After our long journey train journey spanning the entire central part of Japan, we arrived at Fukuoka and headed to the nearby Hyatt Regency Fukuoka, located a mere ten minutes walking from Hakata station.
The hotel was completely sold out for weeks but thankfully last minute award space opened up, and I manage to snag a night for 4000 Hyatt points + $50.
The lobby immediately wowed us, with its somewhat unique ceiling and was a visual treat to look at.
However, such aesthetics come at a price as navigating the circular hallways proved to be a bit confusing.
Unfortunately, the grandeur of the lobby didn’t crossover to our relatively bland room.
However, since we were here for just the night and exhausted from the day-long trip, we didn’t seem to mind, but I was surprised on how dull the room looked, especially since I was “upgraded” to a renovated room.
The club lounge breakfast selection was surprisingly decent, with a wide variety of fresh vegetables, along with your typical western offerings of scrambled egg and sausage.
I’d probably give Hyatt Regency Fukuoka a miss, service levels were a bit subpar, and if we weren’t visiting during the Sakura season, I’d pick a locally owned hotel.
After breakfast, we took the Shinkansen to Kumamoto, a city in the center of the island of Kyushu.
Kumamoto may be most famous for its mascot, Kumamon, whose merchandise is quite prevalent throughout Japan and the rest of Asia.
In fact, Kumamon branded merchandise earned over $1 billion in revenue over the past few years.
Arriving at Kumamoto’s shinkansen station, the ever-present mascot instantly greets visitors.
As we had just a few hours in Kumamoto, we headed straight to Kumamoto Castle. Sadly a strong earthquake struck Kumamoto in 2016, causing various parts of the castle to collapse.
While visitors aren’t allowed into the castle, the outskirts are open to the public along a marked pathway, and worth a visit, especially when the blossoms are in full bloom.
My dad is a bit of a train geek, and probably his favorite part of visiting Kumamoto was riding the Coroco tram from the castle back to the train station.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better-designed tram anywhere else in the world, with its leather seats and dedicated dining tables.
Overall Kumamoto is worth a quick stopover during Sakura, especially if you have the Japan Rail Pass as it takes a mere 40 minutes from Fukuoka to Kumamoto.
