Higo-Zogan, a form of damascene, a metal inlaid manufacturing process, is a traditional Japanese Handcraft with a 400 year history and is exclusive to the Kumamoto region. Craftsmen of Higo-Zogan developed ornaments for battlefield weapons such as protective handles for swords in the Yedo-period (1600-1867) marked its golden-age. The Higo-Zogan has now refocused their energy and skills to produce fine personal ornaments.

You'll spend an hour creating your own Higo-Zogan artefact before handing it out to an artisan of superb skills for the final touch. Your creation will be sent to your home in about two weeks.

A 10-minute walk from the karashi renkon shop will take you the Kitaoka Nature Park Archery Range, where you can see veteran (and teenage) archers of Japanese archery - "kyudo" - shooting arrows with a long bow of 2.2 metre (87 incs) aiming at a target 28 metre (30 yrds) away. Archers are dressed in traditional uniform and concentrate in sheer quietness. Kyudo literally means "the way of the bow". The emphasis is on both aesthetics and efficiency. Its form can be described as a meditation in action.

Kyudo performances are best seen on weekdays. Please understand there can be no archers performing at the weekend.

Leaving the Japanese archery range, we'll head to Kitaoka (shintoism) Shrine after strolling round Kitaoka Nature Park of Japanese garden and monuments of the House of Hosokawa, rulers of Kumamoto during Yedo Shogunate era from early 17th to mid 19th centuries.

Kitaoka Shrine was originally established in 934 AD but the current construction was built in 1933. The shrine features 1,000-year-old camphor tree towers over the approach, testifying to its long history. It is called "meoto kusu" - "camphor trees of husband and wife". Legend has it that if you pass through this tree, you will receive blessings, especially to ward off evil and bring good luck, matchmaking and marital bliss.