The wind ensemble began the day by riding a bullet train for about an hour and a half to Kumamoto. As we arrived, many of us were excited to get our first real sighting of the city’s mascot Kumamon. Kumamon was created in 2010 by the Kumamoto prefecture government to bring in more tourists to the area. By 2011 he had become the most popular mascot in Japan. Many of the funds raised from Kumamon merchandise go to a disaster relief fund to fix damage from the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake.
After several pictures with the beloved Kumamon, we loaded onto buses and rode to Aso Elementary School where we had an afternoon performance for the students, and then to the retreat center in the mountains where we would stay the next two days. In the afternoon portion of our day, students were able to go to a Japanese onsen (hot springs) or take a bus to the Aso volcano. I decided to visit the volcano. The Aso volcano is an active volcano which last erupted in 2016. Visitors can take a trail up the crater, but due to the state of the volcano the day our group went, we were unable to get a closer look. The way there consisted of a series of windy switchback roads all the way up the mountain, which overlooked an incredible view. We learned about the 2016 earthquake on the way there and saw several places where there were landslides and extensive damage to the area. When we reached a safe viewing point or group was able to take many pictures before leaving.
On the way back from the volcano, we saw some more of the damage that was left behind by the 2016 earthquake. A main bridge collapsed, and a portion of the road completely shifted. We learned that many of the houses and buildings in the area had been completely destroyed or underwent extensive damage, including Tokai University’s Aso campus which closed it’s doors and has yet to reopen.
Wartburg College Wind Ensemble International Japan Tour 2019 