On day 3, we plan to drive from the city to Yanagawa, which is about a 60-minute drive.
Yanagawa river cruise
What’s at Yanagawa? It’s known for its canals, boat tours, and unagi rice. It is dubbed the ‘Venice of Kyushu’.
On the way to Yanagawa, I bought this at 7- 11. It’s called Karashi renkon, a local speciality of lotus root filled with Japanese mustard. Its unique taste took me by surprise, but I realized the one I bought was uncooked! This was a funny mishap on this culinary adventure.
Once we reached the destination, we immediately headed for the canal boat tour ticketing station.
For a small fee, you can rent their straw hats. They’re good for photo taking and also for keeping out the sun.
They operate till sunset hours. There are also different boarding points, so plan your trip. It’s a one-way trip, so if your car is parked at the starting point, the easiest way is to grab a taxi back.
All in all, the tour took about 90 minutes. Along the way, the boatman will be singing, which was a highlight of the tour. I’m sure you can find many videos of this on YouTube.
Lunch: Unagi at 若松屋
After disembarking, we headed for lunch. For everyone visiting Yanagawa, the must-have is their unagi (eel) rice. Several restaurants are serving this. Which restaurant you visit might also depend on the day of the visit as they close on different days of the week. I recommend you shortlist a couple to avoid disappointment.
The restaurant we ended up visiting was Maneidou Unagi restaurant Yanagawa. It was rather crowded, so we could not get the prime seats, which are the window seats facing the canal.
Nevertheless, it was a good lunch. The unagi was tasty.
Dinner: Horse Cuisine at 馬焼料理 さくら食堂
This was our last night in Kumamoto. If you are game, horse meat is a specialty you must try. It is grilled and also sashimi-style.
I managed to find this hidden gem. It could have been more spacious, but it was crowded when I attempted to visit the day before. Reservation is highly recommended.
Reviewed mainly by the locals, they say this shop’s chef is a master at preparing horse meat cuisines.
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My wife did not quite like it, but it was enjoyable.
Name of restaurant: 馬焼料理 さくら食堂
The pace of today’s itinerary was pretty chill. We had an early night, went back to the hotel for onsen, and packed up for tomorrow’s trip.
Read more
My 14 Days Travel Itinerary In Kyushu Japan 2023 – Day 2
My 14 Days Travel Itinerary In Kyushu Japan 2023 – Day 4
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