 Japan City Guides: Kumamoto
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Kumamoto
 Lively, historic castle town on the west coast of Kyushu.
- 90 minutes by train from Fukuoka.
- Location of one of Japan's best gardens - Suizenjikoen.
- Good base to explore Mount Aso and surrounding onsen.
- Population around 675,000.
- Writers Lafcadio Hearn and Natsume Soseki both spent time here.
Things to see and do
Kumamoto Castle is the town's main attraction and a spectacular site, which underwent restoration in time for its 400th anniversary. Kumamoto Castle, built by Kato Kiyomasa between 1601-1607, is Japan's third largest castle after Osaka Castle and Nagoya Castle.
 Kumamoto Castle is a masterpiece of defensive architecture and has never been successfully stormed.
The outer walls of Kumamoto Castle measured 13km and the inner walls 5km. Kato planted camphor and gingko trees to provide firewood and edible nuts in time of seige and also dug 120 wells to provide the inhabitants with water.
The wood used in the castle's construction was stained a dark color with persimmon tannin and pine soot to withstand insects and the changes in the weather.
Most of the original wooden buildings were destroyed in a fire during the 1877 siege of the castle by a rebel army led by Saigo Takamori (the model for the Hollywood blockbuster The Last Samurai. The defenders under the command of Kanjo Tani (1837-1911) still managed to hold out for 50 days until reinforcements arrived and Saigo's rebellion was crushed. Only the Uto-Yagura turret survived the fire.
Reconstruction of Kumamoto Castle began in 1960 and continued during 2007 so the castle can be restored to its former glory for its 400th anniversary. The huge Hon-Maru Go-ten Ohiroma reception hall of the feudal lord is now an impressive piece of wooden architecture.
The main tower of the 6-storey, 30-meter keep (donjon) contains an interesting museum detailing the history of Kumamoto Castle along with exhibits of Japanese armor, shells used in the 1877 attack and original black and white photographs.
The castle grounds and the sloping path leading to the castle are popular places for cherry blossom viewing and contain Kumamoto's Prefectural Art Museum (Tel: 096 352 2111).
Kumamoto Castle General Office
1-1 Kyo-machi Kumamoto 860-0007
Tel: 096 352 5900
Admission is currently 500 yen.
 A short tram ride southeast of Kumamoto Castle is Kumamoto's other must-see sight - Suizenji Garden.
This beautiful strolling garden and tea arbor was built over a period of 80 years from 1632 by three successive Hosokawa feudal lords.
The centerpiece of this Momoyama-style garden is the pond which is fed by pure, underground streams from nearby Mt. Aso.
The layout of the garden represents the 53 Stations of the old Tokaido highway from Kyoto to Tokyo.
The garden contains an instantly recognizable, miniature Mount Fuji and Lake Biwa, Izumi Shrine (dedicated to the ancestors of the Hosokawa clan), an Inari Shrine, a Noh stage (with Noh performances in spring and fall), a statue of the garden's creator Tadatoshi Hosokawa and a classical teahouse.
Suizenji Garden takes about 30-40 minutes to walk but is also a favorite spot for cherry blossom viewing or just sitting and relaxing in general.
Suizenji Garden
8-1 Suizenji Koen Kumamoto City
862-0956
Tel: 096 383 0074
Admission 400 Yen
Hours:
March-November 7.30am-6pm
December-February 8.30am-5pm
Access: Tram or train to Shin Suizenji Station on the Hohi Main Line.
 Kumamoto's other sites include Honmyoji Temple which contains the mausoleum of Kato Kiyomasa, which was built to be at the same height as the keep at Kumamoto Castle.
Writers Lafcadio Hearn and Natsume Soseki both lived in Kumamoto for periods in their lives and it is possible to visit their former homes. Hearn's previous house (Tel: 096 354 7842) is at 2-6 Ansei-machi in the center of town.
Natsume Soseki's residence is preserved as the Soseki Memorial Hall (Tel: 096 325 9127) at 4-22 Tsubo-machi, north of the castle.
Eating
Horse meat is a local delicacy and can be sample in a number of eateries near Kumamoto Castle.
Kumamoto Tourist Office (Tel: 096 352 3743) is located inside the railway station.
Access
Air
Kumamoto Airport has direct flights to Tokyo, Osaka, Naha and other cities in Japan. The airport is about 50 minutes from downtown by regular bus.
Access The JR Kagoshima Line runs north to Hakata Station (Fukuoka) in about 90 minutes with journeys south to Kagoshima taking approximately the same time. The JR Hohi Line has trains to Beppu in 3 hours.
Bus
There are highway bus services from the Kumamoto Kotsu bus station, south of the castle, to most major destinations in Kyushu.
Getting Around
The bus and tram network covers all of Kumamoto's main sites but traffic can be heavy with people driving in from surrounding areas. It is possible to buy one-day passes for the street car network which are also valid on the green city buses. The Castle Loop Bus runs from the bus station and passes many of the city attractions.
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