Exploring Kumamoto, Japan

Ninomaru Park. In the evening, many high school students gather here to practice. Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/jdTWFCfxyEJvycAJA With the power of summer, the weeds are as powerful as the high school students. Along the Tsuboi River, people were battling the rapidly growing summer grass. Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/gUoDKLCyGHTwQrx58 Summer grass is growing thickly next to the stairs leading up from Josaien to Kumamoto Castle. It seems like the manpower here is not keeping up with the power of the summer grass. Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/uGYiBHDKQAKxhYEYA The area around Kumamoto Castle is very well maintained and very clean. I always thought that was normal, but it turns out that's not always the case. The grass grows vigorously thanks to the summer's power. However, it seems that the grass here is even more frequently mowed than it seems. As I walked past the Kumamoto Museum, I saw people using blowers to collect fallen green leaves from the cobbles...

Lotus and Kumamoto Castle seen from Kato Shrine Although it is currently the rainy season, the sun is shining brightly and the temperature has already exceeded 30°C by morning. The ground is moist and the weather is good so the grass seems to be growing well. Lawn care work was being carried out at Ninomaru Park in Kumamoto Castle. Not all the grass has been cut yet. It looks like the maintenance work will continue for a while in this hot weather. Several elementary school students were taking a break in the shade of the trees. They take a short break and then set off. Where are they going?  Perhaps to the art museum just ahead? Curious about them, I watched their movements for a while. Then I saw them pass the art museum and continue on. It seemed their destination was not the art museum, but the Kumamoto Museum, which was further ahead. The Kumamoto Museum is in an inconspicuous location, but it seems to be a popular place with children. After this, we passed by the Kumamoto Muse...

In early March, the plum blossoms in Kumamoto Castle Plum Garden, which were in full bloom, had already fallen and the leaves began to grow in late March. Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/hirMtnYi39AUeio86 On March 23, the blooming of cherry blossoms was declared in Kumamoto Prefecture. This was the same day as Kochi Prefecture, and 2025 was the earliest cherry blossoms were declared to bloom in Japan. The day after the blooming was declared, I went to see the cherry blossoms inside Kumamoto Castle. They have hardly bloomed yet. Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HWnfZdKU5qJJ7Zys5 I headed for Hokke slope from the Ninomaru Park of Kumamoto Castle. Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/tx5g9q5CwbQ6XGne8 Cherry blossoms on Hokke slope are a little more advanced than those on Ninomaru Park. Cherry blossoms on a bed of moss. Behind them, red flowers of camellia fall in dots. We will be able to enjoy walking around inside Kumamoto Castle while admiring the cherry blossoms for a while.

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.  

The Kumamoto Castle from Ninomaru Square on a clear early morning. Behind the fresh greenery stands the Uto Turret, currently under restoration. Eight years ago today, Kumamoto Castle suffered significant damage in the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake. Previously, I asked a representative from the Kumamoto Castle General Office about the restoration work. They mentioned that it would take many years to complete. Location of Ninomaru Park: 32.80667906949784, 130.70185433131337 Currently, I'm at Ninomaru Park just before the opening time for Kumamoto Castle. Ninomaru park is usually busy with people engaging in various activities, such as exercise.  Perhaps they are waiting to enter Kumamoto Castle, as a family was playing with a ball. Ninomaru Park is a walking and jogging course. Many people were seen enjoying their jogs early in the morning. In the evening, students from a nearby high school track and field team also practice here. They often breeze past me while I'm walking, and I wa...