15 April 2025
Gale forced escape
Kagoshima to Kumamoto on the Shinkansen
Now I am in Kumamoto. I have not been here before. It is about an hour away from Kagoshima on the bullet train.
Before I left Kagoshima this morning, it was windier than any recent windy memory I have available to me right now that is wind related. That's a lot of wind.
Once inside the station, I watched delivery drivers unloading goods below a well placed wind enclosed overpass have full boxes of goods blow down the street. Trolleys for transporting boxes were going everywhere and traffic cones were blowing down the street. This kept me entertained for about 30 minutes before it was time to board my train, which went on time despite the wind.
I arrived in Kumamoto about an hour too early to check in, but first I had to go on a small tram ride from the station to my hotel, they take IC card and credit card, convenience, it ended there.
The other day I described scanning a credit card to get a ticket to exchange for a qr code to scan to get into a garden. Today I did the hotel version.
So far I have been able to check in via machine, which is very convenient, however today I go to check in at the machine and there is a sign attached, please go to counter. OK.
At the counter they photocopied my passport and made me fill out name, address, phone and secret pin, on a paper form, which they then photocopied and had me sign both copies. I got to keep one! A 'room key' was issued. But no, we are not done yet, now you take your 'room key' to the check in machine. The check in counter guy ran over to the machine and took off the sign that said 'please go to counter'. I inserted my room key into the machine, filled out details, scanned passport, signed on the screen, and then it printed me 5 receipts, one of which contained my room number. The room key did not come back out of the machine. So it was then time to go back to the check in counter, show them my receipt with the room number, and receive a replacement room key, and some additional paper work explaining the do not disturb / please clean my room sign. Extra convenience, what a concept.
Please accept my usual apology about travelling day lack of photos. Here is Kagoshima Chuo station. This photo does not do it justice as there are big shopping centres on both sides and behind.
To mix it up a bit, crooked photos to fit in the train. Today's train is probably the exact same one I got here on, in light blue livery.
Let's stick with slightly crooked photos for the fetching brown interior.
Here is Kumamoto station, there is not too much in the area, hence I did not stay by the station, I am staying about 2km away in the main city area.
I got here early enough for a rare thing, an actual lunch. Cheap coffee shop pasta with eggplant. I managed to get some on my pants in the most hilarious location.
And now, what you have all been waiting for, the inside of the Daiwa Roynet Kumamoto Hotel. Here is my room. $100 a night. It is quite nice, I especially appreciate the excellent quality chair.
Bathroom pic... hard to capture it in all it's splendour, toilet out of view on the left, and separate shower / bath inside a sealed off aluminium doored cubicle on the right.
Now I need to work out how to get to where I want to go to tomorrow, which will determine my bed time.