Kumamoto Castle 熊本城 is one of the most beautiful castles
in Japan, and the third largest. Though in actuality the real
Kumamoto Castle was burned down during the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877, the current
keep is a concrete reconstruction built during the sixties, though some of
the other buildings are the originals, nevertheless, it is a must see
attraction which is effectively the heart of the city. A single adult's
ticket costs ¥500.
Lake Ezu
Suizenji Gardens 水前寺公園 is a renowned
traditional Japanese garden, considered
one of the four best in Japan.
Shiki no Sato Park has its own natural hot springs and animal park.
Kumamoto Prefectural Traditional Crafts Center exhibits the various
traditional crafts for which Kumamoto is well-known. (includes a gift shop)
Honmyo-ji Temple 本妙寺 is one of the most famous temples in
Kumamoto. Honmyoji
was built in honor of Kato Kiyomasa, the builder of
Kumamoto Castle. The
temple is halfway up a hill at the same level as the castle. There is a long
staircase lined with old candle stands to the temple. After the temple there
is another staircase that leads to a park at the top of the hill that has a
statue of Kato Kiyomasa and a nice view point where you can see the castle
towering over the city . In the daytime you can also see Mt. Aso in the
background. In the last weekend in March they have the Nighttime Cherry
Blossom Festival. Then they have live music and lit up cherry blossoms and
candles all the way to the top of the hill.
Hosokawa Gyobutei is another picturesque place to visit. It's the family
home of the Hosokawa Clan (whose descendent Morihiro became Prime Minister
of Japan in the 1990s.)
Hanaokayama 花岡山. Hanaokayama is a hill near Kumamoto Station. It looks over
downtown and has a great night view. On a clear day you can see Mt. Aso
towering behind the city. There is also a nice temple and a huge shrine gate
(torii) on the top. You can go up by car, which most couples do, or hike
about 15 minutes to the top.
Fujisaki Hachimangu Shrine 藤崎宮. This is the most famous shrine in
Kumamoto.
It is north of Kamitori and not too far from downtown. This is the most
crowded shrine in the city every New Year`s. It is also crowded for other
festivals the most famous being the "Drunken Horse Festival" which is held
every October.
Mt. Kinpo 金峰山. is about 11 km from downtown but when you get to the top
you`ll be rewarded with a beautiful view over Kumamoto and
Nagasaki. The
view of the city lights is great and you can also see the peaks of Mt. Aso
in Kumamoto and Mt. Unzen in
Nagasaki. You can take a bus to the area but
then you have to hike for about an hour to the top. On top there is a temple
and a famous fence full of locks that couples have locked to a fence on the
observation deck. There is no ropeway so you gotta hike or take a car.
Kumamoto City Hall 熊本市役所, Tetorihoncho 手取り本町. Right in the heart of downtown
is city hall. If you go to the fourteenth floor there is a free view of the
castle and downtown area. free.
