The Road of Diet Culture in Kyushu, Japan

Kumamoto Prefecture, one of the few popular tourist attractions in Kyushu, Japan, has not only the transportation hub and convenient shopping experience of the metropolis, but also many super-popular historical tourist attractions and the world-famous popular mascot "Kumamon". Walking on the streets of Kumamoto, you can see Kumamon in MengMeng everywhere. He is a famous figure that China tourists are very familiar with and love.

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Kumamoto Prefecture is the center of Kyushu, and the Kumamoto metropolitan area outside Japan's three metropolitan areas is formed around Kumamoto Prefecture. Kumamoto Prefecture is called "the country of fire", and there are different opinions about its origin. Some people think that it is because there are many active volcanoes in Kumamoto Prefecture. Others say that the territory of Kumamoto Prefecture in ancient times was a "fat country" and was later called "fat country" or "fire country" with the same pronunciation as "fat country" in Japanese.

In any case, Kumamon, Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto Lamian Noodles, Kumamoto horse meat, Yasu volcano and other well-known elements have ignited people's curiosity to find out about Kumamoto. Then let's feel the charm of the fire country with our hearts.

traffic

Arrival Airport: Fukuoka Airport or Kitakyushu Airport.

By train: Take the JR Shinkansen directly to Kumamoto.

Schedule overview

DAY 1 Kumamoto Kumamoto

Kumamoto Castle, the urban vegetable garden of Sakura Racecourse, taste Kumamoto Lamian Noodles, Shuiqian Temple Park and Cool Ma Meng Square, and experience the hand-made "Fat Elephant Embedding".

DAY2 Asu City, Kumamoto Prefecture ※ Transportation: JR Kyushu Express Line "Asu Boy!"

JR aso station, aso shrine, menmenmachi, aso neimu hot spring, neimu hot spring hotel.

Day 3 Liuchuan City, Fukuoka Prefecture

Song Yue literati museum, Liuchuan cruise ship, eel rice (Yuanzu Benji House)

Experience the sightseeing train "Track Kitchen CHIKUGO"

Map overview railway station overview

Kumamoto is the third largest city in Kyushu, the seat of Kumamoto Prefecture, and the largest city in the prefecture. In this bustling metropolis, the quaint old city streets and kumamoto castle, one of the three famous Japanese cities, are still preserved. Kumamoto was the largest city in Kyushu from the Edo era to the Meiji era. 1889 was set as Kumamoto, which is one of the earliest cities in Japan. Natsume Soseki, a famous Japanese writer and great writer, called Kumamoto the "forest capital". He lived in Kumamoto for five years, and his old home with his family still stays in Kumamoto, which is also a very popular scenic spot.

Rich historical background and natural beauty, attractive food and lovely Kumamon and animation culture. With the changes of the times, Kumamoto has always stepped on a steady pace. Its changes, unchanging appearance and brand-new look attract tourists of different ages.

(This picture shows Kumamoto Castle before the earthquake. )

Visit a historic city

Kumamoto castle, Osaka City and Nagoya City are also called the three major Japanese cities. If you travel to Kyushu, you must not miss kumamoto castle. It is a witness of Japanese history, an important scenic spot to understand Japanese history and culture, and a famous cherry blossom viewing resort in spring. The picture shows Kumamoto Castle before the earthquake, but since the 20 16 earthquake, the stability of Kumamoto Castle has been destroyed, and it has been rebuilt and not opened to the public. You can't appreciate the beauty inside except the scenery outside the city wall. The restoration work in kumamoto castle is still going on, and some areas have been opened for visit. It is estimated that Tianshou Pavilion will be fully open for internal visits in the spring of 20021.

Cai Cheng Garden is located in Sakura Racecourse at the foot of Kumamoto Castle. As the landmark building of Kumamoto, Kumamoto Castle shoulders the heavy responsibility of carrying forward the local food culture and historical tradition and enhancing the charm of Kumamoto Castle and Shimonoseki. Under this concept, the colorful garden of Sakura Racecourse City came into being.

You can feel the charm of Kumamoto in the garden. Of course, delicacies from all over the world also gather here. You can enjoy delicious food at the dining place, or you can eat while walking and enjoy the homesickness of Shimonoseki. There is a "brave left" that can experience Kumamoto's history and culture, and a "cherry blossom road" that supplies Kumamoto's local snacks and local products. The park reproduces the street view of Nomachi in the Edo era, and it is very interesting to walk here.

Among Kumamoto's many delicacies, Lamian Noodles is the most famous and popular one. Lamian Noodles Kumamoto cooked chicken ribs with dolphin bones and made a white turbid soup, which was refreshing and delicious. Thin and straight noodles with black fungus, roasted garlic slices and sesame oil, its unique flavor is memorable. The aroma of roasted garlic slices is slightly bitter, which makes people's appetite double.

After tasting Kumamoto Lamian Noodles, I came to the scenic Shuiqian Temple Park, 1636, which was built in 80. The park is centered on the pool where groundwater gushes out, and rockeries, pumice and pine trees sublimate the beauty of the park to the point of dripping and exquisite. City Quyuan is built around the pool water in the center of the park. There is a shrine in the north and an "energy stage" in the south, performing traditional Japanese dance music-energy music. They were all built during the Meiji period.

The most interesting part of the city garden is in the hilly area of Dong Chi. It is said that this area is a back-to-back garden that imitates the scenery of Tokaido (53 posts of Tokaido) between the Japanese Bridge in Edo era and the Third Bridge in Kyoto, and you can also experience the tea ceremony in the garden.

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Looking for Kumamon

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In Minister Kumamon's office, there is a picture of a whole wall, which is very unique. Besides, when Minister Kumamon is here, he can also watch stage performances. So be sure to remember to go to official website to confirm the schedule before you go!

Another recommendation of Kumamoto's trip is the production experience of Kumamoto's traditional handicraft "embedding after fattening". Embedding other materials on decorative materials can be experienced through "light-assisted embedding of fat images". Don't forget to make an appointment in advance.

When I came to experience the "Fat Elephant Embedding Light to Help", I actually met Kumamon, the "Minister of Commerce and Minister of Happiness" in Kumamoto Prefecture. Really amazing, super happy!

Carefully place the pure gold and sterling silver trinkets on the bear-shaped iron plate with tweezers, and then knock them carefully with a mallet.

After that, the project was handed over to a skilled craftsman. The finished product will be delivered within two weeks. Unique in the world, it belongs to my Minister of Commerce and Minister of Happiness, Kumamon.

The store also displays decorations embedded with fat elephants. Fat elephant inlay is a kind of metalworking elephant inlay. Because the gold and silver inlaid in the pattern are not doped with any other materials and do not use pigments, the fat elephant inlay can give full play to the charm of gold and silver and reflect the heavy feeling and elegant beauty of samurai culture. Houfei, like the army and Kumamoto Castle, has a history of over 400 years.

Asu City is located in the center of Asu area in the northeast of Kumamoto Prefecture, and the main city is located in the northern part of the crater basin formed by Asu volcano. Asu area is one of the most famous active volcanic areas in Japan. It is famous for its large-scale crater-breaking composite volcano. It consists of five volcanoes: Zhongyue, Gaoyue, Chengdao, Ebos and Genziyue, forming a central crater group, which is called "Asu Wuyue". The five mountains in Asu have been volcanoes since prehistoric times, and the surrounding areas can witness the geological relics of different times and get a glimpse of the long history. It is also a hot spring resort in Kumamoto.

The cutest train on the surface

The biggest highlight of the train is the parent-child design everywhere. Rows of seats are large and small, and children's small seats are specially arranged on the side of the window for easy viewing.

The position of the whole train near the ground is not designed with sharp objects, and the corners of the seats are also polished into appropriate radians. The car is equipped with panoramic seats that can enjoy the scenery on both sides of Asuwai Lun Mountain and Prospect Car, as well as a playground and picture book library. It was really fun!

Zoumenmending

There are also various designs related to kuro dogs in JR Asu station, and there is a stationmaster's room specially designed for kuro for tourists to take photos. The "Asu, Road Station" comprehensive information office next to the station has Chinese information and can also temporarily store luggage. Starting our journey of Asu from here, the first stop is Asu Shrine, Asu's landmark building.

Asu shrine is said to be an ancient shrine with a history of more than 2,500 years. It takes the crater of Mount Asu as a symbol of the gods, offering sacrifices to 12 gods of its family. It has a way of cross-participation, which is extremely precious and rare in Japan, as well as a "wishing stone" that can make people's wishes come true and a "high sand pine" that prays for a good marriage. It is regarded as an important cultural asset of Japan.

Menmenmachi, as its name implies, is a street near the Yasu Shrine, where the ancient style gurgles and there is a retro atmosphere of Japanese style. The characteristic of Qianmen Town is that every store tastes different. It's not big, but it's interesting to decorate. Walking here is the best way to kill time.

Unlike the pedestrian street in front of other places of interest, shops on both sides of the street here sell some local products. The facade of the shop is antique, and some small things are collected by the owner from all over the world. After buying snacks, you can choose to sit in front of the door and taste it slowly. In winter, if it is after the snow, sitting by the oven and enjoying the snow scene while eating snacks has become the protagonist of Japanese idol drama.

Proud neimu hot spring

Distributed in the world's best caldera and the hot springs around Mount Asu, it has always been called the hometown of Asu hot springs. Among them, the largest hot spring street is Asunem Hot Spring. There are many restaurants in Wenquan Street, and it is also the shooting place of the second1episode of the famous Japanese film and television drama Yinjiro.

There are a large number of hot springs and hot spring hotels in Neimu with different facilities. There are Japanese-style hotels that can meet the preferences of ancient great writers, as well as large-scale hot spring resorts and small and medium-sized hotels suitable for family travel to meet the needs of all kinds of people. In addition, it is also known as the city of literature and has been loved by many great writers since ancient times. Natsume Sozaki, farmer Yamagata and others have visited this place, and Natsume Sozaki also created "Two Hundred Days" on this stage.

In Neimu Hot Spring, the rooms where famous writers Xie Yetie Gan and Kaoru Yosano Zi once lived are still well preserved. The hot springs here have introduced a slightly turbid beauty source to Tang Chi, which can enhance the skin's moisturizing power.

When I soak in the water, I appreciate the vastness and green. The fertile grassland extends all the way to Mount Oboshi, and horses grazing can be seen from time to time. This kind of scenery is like a song, and it is also very interesting. Therefore, Kumamoto is proud of Kyushu in the baptism of time, whether it is food, natural scenery or history and humanities.

From Kumamoto to nearby Fukuoka, our trip to Kyushu continues. Liuchuan City is a city in the south of Fukuoka Prefecture. There are many canals in the city. It is a beautiful town, also known as the water capital. This is the hometown of the poet Kitahara, a student of Mr. Zhu Zhiyu (Zhu Shunshui), a native of Yuyao, Zhejiang, who lives in Japan, and the hometown of Anton Temple, a "great scholar in the West Sea" in Japan. The teacher-student relationship between Zhu Zhiyu and Anton Temple is quite legendary in the local area.

The first floor of Song Yue Scholar Pavilion is Song Yue Wharf, where you can take a boat to Liuchuan. You may want to visit the second and third floors of Song Yue Scholars Museum before taking a boat tour here. There used to be a lot of literati here, which is the venue of Tama, a short song magazine edited by Bai Chongxi in Kitahara, and the birthplace of Kyushu Literature and other literary works edited by novelist Liu. Today, the museum still displays the items and photos they left behind. There are more literati living and traveling in Liuchuan temporarily, so Liuchuan, a water town, is also called the hometown of literature.

Taking a boat to Liuchuan is the best way, which means taking a boat along the river. There are several routes. The boat is shaped like five fish, and boatmen with hats and bamboo poles sing boat songs, which is quite local. Liuchuan built 32 literary monuments-poems, songs and sentences-for those literati, all of which were erected on the river bank, and the boatman would show them to tourists. If time and physical strength permit, it is suggested to take another literary walk along the "waterfront promenade" by the river.

Among all kinds of Japanese food, eel rice is considered as a classic food for all ages. Liuchuan used to be a famous eel producing area, and there are many eel shops in the city. When it comes to eels, it usually means "roasted eels". Established in 168 1, Yuanzu Benji House, the oldest eel shop in Liuchuan, is the birthplace of steamed eel.

Most people who come to Liuchuan will line up at Yuanzu Benji House, and we are no exception. When you walk into this Japanese mansion, you can smell a thick eel fragrance. The atmosphere in the store is reminiscent of Japanese restaurants and hotels, wooden stairs and traditional decorations, which makes people feel like they are in the scene of film and television dramas.

We ordered "Steamed Eel A la carte". Open the lid of the red paint box, and a faint steam comes out, accompanied by a thick eel fragrance. The rice soaked in braised sauce is covered with a big eel, and there is a big eel under the egg. This is the largest quantity of eel rice in the store, and the rice pressed under it has absorbed enough soup, not to mention how fragrant it is.

The biggest difference between steamed eel and Pu Shao is the taste. Steamed eels will not reduce the water content in fish, which breaks the impression that eels are always baked. Q-elastic cotton glutinous rice is very appropriate to describe steamed eels.

There are two other eel dishes in the order, namely pickled eel cold dish and boiled eel. As the name implies, white roast is an eel roasted without sauce, which embodies the original flavor of eel. Benjiwu is the most famous eel restaurant in Liuchuan. Ritual dining environment, the process of finding fragrance in deep alleys and super-high quality eel rice all bring endless aftertaste.

Novelty experience "track kitchen" and "slow train"

In Japan, delicious and fun novel experiences emerge one after another. No, West Rail's new sightseeing train "Railway Kitchen CHIKUGO" has also started to operate. Sit on the train and start a romantic nostalgic journey, accompanied by delicious food, which is highly recommended. It can not only show you the scenery of Tsukiji area in Fukuoka Prefecture, but also make the whole train a mobile kitchen.

Railway travel is the way many people choose to travel, and there are also many senior railway fans in Japan. Satisfy your taste with local ingredients. The visual charm of rail chef CHIKUGO is not limited to this, combining modern fashion with traditional crafts. The ceiling of the dining area is covered with hand-woven bamboo, which is a traditional craft with a history of 300 years. The wall is decorated with Shi Zhuan, a 400-year-old city island. The interior of the carriage is decorated like a fashionable coffee shop in the city center. In addition to the train, if you want to see the scenery during the trip, the large windows on both sides of the train can provide you with a broad view.

Before eating, try the welcome drink of the train first. Later, using the big kitchen in the car, the cooked mushroom "Wang Lingji" produced in Otmachi, Fukuoka Prefecture, and the main course Hakata and beef barbecue were presented on the dining table one after another. Most of the ingredients are selected from the fresh ingredients in the area along the train with this area as the center.

The most striking thing is the pizza made of seasonal vegetables, which was served on the table as soon as it was baked in the baking kiln in the car, and it was still steaming. Trains mainly run on Fridays, weekends and holidays, and are divided into brunch trips and lunch trips.

Although I can't take the train this time, there is also a sightseeing train named "COTO COTO Train" on the Heisei Zhu Feng Railway in Fukuoka Prefecture. On the train along the idyllic scenery, you can also taste authentic French food. I will try again next time!

A perfect trip to Kyushu, in the beautiful nature, in the smiling faces of friendly locals, in the embrace of Kumamon, in the warm hot spring water and in the local pure ingredients, fully relaxes and enjoys the five senses. This is the charm of Kyushu travel and our deepest attachment to land and water.

Tip: Jr Kyushu Railway Pass

As we all know, the transportation cost in Japan is relatively high. As a free traveler who shuttles between several cities at one time, there is a convenient and cost-effective pass: JR Kyushu Railway Pass. The destination of this trip can be reached through this pass.

JR Kyushu Railway Pass is a coupon specially designed for foreign tourists, and you can take the relevant lines unlimited times during the validity period. Traveling freely in Kyushu, this travel pass is highly recommended. Most of the station names in Japan are Chinese characters, so it is easy and worry-free to ride. Japanese trains are notoriously punctual, and travel by train is free and reliable!

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