(Fiona) Looking for something a little offbeat and off the beaten path this Golden Week? This event comes highly recommended by a student of mine who said it’s well worth the long drive to a remote village in Amakusa that is filled with scarecrows every spring. Michi-no-Eki Miyajidake Kakashi no Sato was once an elementary school that closed down due to the shrinking population. Locals have turned the premises into a roadside station selling produce, and replaced the humans with hundreds of scarecrows, some of which are scarily lifelike. Tourists are challenged to search for the ‘Wanted’ scarecrows with prizes on offer. Here’s the website (in Japanese) with more details. There may be heavy traffic jams during Golden Week so allow for around three hours or more if driving there from Kumamoto city!

https://kakashinosato.jp/