the swing at Senomoto Kogen Hotel. Sunrise on the plateau around 6:20am. The Aso mountains are illuminated by the morning sun. The side lighting shades the mountainside, creating a unique appearance. This photo of the Aso mountains was taken from the Kuju Kogen Observatory along the road, about 5km from Senomoto Kogen Hotel. This photo was taken around 9:30 a.m. The sky was cloudy. Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/Bx1r8HkCGGE4oXhL8

There is an exchange facility called “Moe-no-Sato” in Nishihara Village, Kumamoto Prefecture, about a 10-minute drive from Kumamoto Airport. A cosmos festival is held here from late September to November, and my wife and I went there in early November. Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/pRp2bgiUYk3jBrYh8 The cosmos were beautiful against the backdrop of the meadow. Scarecrows greet you in the cosmos field. Scarecrows made by children in the vicinity were also on display. The scarecrows seemed to be a popular photo spot for tourists. The most popular spot for taking pictures was the spot in the next photo.  Below is a collection of cosmos photos taken on this day. The weather was fine and the cosmos were very beautiful. I plan to visit Moe-no-sato again next year when the cosmos are at their best. I recommend visiting Moe-no-sato in April and May, when the grasslands are being reforested after they are burned in the field, except in the fall.

In early November, We went to Aso to see the autumn leaves. Our destination was Oguni Town, Aso County in Japan. There was no sign of autumn leaves as we entered the mountains, and we had given up on seeing them for a while. On the way to Kamitsue-cho, Oita Prefecture, we were able to see the autumn leaves on some trees. Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/NMF1M4L8yZUBA6Wm7 As we drove away we noticed a waterfall nearby. we had heard the name “Nabegataki Fall” a lot. Location： https://maps.app.goo.gl/NMF1M4L8yZUBA6Wm7 Nabegataki Fall is a rare waterfall where visitors can walk behind the falls.  However, it was a bit chilly around the falls in November when we visited. WeI gave up trying to walk behind the waterfall to get to the other side while splashing in the water. Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/fSCeQmeRHyARaVpa6 Our next stop was the large ginkgo tree in Shimojo. Every year at this time we go out to see this ginkgo tree. The ginkgo tree is said to be over 1,...

I am in Ebino City, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. This is a view of the Kirishima mountain range from the Ebino Service Area on the expressway. Date:2024/9/30 　 Location: : https://maps.app.goo.gl/uBu3guLZgPixcuvN7 On September 30, rice harvesting had begun in the rice paddies. Combines were harvesting the rice. Two weeks later, I visited the same place. The sky over the Kirishima mountain range was a beautiful October autumn sky. Date:2024/10/13 Rice harvesting was finished. Looking closely, I saw that the dry rice straw was being collected. You can also see the harvested rice being hung out to dry. I hear that rice that has been dried over the rack is very tasty. This scene, often seen in the Japanese countryside, reminds us strongly of the arrival of autumn.

Kumamoto Yogakko, a school that promoted westen studies, opend in 1871 in Kumamoto City, Japan. An American, Mr. Janes, was invited to this school as a teacher and provided Western-style education to children in Kumamoto Prefecture.  This white building is the mansion of teacher Janes. Location: 32.789286, 130.734725 Janes' mansion was completely destroyed in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake.The current mansion was rebuilt in 2023. The new mansion was beautiful and looked even more beautiful in the setting sun. Beside the mansion is a stream with crystal clear spring water. The creek is illuminated and a walk around this area in the evening darkness is recommended. As the evening twilight began to fall, a walk around this area was very pleasant for me. The location of Jane's mansion is right in front of the Kumamoto City Tram “Shiritsu-taiikukan-mae”stop. 

I retire at the end of March 2024. During my current position, I have been blogging and documenting my laboratory for about 20 years. From April, I will start to introduce Kumamoto City and its suburbs by writing this blog with photos and videos I took during my walks. April 1, my first day of retirement, was a beautiful sunny day. I took my grandchildren to Mt.Kinpo-san. Location of Mt.Kinpo: 32.813766575749796, 130.63864097027087 Many people climb the mountain on foot, but since we had small grandchildren with us, we drove to the top of the mountain. There are parking spaces for about 20 cars near the summit. View from the summit. Clear skies. Unzen Fugendake  could be seen over the Ariake Sea. I have been using peanuts to interact with (wild) small birds. It was more than 20 years ago that I learned that the small birds on Mt. Kinpo-san perch on human hands for peanuts. Today, the little birds came again. In the photo, can you see the little bird trying to get the peanut on my h...