Today, I learnt many different things about the Japanese history and culture. On the first day in Japan, we already went to some famous places like the Daizaifu Tenmangu Shrine and the Kumamoto Castle. The shrine is one of the oldest in Japan and it enshrines the diety of Sugawara no Michizane. We also went to Kumamoto Food Pal to learn how the Japanese go about creating their special type of Japanese sweets. Their sweets are all very different but have a great taste. Lastly, we went to Kumamoto Castle. It was a great fortress during its time but due to a fire, it destroyed most of the main buildings, leaving only some smaller original buildings. The burnt buildings were rebuilt using concrete instead of wood. This castle was built hundreds of years ago. Overall, it was a good experience for the first day of the trip.

Kai Hong