Yatsushiro, Japan - It's Bear Country

Paul Hallman
Apr 11
5 min read

Updated: Apr 11

We had our first day on Japanese soil in the southern port of Yatsushiro and were welcomed by a host of Bears. Not one, two or three. They were everywhere around the port and as we walked in the city they appeared out of no where.

The city features bears primarily because it is part of the Kumamoto Prefecture, which is a scenic region in central Kyūshū, Japan, renowned for its dramatic volcanic landscapes and home to the immensely popular black bear mascot, Kumamon. It wascreated in 2010 to boost tourism and the local economy. The bear symbolizes the region (Kuma means "bear," and Kumamoto means "bear origin") and serves as a beloved, playful ambassador that drives merchandising and regional recognition.

Our ship arrived in the Japanese port of Yatsushiro at 7:00 a.m. but because this was our first stop in Japan, everyone had to exit the ship to clear customs. We lined up in the Explorer Lounge and got a number for our scheduled our disembarkment time. If you weren’t planning to visit the city that day, there was still a rule to follow - you had to disembark and be back on the ship by 10:30 a.m.

Once we were cleared, we took a shuttle bus to the Yatsushiro City Municipal Museum.

***This is the new mascot to replace the bear - How sad to remove the bear from his job***

It really was a small cultural center and not much to see so we walked a short distance to Shōhiken, a peaceful garden that felt like a quiet pause from the port. It had trimmed paths, carefully placed stones, and that calm, deliberate beauty Japan does so well. It really was peaceful.

Shōhinken in Yatsushiro is a historic Japanese garden closely tied to the area’s former castle town and the Matsui family, who governed the Yatsushiro region under the Hosokawa domain during the Edo period.

The garden was created in 1688 as a villa-style retreat for the local ruling family. It was designed for receiving guests and enjoying seasonal scenery rather than for farming or defense. Like many Edo-period gardens, it was planned as a place to stroll and appreciate carefully composed views, especially with it's a central pond, stonework, shaped pines and borrowed scenery that connects the garden to its surroundings.

Over time, as Japan modernized and the feudal era ended, Shōhinken shifted from a private elite space to a preserved cultural site. Today it’s maintained as a heritage garden where visitors can still experience a piece of Yatsushiro’s castle-town history in a quieter, more reflective setting than the ruins themselves.

From Shōhiken we continued to the Matsui Shrine which was just down the street. Immediately we found ourselves doing something we’d only ever seen in photos. It was the purification fountain ritual. At the temizuya (the water pavilion), you use a ladle to rinse your hands and mouth before approaching the shrine. It isn’t about “sin,” but about cleansing spiritual or ritual impurity—basically arriving in a respectful, clear state of mind. The steps are simple. You rinse your left hand, rinse your right, pour a little water into your left palm to rinse your mouth (you don’t drink it), rinse your left hand again, then let a bit of water run down the ladle handle before putting it back.

After that small moment of focus, we explored the shrine grounds and then drew omikuji fortunes. Reading them was half the fun, trying to interpret the advice from a strip of paper. We learned that if your fortune is good, many people keep it tucked away as a reminder or a little charm. If it’s not so good, you can tie it at the shrine, on a rack or designated area symbolically leaving the bad luck behind and asking for help. In a way, it’s less about “changing” the fortune and more about responding to it, You are supposed to take the guidance seriously by offering a quick prayer and moving forward with a lighter mindset.

Across the street from the shrine was the castle ruins, and the mood shifted from intimate to historic. Even without a standing castle, the site still tells its story—stone foundations, raised earthworks, and the layout of where walls and gates once controlled the approach.

We took each others picture from both top and bottom of the stairway

From the higher points on the stone walls you can imagine the vantage the defenders would have had and it’s easy to picture the castle as the center of the town’s life long ago. The stones were the best part. They were massive, fitted together with that timeless precision, weathered but stubbornly solid.

Near the ruins we visited another Shinto shrine, smaller and quieter, tucked close to the historic area as if it belonged there. It felt more local, less like a “stop” and more like a place people actually come to for everyday prayers. We paused again, took in the details and enjoyed how these shrines—no matter the size—always seem to create a pocket of calm.

Afterwards we grabbed something from a food truck. We really didn't know what it was but it looked very tasty. The five of us split a pack of six. It felt like a perfect “first day in Japan” moment - very tasty, mysterious, and funny. We went back to our ship and it took me two days to figure out what we ate. Thanks Google !

I had to find a photo of the food truck, expand the picture and then translate the Japanese words. We had Takoyaki which is a a popular Japanese street food consisting of savory, ball-shaped dumplings made from a wheat-flour batter and filled with diced octopus (tako), tempura scraps, pickled ginger and green onion. Grilled in a special cast-iron mold, they have a crispy exterior and molten, gooey center. I believe ours had shrimp, not octopus.

We then walked down through the Kumamon Street Park area toward the Kumamon shopping mall.

Kumamon was everywhere, and it was impossible not to laugh—especially when we came across the bear at the medical center.

We stopped at a restaurant for lunch, only to find out they took cash only. It was a five-star Michelin place and very expensive, and we didn’t have enough cash, so we had to move on.

We walked back to our shuttle pickup and returned to the port, where there were more food trucks and shopping. This time we found exactly what we wanted: ramen with beef, and it was delicious.

After lunch we wandered around the port looking at all the bear displays. They were so funny and such a cheerful way to end the day. The winds started to pick up and when we took this photo it was blowing like crazy.