Friend: I'm bored and there is nothing to do... so let's drive to
Kumamoto...
Me: Um, ok.
We finish up our game of pool, hop in the car, and drive 2 hours from Saga to Kumamoto, passing through my friend's home town in Fukuoka prefecture. It is after midnight when we arrive.
Friend: Um, what do you wanna do?
Me: I don't know, I have never been here beforeĀEand it is after midnight.
Friend: Yeah, I haven't been here for about 2 years. Let's go see Kumamoto Castle.
Me: Um, ok.
We park the car and walk up to the first gate. The doors are closed. I think to myself, do you really expect it to be open after midnight? We can't see the castle, it is blocked by the huge walls. We walk around and climb up a steep walkway to a second gate. The doors are closed. We still can't see the castle, it is still blocked by the huge walls.
Friend: If we were ninjas, we could climb the walls. But ninjas we are not. Uh, let's walk to the top of the hill.
Me: ma-ji??.
I am a salaryman. He is a college student. No, there are no ninjas in Japan.
We get to the top of the hill. It is about 1AM. There is a red car parked at the side of the road. There looks to be a couple making out in the front seat. Friend goes up to the window, watches the couple, and makes eye contact with the couple and walks back to where I was standing.
Friend: Uh, they are making out.
Me: Um, yeh.
We walk on. The couple in the car speed off.
Friend: Uh, I don't think those two thought two idiots would be walking around here at this time at night. Do you think we surprised them?
Me: Um, yeh.
Friend: Do you think they are pissed off?
Me: Um, yeh.
Even from the top of the hill, we still can't see Kumamoto Castle. It is too dark and the castle is not lit up after midnight. We take pictures on my digital camera of one another to remember our trip to Kumamoto.
We walk 1 time fully around the castle joking and talking about stupid stuff, and then get into the car and go back to Fukuoka. Nice little trip.
I came back to Tokyo and showed my pictures of my trip to Kyushu and Osaka to all of my friends. I show them the picture of me in front of Kumamoto Castle. They laugh. The picture is of me and nothing but black space and the small light which is on top of the castle. But at least I have a picture of it to remember my short trip to Kumamoto.