6-Day Kumamoto Itinerary: Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto Yatai Village, Shimabara Castle, Suizenji Jojuen, Kumamoto Zoo, and Aso Kusasenri.

D1: Flight schedule. Touched down at Kumamoto Airport around 5 PM and hopped on a bus to Torichosuji (you can tap a credit card, and one card works for multiple people). Checked into the hotel, then headed to Kumamoto Yatai Village for dinner. Highly recommend! It’s pretty chill on weekdays but gets super packed on weekends. They have these cool coin-operated sake machines inside where you can grab a small pour for just 100 yen. D2: Walked over to Kumamoto Castle. Spent the whole morning exploring, then hit up the nearby Josaien and Sakura-no-koji for lunch (tried the horse meat at Suganoya). In the afternoon, strolled over to Sakuramachi to stock up on pharmacy goodies and souvenirs. Grabbed dinner at Katsuretsutei. (Absolute must-try!!) D3: Caught the tram to Sakuramachi Bus Terminal. The first bus to Kumamoto Port on a Saturday leaves at 7:34 AM. At the port, you’ve got two ferry options: a cheaper one that takes an hour to Shimabara, or a slightly pricier fast ferry that gets you there in 30 minutes. Once at Shimabara Port, took the local train to "Shimabara" station (remember to grab a numbered ticket when boarding and pay the conductor on your way out). Shimabara Castle is right there when you hop off. Had a bowl of udon at the castle for lunch, then took a walk to a foot bath (totally free, and the water was nice and hot!! Plus, I had the whole place to myself!). After soaking, walked over to check out the famous street canals where koi fish swim. Finally, trekked to the nearest train station (something with "Arena" or "Gymnasium" in the name), headed back to Shimabara Port, caught the ferry to Kumamoto Port, and took the bus back to Sakuramachi. Slurped down some Kokutei Ramen (killer roasted garlic vibe) for dinner, then hit up Kumamoto Yatai Village later that night for another round of coin-op sake. D4: Took the tram to Suizenji Jojuen (a gorgeous Japanese-style garden that's definitely worth checking out—photography lovers could easily spend 2 hours here, but I did it in about an hour). In the afternoon, caught the tram to the Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens and walked a short bit to the entrance, where you're greeted by a Chopper statue! (The zoo is a great walk and super affordable). Took the tram back to the hotel in the evening and hunted down a nearby yakiniku joint to feast on some Wagyu! D5: Hopped on the tram to Suizenji Station, then switched to the JR line (just bought a ticket straight to Aso at the machine). Even though the ticket says Aso, you have to transfer at Higo-Otsu Station and ride it the rest of the way. (Fun fact: when you hit "Tateno," the tracks switchback, so you literally watch the conductor walk back and forth to change driving directions). Right as you step out of Aso Station, boom—an Usopp statue is waiting at the entrance. The bus stop is just to your right as you exit. I grabbed a 2,000-yen day pass (a single ride is 1,000 yen, so it pays for itself round-trip, but the day pass gives you unlimited rides on the Kusasenri and Volcano Terminal line). It was pouring down rain the day I went up, so instead of Kusasenri (thousand miles of grass), I got "thousand miles of fog." There are three restaurants at Kusasenri Station; I crushed an Akaushi (red beef) rice bowl, and since it was obvious the rain wasn't letting up, I took the bus back down. Spent the afternoon at a nearby zoo (took a cab there from Aso Station but had to walk back because I couldn't flag one down for the return trip. Honestly, tickets for this zoo were kinda pricey). Had dinner at a popular spot called "xxx Photo Studio" for another Akaushi rice bowl (I legit thought it was a photography studio at first XD. The Akaushi bowl here is highly recommended!! Way better than the one I had up on the mountain). After dinner, I hit up the Lawson right across the street to grab some sake and snacks for a nightcap back at the hotel. D6: Grabbed breakfast, then took the train back to Higo-Otsu. Headed out the South Exit, walked about 500 meters to snap a pic with the Zoro statue, and grabbed a bite at a mall near the station (first floor is like a grocery store/Walmart vibe, second floor sells clothes and stationery). Made my way back to the Higo-Otsu South Exit, where it’s super easy to spot the 8-seater airport shuttle. As of July 1st, it's 200 yen per person. The ticket machine is right across from the waiting area, and since they run every half hour, it’s a breeze to line up for. Rolled into the airport, boarded my flight, and wrapped up an epic trip.