Wyoming Breezes

Kumamoto Castle April 1980 Kumamoto Castle is one of the three largest in Japan. This castle took seven years (1601 - 1608) to complete. The castle is approximately 8 miles in circumference, having a main tower, secondary tower, 49 turrets, 29 castle gates, and numerous other structures. Previous posts on this castle can be seen here .

Kumamoto Castle Kumamoto, Japan April 1980 The castle was so large, I could have easily spent days roaming around the it and the grounds. It's always fun to ask another tourist to take your photo to capture the moment and the memory. Chandelier inside the castle.  More photos of the castle will be featured in future Foreign Fridays.

Kumamoto Castle entry and walls Kumamoto, Japan April 1980 The signature curved stone walls, known as musha-gaeshi, surrounding the castle were designed to prevent attackers from penetrating the castle. "Musha-gaeshi" literally means repelling warriors. Also notice the stone steps in the foreground which lead to the castle sitting on the hilltop. On my way up to the castle, I was drawn to the contrast between the delicate blossoms and the unyielding stone wall. I wonder how many warriors walked up these steps in the 400 years the castle was inhabited.

Tour guide, Judy Loxtercamp, Judith Kravetz, Nancy Stearns Kumamoto Castle Southern Japan April 1980 It rained a lot while we were touring Southern Japan. I didn't want to carry an umbrella on the trip, so I wore a rain poncho. I still own the poncho and keep it in my car for emergencies. I purchased and used many umbrellas in the two years I lived in Japan. They don't see much use anymore in semi-arid Wyoming, but two are stored in my car, two are in an umbrella basket near the front door, and two more are stashed in the closet. Previous posts about Kumamoto Castle can be found here .

tour guide, Paul Gsell April 1980 I didn't write about the deer in my travel journal, so I don't know specifics of the location, but the deer roamed the grounds of this area freely and welcomed being fed by the tourists.  I went on several of Paul Gsell's trips in the two years I was in Japan. Here's one entry from my travel journal: Thurs., April 3, 1980 - Last night we took a walking tour of Kumamoto with Paul and discovered a small restaurant. We ate whale and horse meat (raw and dipped in soya sauce), drank potato wine, which was very bitter. The owners of the sushi and sake bar ( see this post ) took a liking to our group and gave us gifts (I still have the wooden sake cup) and entertained us. We drank beer and sake. As our meal was being prepared, Judy L. took a position behind the counter and "helped" cook. She spilled potatoes everywhere much to everyone's amusement. Judy L. and Judith K. became known as "cucumber" because the o...

Kumamoto Castle April 1980 Other images of the castle can be seen here .

Samurai Armour Japan 1980 The armour displays I saw in the Kumamoto Castle were intriguing. My only exposure to armour was from my history classes which focused on the armour worn by knights in England and Europe. You can learn more about Japanese armour on Wikipedia . Samurai Armour Japan 1980

Japanese Lanterns Kumamoto, Japan April 1980