For my first birthday in Japan, which is in fall, a couple of my travelling buddies and I decided to make a weekend out of it. My birthday is usually around a national holiday, so there was conveniently a three-day weekend to really get out in the area and enjoy ourselves.

Our first stop on the way to our first major activity was Reef Burger. We’d been in Japan for about four months by this point, and by then I hadn’t had a decent burger yet! They’re quite prevalent but it’s hard to find a good, creative burger here on par with our homelands’ standards. I had heard about this establishment through a guide that a previous ALT had written up about the Kumamoto area, and we all were curious and wanted to try it! It was worth it. This burger was quite delicious, and completely on par with other countries. I’m not sure how he learned to do it, but the cook at this restaurant knows how to throw together a tasty burger and fries! I felt so incredibly full afterward. And the entire staff of three people was quite friendly with us, which is a huge plus. It’s always nice to encounter a friendly face! (And no, Japan, I don’t mean a creepy, stalky, overly keen face. Just a run-of-the-mill, kind face…)

Anyway, after that, we continued our trek to the Honda Safety and Riding Course Kyushu, which is in Ozu Town, just northeast of Kumamoto City. Our main goal for this expedition was to ride on their off-road course, which you can do for little to no experience as long as you pay for your rental. We went for the 4 piece set option, where you rent an off-road bike (model varies depending on your build), and along with it you get outfitted in a helmet and goggles, a chestplate, and boots, which as sufficient for a somewhat experienced motor vehicle operator. I say this simply because toward the end of our three-hour riding experience, I was getting a little too confident, landed a little bit oddly, and subsequently was off my bike. And as a friend learned that day, contacts are advisable in lieu of glasses, because it’s difficult to fit the goggles over frames. So once you get outfitted, as we did, we spent about 30 minutes getting acclimated in a smaller dirt area adjacent to the course. It was fairly easy for me to pick up as a result of my childhood on four-wheelers and such. But if you don’t think you’re very good at operating bikes and such, you may want to skip this outing. Personally, I thought it was a pretty exhilarating thing once I was on the course though! I felt like a kid again. You’re going around and there are jumps and turns everywhere, and experienced motorists are driving past you at high speeds. I really enjoyed myself! And I’m looking forward to going again sometime.

Needless to say, after this experience we were completely sweaty and dirt-covered, and to our somewhat surprise our entire bodies were sore! So I convinced everyone that we should hit the onsen on the way back to Kumamoto proper, where we planned to Cybac for the night. I think it’s an incredibly good decision for anyone who decides to bike half the day. I pushed for it because my companions hadn’t been to onsen before in Japan, and I really think it’s something that someone should definitely experience while they’re here. And I think everyone enjoyed it! I  did. There’s just some relief, especially for the muscles, lying in wait in that warm water.

So after a night at Cybac, we set out again in the morning with our main goal being to hit Reigando at Unganji, or Ungan Temple, northwest of the Shirakawa River, on the outskirts of both Kumamoto and Tamana. Reigando is the legendary cave in which ronin swordsman Miyamoto Musashi lived out some of his last days, and in which he is said to have written the greater part of The Book of Five Rings, or Gorin no Sho. We stopped quickly at a park on the way – I believe called Iwa no Sato – and then walked down to Unganji. You have to pass through the temple to get to Reigando, so if you see the temple you’re in the right area! Just keep walking. You’ll pay a small fee to get to the area, and you just follow the path down to the cave. It’s a nice outdoor space and a interesting historical spot to check out if you’re in the area. Have a look at the photos below and perhaps you’ll see what I mean! :)