Kumamoto Prefecture

This was such an inyerestimg experience and it was really great to get to make something of our own.

At first, I thought simply drawing and sheathing the sword would be enough for you to practice! But since it's a trial lesson, perfection isn't required. Completing the whole process is more important. We practiced a set of moves, learned about Miyamoto Musashi and the history of Niten Ichi-ryu, and there are so many other interesting things. Kumamoto is truly a city of samurai.

This pass is super worth it. It also covers ride to bullet trains in reserved or non reserved seats. It can take you to different prefectures in Japan that are as long as 2-hour train ride. This can take you to famous sight seeing spots in Beppu, Yufuin, Nagasaki and Kumamoto

Easy booking through Klook. Super easy redemption at the airport. Seat reservation: No problem at the machine. But not always necessary, sometimes we just rode in the unreserved car. Staff always very friendly. We used it in Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Hiroshima. Everything worked out great.

The 2-day Kyushu SunQ Pass is a great value, allowing you to ride buses throughout northern Kyushu. Activate it by entering your email address; you'll receive a password via email. Use this password to unlock the code, which starts the activation. You can then use it to reserve buses to other cities.

I used this pass to travel to Kurume and Kokura. I've been to Shimonoseki twice before, so I skipped it this time. Kurume wasn't actually in my plans, but a train happened to be there, so I just hopped on for a 'P's Trip' and searched online to see the giant Buddha statue. For reference, you can take bus number 31 or 35 (310 yen) from Kurume Station and walk for 5-10 minutes. Then, the next day, I went to Kokura to eat burdock root udon and go shopping at 2nd Street, lol. Fukuoka is expensive, so Kokura has more affordable brands. Especially Niko and... it's pretty and the vintage items are cheap, so I found some great deals. If you feel a barrier in Fukuoka, you can shop for various things in Kokura, lol. When you take the train, they come to check your ticket, so you have to turn it on and show it on the internet. Sonic trains have unreserved seats in cars 4-7...

Our driver, Ms. Feng, who accompanied us, is very familiar with various attractions in Kyushu. Although we only visited the Moji Port and Kokura Castle area, she generously shared information about Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Aso, and other places. Moreover, she had a great grasp of time and was very familiar with the road conditions, making it a wonderful experience.

First and foremost, it is a looong bus ride - almost 8 hours back and forth - but the experience was truly exhilarating. The driver was very good and Riku, our guide, was excellent! Knd, clear and entertaining, he made sure everyone was ok. Important to note there is no restroom in the bus, but there will be appropriate service stops on the way. Also, there’s a lot of downhill and uphill walking at the gorge. Exhausting lovely day out!

Alex was an excellent guide. He sent an email reminder with pickup details and photos the day before, and also messaged me on WhatsApp, which was very helpful. He checked me in at the Lawson next to Hakata Station, showed me my seat and bus number, and created a very welcoming atmosphere while explaining everything clearly in English and Chinese. Stops included the railway (extra 2,000 yen with tickets arranged in advance), lunch and the shrine, and Takachiho Gorge. The boat ride gets you close to the waterfall but can be a bit hard to control, and the walk back uphill takes about 30 minutes. At the end, Alex even gave everyone a souvenir! I highly recommend Alex and this tour if you love Japan’s natural beauty.