Keika Ramen's Soy Sauce-Based Shoyo in Shinjuku (Tokyo)

Just beside Tokyu Stay, my hotel in Shinjuku Suehiro, was a ramen shop offering no-frills dining in this metropolitan corner. Keika Ramen originated from Kumamoto - home of tonkotsu ramen, thus you see the prefecture's icon Kumamon somewhere in their shop. It's been in business for 30 years.

Keika is a small ramen bar with affordable dishes on their menu. Upon entry, they will offer you an English menu (if you need it). Once you've picked your choice, you order it from a vendo machine just beside the door. The process can get intimidating because the vendo isn't in English, but you can ask for assistance from the waiter. Then you hand your order's receipt to the cook. In a short while, your ramen is served steaming before you. The seating is on a bar. The joint is too small for proper tables. Turnover is fast as most clients don't linger too long.

Classes of Ramen

I ordered Shoyo (syoyo) Ramen which is soy sauce based. Other major classess of ramen include Shio (shiyo) Ramen which is salt based; Miso Ramen has fermented bean paste; and Tonkotsu Ramen is pork broth based. My bowl includes 2 soft-boiled eggs, and cabbage strips. It is a sizable serving at 980 yen. 

This area in Shinjuku Suehiro is littered with shops that stay open til the wee hours. Further on are night clubs, adult venues and go-go bars so it can get interesting. In spite of this, the place doesn't feel seedy or shady. There's an entrance to the Shinjuku station nearby (through an underground tunnel), although it's easy to get disoriented. I kept getting lost; I had to always "find" my way back to the hotel. 

Kato Kiyomasa - Conqueror, Castle-Maker, Christian Butcher from Kumamoto Castle (Kumamoto, Kyushu)

In a sudden burst of inspiration, one rainy day in Fukuoka, I decided to go to Kumamoto, 114 kilometers southeast of Fukuoka. I had 4 hours to spare so why not see another Japanese city from a different prefecture (Kumamoto prefecture). By shinkansen, the trip took less than an hour. My destination was the castle.

Since its devastation from an earthquake, Kumamoto Castle has been closed for a major restoration, but this doesn't stop tourists from visiting the grounds surrounding it. More than the splendor of Japan's 3rd largest castle, it has a colorful history. 

Kato Kiyomasa, a ferocious feudal Lord (referred to as daimyo) transformed a small castle into a towering fortress in the early 1600s. Kiyomasa was one of the three conquerors of Seoul and Busan in his heyday. In Kyushu, he was brutal in pursuing Christians. He'd capture pregnant Christian women and slice their bulging bellies alive; remove the unborn child and cut their heads. His mind was in a constant state of war, thus he marked his territories with imposing castles. He ruled his ward with an iron fist and outlawed anything else not related to honing one's fighting skills. Poetry out! Music out! Painting out!

These days, Kato Kiyomasa's statue graces the nearby entrance of Kumamoto Castle. He sits atop a platform, waving a flag, wearing an unusually tall hat, it might as well be Merlin's. If you're visiting the castle grounds, you shouldn't miss Kiyomasa's scowling statue. Otherwise, it's like visiting Tokyo's Shibuya and missing Hachiko.

What I thoroughly enjoyed was the local food found in the shopping arcade near the entrance. I bought souvenir items: those boring postcards and ref magnets; food made out of horse meat, sea urchins, lotus, red beans, and matcha-flavored drinks. And there's that delightful Kumamoto Ramen. When it was time to head back for my train, I was uncomfortably satiated.

The castle's non-appearance was really a seductive invitation. Come back again and see me, I could hear its whisper.

Kumamon (right) is the city's lovable icon. He was voted as Japan's most favorite mascot! You find him in shops and parks, and he has a big head at the Kumamoto Train Station.

Kumamoto Castle. This image only is courtesy of hyolee2 of Wikipedia.