Visiting Kumamoto Castle: How to get there and what to see

Located in Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Kumamoto Castle (熊本城, Kumamoto-jō) is one of the largest and most impressive castles in Japan. During its heyday, it was considered one of the most impenetrable fortresses in the country.

Designed with strategic defense firmly in mind, the castle originally boasted over 49 turrets, 29 gates, and a number of unique defensive measures including holes in the walls for dropping boiling water, rocks, or excrement onto attackers.

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Hinamatsuri Doll Festival: Girls’ day in Japan

Hinamatsuri, also known as Doll’s Day or Girls’ Day, is an annual festival in Japan held to celebrate the health and happiness of female children and femininity in general.

The main tradition associated with the Hina Matsuri doll festival involves mounting an altar covered with a dankake (a red carpet) on which several platforms of hina-ningyō (ornamental dolls) in the traditional court dress of the Heian period are placed.

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Thanksgiving in Japan

Although you might already be aware that the holiday is celebrated across the world in territories as diverse as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Liberia, and Puerto Rico, you may not know that there is also a Thanksgiving in Japan.

If you’re planning to travel around Japan in November using the JR Pass, you may first want to brush up on this traditional national holiday and whether you can expect to be served turkey at a Japanese Thanksgiving dinner.

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