A little over a week ago, a certain, um… major disappointment – or shall we simply call it a calamitous circumstance – set me on a downward spiral of self-doubt and nihilism, at the bottom of which buzzed a flashing neon sign: “Why did I come to Japan?” I’m cold. I’m lonely. I can’t sleep, I can’t afford a new coat, I can’t find any imperial stouts, and I can’t read my phone bill, much less understand what the hell anyone around me is saying at work. Everything sucks!
But despite frustrations such as these, last week I was reminded of all the things that had originally enticed me to move here when I took a few days off from work and caught the limited express train to Kumamoto. Literally “the origin of bears” (I love Japanese names), Kumamoto is the capital city of the prefecture of the same name, due south of Fukuoka and centrally located on the island of Kyushu. I wasn’t sure what to expect of Kumamoto; although it looked like a fun and interesting city from the little research I had done beforehand, a few of my friends warned me that it was a bit of a bore, and that I should just go to the other destination I was considering – Osaka – instead.
But, boy, am I glad I didn’t. Here’s why: (more…)
