Yabe is a great lil’ town (disclaimer: my wife hails from there). The new road has vastly shortened driving time; this will be further shortened as the trans-Kyushu expressway passes through the town. Yabe is a wonderful summer day-trip; you can stop at Samatanoyu onsen in on the way home (https://samatanoyu-misato.jp/). While famous for its iconic bridge, Tsujinkyo, many do not know its famous waterfall, Gorougataki ( https://kumamoto.guide/spots/detail/11819 ), which can be reached by traversing the bridge and going down a long, stone staircase. Make sure to note the two types of rock composing the cliffs, deposited during two different Aso eruptions. Nobody swims in the pool except me. Hint: swim backwards to prevent the hail-like water droplets from lacerating your eyes, then climb behind the falls to see the deepest moss you’ll ever see. For further adventure, continue along the path, which is suspended above the river as it traverses a gorge, cross a footbridge, than follow a few farmer’s roads to get back to town (it follows the aqueduct that feeds the bridge). It’s an easy hike except for the path up from the gorge - but then, once you’re down there, you’ve gotta climb back out anyway. - William