15 Things to Do in Kumamoto

If you plan to visit Kumamoto, summer is the best season.
In addition to the magnificent natural beauty of places like Mt. Aso, you can enjoy unique festivals such as the Hi-no-Kuni Festival, Kofun Festival, and Yamaga Lantern Festival.

It takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to fly from Haneda Airport to Aso Kumamoto Airport.
From Osaka's Itami Airport, it takes approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Aso Kumamoto Airport also offers international flights, making it easily accessible from South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

Kumamoto Castle is the famous castle built by Kiyomasa Kato in 1607. It was built using the latest, cutting edge techniques at the time and was the setting of many important moments in Japan’s history.
While the castle keep was burned down during the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877, it has since been rebuilt to its current visage in 1960.

Mount Aso is the volcanic area and 5 peaks along the large caldera that was created as the result of 4 large eruptions some 270,000 to 290,000 years ago. Here, inside this world’s largest caldera and volcanic area you’ll find a train line running through the three local municipalities of Aso, Takamori and Minamiaso, towards the 50,000 people who live there.

It is a stroll garden with spring water that Tadatoshi, the first lord of the Hosokawa clan, created after building a teahouse here where subsoil water from the Aso Mountains gushed forth. Tsunatoshi, the third lord of the Hosokawa clan, later created a large-scale garden that was named "Jojuen" after a poem by Tao Yuanming.

The Shirakawa Water Source is one of the Minamiaso Village Spring Water Group where subterranean water from the Aso Caldera gushes out. It is the source of the Shirakawa River, a first-class river that flows through Kumamoto City, and is famous for being selected as one of the "100 best waters" by the Environment Agency (now the Ministry of the Environment).

Kumamon is the mascot of Kumamoto and cutely named as such the Prefecture’s Sales and Happiness Manager. You can find him all across Kumamoto, pointing out some of its best attractions. He’s so popular that Kumamon related merchandise is said to be reaching a cumulative total of 1 trillion yen. At this spot you’ll find the office of this amazing mascot, and if you time it just right, you might even get a chance to meet him.

This multipurpose culture and tourism facility serves as an outdoor recreation of a Kumamoto Castle hill at the foot the mountain. Here you’ll find Kumamoto’s local gourmet, plenty of shopping and a chance to dive into the history of Kumamoto’s history.

Above the beautiful mountain village of Misatomachi sits a temple atop a mountain that towers 957 meters in the sky. Leading up to it is Japan’s tallest stone staircase, 3,333 stone steps that lead up the main promenade to the Shaka-in Temple at its summit.

Nakadake (1506 m) in the center of Mt. Aso is a volcano that continues to be active. You can see the volcanic crater up close. There are seven craters in Nakadake, and the first crater is currently active and can be seen. It can be reached near a huge crater with a circumference of about 4 km. When the gas clears, you can see the emerald green lake at the bottom of the crater, which is filled with 50 ~ 60 °C hot water.

Mount Eboshi is one of the 5 peaks found in the center of Mount Aso. Here you’ll find Kusasenri, the breathtakingly vast, emerald green grasslands that expand northwards. Many textbook writings, as well as classical poets and song writers have immortalized its beauty in their works, making Kusasenri one of the most iconic images that people know when thinking of Mount Aso.

Sakitsu is a peaceful fishing village now, but this “hidden Christians’ village” survived the era of persecutions. Sakitsu Church is at the center of the village with a Gothic-style tower standing tall.
In the Meiji Period, anti Christian law was abolished in 1873, and residents went back to practicing Catholic faith. In 1888, a wooden Sakitsu Church was built. As the building got old, a French missionary, Father Halbout, led the building of a new western-style church which stands today.

This museum introduces the history of Christianity in the region, centered on the Shimabara Rebellion (Shimabara-Amakusa Uprising), and reopened in 2010 as the Amakusa Municipal Amakusa Christian Museum.

The master god who has created Aso, Takei Watatsu no Mikoto, and 12 of his family gods are enshrined here. As the head of Higo Province, this is ranked top over nearly 500 branch Aso Shrines nationwide. Its history goes back more than 2000 years. Its faith is fused with volcano worship that believes Mt. Aso to be a god.

Opened in 1966, the Amakusa Gokyo is a 12 km-long series of five bridges connecting the mainland to the Amakusa Islands. These bridges include the Tenmon Bridge (connecting Misumi to Oyano Island), the Oyano Bridge (connecting Oyano Island to Nagashima), the Nakano Bridge (connecting Nagashima to Oike Island), the Maejima Bridge (connecting Oike Island to Maejima), and the Matsushima Bridge (connecting Maejima to Kamishima in Amakusa). The route is affectionately known as the "Amakusa Pearl Line," reflecting the region's flourishing pearl cultivation.

Located in the heart of Kumamoto City and stretching from Toricho-suji in a north-south direction, Shimotori Shopping Arcade is bustling with local customers and tourists both day and night. Easily accessible by tram and bus, and in close proximity to JR Kumamoto Station, the arcade is also within walking distance to Kumamoto Castle, one of Japan's three most famous castles and a symbol of Kumamoto.

This sprawling park features over 1 million square meters of fun for kids and adults alike, designed by health experts to promote the healthiest of rejuvenating play. From sports facilities to and interactive corners to hot springs, foodie delights and hands-on activity centers, there are plenty of spots to enjoy throughout the day. You can even book an overnight in the dome-shaped stays nestled in the forest.

Located in the natural beauty of Kumamoto and Aso, Suganoya boasts a vast private farm of approximately 900,000 tsubo, where they raise horses meticulously on nutrient-rich grass, pure water, and specially made organic fertilizers. The result is tender, flavorful horse meat. In a spirit of gratitude for the rarity of this delicacy—each horse only gives birth to one foal per year—the restaurant offers almost every part of the horse, including rare cuts.

Kurotei, founded in 1957 in Kumamoto City, offers a continually evolving Kumamoto ramen experience. Their creamy, cloudy pork bone soup is paired with fragrant, charred garlic oil, maintaining the tradition of Kumamoto ramen while offering a one-of-a-kind taste. The pride of their soup is the use of low-fat pig's head bones, giving it a rich yet refreshing aftertaste. The charred garlic oil, a defining feature of Kurotei, is meticulously crafted by dedicated artisans, accentuating the deliciousness of the soup. The homemade medium-thick straight noodles are perfectly smooth and chewy, complementing the soup. The menu also includes homemade chashu and soft-boiled eggs marinated in a secret sauce, enhancing the ramen's flavor.

Among the many famous dishes in Kumamoto cuisine, horse meat dishes are particularly popular. Located in the bustling downtown area of Kumamoto City, "Umazakura" is a renowned restaurant offering a wide variety of horse meat dishes, with their horse sashimi being especially favored.

Opened in 2018, Higo Yokamon Market is a commercial facility located under the elevated tracks of JR Kumamoto Station, spanning 7,500 square meters and housing about 60 attractive stores.

The concept is "a market gathering Kumamoto's best recommendations and delicious foods." It includes specialty shops selling Kumamoto's famous sweets, karashi renkon (mustard-filled lotus root), local sake, and shochu.

Drive along National Route 325 from Yamaga City towards Minami Aso and the road will open up to three distinctive melon-shaped roofs. This roadside station, known as Michi-no-Eki Shichijo Melon Dome, handles a multitude of local specialties from Shichijo Town and attracts over a million visitors each year.

Opened in 2019, "SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto" is a large multi-complex facility featuring approximately 150 stores, including fashion, cosmetics, and restaurants. It also houses a major event venue, "Kumamoto-jo Hall," a 9-screen cinema complex, "TOHO Cinemas," "KOKO HOTEL Premier Kumamoto," as well as offices and condominiums.

This hot springs village sits along the same river that waters the rice paddies between the northern mountains of Aso. The entire hot springs area is designed seamlessly with nature, with each hilltop inn and connecting halls a separate annex that attaches to the next mountain hill.

Tsuetate Onsen, nestled along the Tsuetate River in Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture, is known as Kyushu's inner parlor. Its history dates back 1,800 years, with legends tracing its origin to being the first bath for the child who would become Emperor Ojin. The waters here are a mix of weak alkaline simple springs and chloride springs. They are also rich in metasilicic acid, which enhances the therapeutic effects of the hot springs, leaving the skin smooth and moisturized after bathing. Kobo Daishi, a famous Buddhist monk who visited in the early Heian period, was so impressed by the healing properties of the waters that he left a poem praising the springs.

Yamaga Onsen is considered one of the oldest hot spring resorts in Kumamoto. It is said to have been discovered when Unochikaharuko, defeated in the Hogen Rebellion, observed injured deer healing their wounds in the hot spring waters. Yamaga Onsen is dotted with 23 public bathhouses and accommodation facilities. The water, known for being gentle on the skin, is believed to be effective for neuralgia, muscle pain, and joint pain.