Day 3 of the field study:

We took an early train from Isahaya to Minamata City, enabling us to ride the new Kyushu Shinkansen.

Sign hanging inside the train.

It was great to experience this new train, although I’m not convinced the huge investment will ever pay off. There was already a reliable and fairly rapid rail service linking Fukuoka to Kagoshima. The Shinkansen makes the trip more fast, but with so many low-cost airlines now operating to cities around Kyushu and more people than ever owning automobiles, is the bullet train really necessary?

The train was beautiful, filled with aesthetic choices that reflected what one might call a traditional Japanese sensitivity. For example, the window shades were made of narrow and intricately-woven reeds.

Students enjoying their first ride on the Kyushu shinkansen.

The interior of the mostly empty car.

A garbage can made of woven bamboo, instead of the usual plastic or metal.

We stopped for a few hours in Kumamoto City to tour the castle.

Elementary school students on a field trip, viewing a well used during sieges.

Our guide explaining the fortifications of the castle, including the steep wall.

A man dressed as the famous swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi, who lived and has a tomb in Kumamoto.

After our tour we had an unusual lunch, consisting of items based on past menus of the lords of Higo domain (previous name of Kumamoto). The dishes were more bland than most of today’s foods. However, it was a memorable experience for all of us.

Beautiful dishes, including this unusual spherical container for rice.

Lunch is by reservation only.

While the castle has nothing to do with the theme of ecotourism, some of the students very perceptively noticed some theme park aspects of the castle, like the characters dressed in costume (including Musashi and a ninja), which reminded some of them of Huis ten bosch. After our tour and some free time, we continued by rail to Shin-Minamata station, and the students met their homestay families.

All the participants and some friends at Kumamoto Castle (bottom image zoomed).