Kirishima to Mount Aso
 A wooden layout of the castle grounds.
With most of the TV channels reporting on Typhoon 24, all I wanted to do was to track it's progress on the television (where it's safe haha). I left Kirishima a little earlier to avoid driving when the typhoon got closer. Even then, there were still a lot of passing downpours and strong winds. I donft even want to imagine what it would be like in a real typhoon.
The staff at Miyama Hotel were joking that the typhoon would follow me (they werenft wrong!) I arrived in Kumamoto where the weather was very humid. I headed straight for Kumamoto Castle. The grounds it is on is sprawling and there are staff dressed in period clothes walking around welcoming tourists to the castle. There were lots of informative signs and staff on ground to introduce the exhibits.
 Replicas of the mythical fish that can also be found on the top of the castle.
I took a short walk around the castle grounds and into the castle itself. There were many steps to get to the top of the castle which has great vantage/viewing points. I thought I was fit, but I got winded after climbing all those steps. Ifm sure it's because of all the recent ryokan meals!
 There are about 6 floors in the castle.
I wish I couldfve visited a couple more places today, but with the current weather conditions, it couldnft be helped. All part of the universefs plan for me to come back and do what I couldnft on this trip.
 Looking down from the castle.
 It's incredible how people back then built all these with their bare hands.
 Serious samurai protecting the castle from baddies.
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