What to know
Kumamoto (熊本), the capital of Kumamoto Prefecture, is a major city on Kyushu's west coast with a population of around 750,000. The city is best known for its castle, one of Japan's largest and most complete. In 2016, the city was struck by powerful earthquakes.
Activities and attractions
Kumamoto CastleBeautiful reconstruction of the original castle
Suizenji GardenLandscape garden reproducing the Tokaido
Former Hosokawa ResidenceFormer residence of high ranked samurai
Lafcadio Hearn’s ResidenceFormer residence of the author Lafcadio Hearn
Kurokawa OnsenHot spring town with attractive town and baths
AsoActive volcano with a huge ancient caldera
MinamataFrom pollution site to environmental model city