After the involuntary break in Taipei the weather forecast looks better for today. The dispatch on the large international airport by the ground handling agent China Airlines happens at noteworthy speed. Taxi and takeoff clearance are given not less quickly and we are on OT1B OCTANE departure route heading Kumamoto. 

In order to stick to the granted permissions, we unfortunately have to cancel Tokyo. Kumamoto is only planned as a re-fuelling stop on our onward trip to Asahikawa.

Our passage through Japan was organized by Peter Steeger. The contact was established by AOPA Japan. Peter is a passionate pilot and he lives since many years in Japan. Not to despair of the Japanese jungle because of legal and administrative rules one needs patience, a good feel for feasibility and a precise understanding of the local regulations. Peter Steeger has exactly these qualities and paves our way.
His friend Mr. Torita, formerly active captain on Falcon in all parts of the world, provides a friendly reception for us together with the Japanese official at the airport Kumamoto. Because of his personal dedication the entry to Japan becomes surprisingly easy for us. We always deemed it to be very critical during preparation phase. Besides, Mr. Torita in his sympathetic way gives us a much better understanding of Japan and we are able to escape all linguistic difficulty by his help.

During the last 2 days there were 600 mm of precipitation – an amount that is unbelievable on a European scale.  No surprise that our takeoff delays for one more day. So we get the opportunity to visit the 400 year-old Kumamoto Castle, one of three most famous castles of Japan. Large parts, destroyed in the last Japanese civil war, are restored affectionately. Not only the massive walls but also the trees carry a patina from moss here.