The Kikuchi castle ruins are an archaeological site stretching over 150 hectares on a hillside overlooking the town of Kikuchi. The site is the location of a 1,300 year old hill fort built in the 7th century by the Yamato government to protect the country from invasion from the Korean peninsula. Four hill forts were
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Ama No Yasukawara Cave From the Ama No Iwato Shrine take a 10-minute walk along the Iwato River, past many delicious looking icecream stalls, descend a steepish path over a simple, arched bridge into the river valley, follow the river path for a few minutes and rounding a corner you will suddenly come to a vast cavern by the river. This
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The World Heritage Manda Pit, also known as the Manda Kou in Japanese, is part of the Miike Coal Mine, which was once the largest coal mine in Japan. The mine played a huge role in enabling Japan’s modernisation during the Meiji era and war years, producing 10% of Japan’s coal. The pit, built using British
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Yamaga Lantern Dance Festival – Yamaga Toro Matsuri 山鹿吐露祭 in Japanese, is held on the evenings of August 15th and 16th in the city of Yamaga every year. The highlight is the One Thousand Lantern Dance when hundreds of women, dressed in simple white summer yukata and red obi sashes dance elegantly through the night wearing beautifully crafted paper illuminated
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The town of Yamaga is situated an hour’s drive north of Kumamoto City. In its heyday, over a hundred years ago, Yamaga was a prosperous, bustling agricultural town and a very lively onsen retreat. In 1910 the local merchants funded the very first kabuki theatre in Kyushu and called it the Yachiyoza (the Eternal Place). This theatre born
The Reigando Cave, in Japanese simply Reigando 霊巌洞, is a mysterious and sacred cave located on the Western slopes of Mt. Kinpo the 200,000 year old extinct volcanic peak that is the backdrop to Kumamoto City. Famed as the cave where the great philosopher swordsman Musashi Miyamoto spent his last years in meditatation and created
Suizenji Gardens Also known as Suizenji Jojuen Park, these beautiful gardens are situated in the east of the city, a 15 minute tram ride from the city center. Suizenji Jojuen is a very popular destination for both Japanese and international tourists, however, on a weekday it is possible to have the park mostly to yourself sharing
Tatsuda Nature Park is well worth putting on your itinerary for a day out in the city. Tucked away behind Kumamoto University, perhaps its difficult to find location means that it is not more well-known. The park stands on Mt. Tatsuda, a forested hill in the north eastern part of the city. Step through the park
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Earthquake update: The main gate and hall of worship of Aso Shrine sadly collapsed in the Kumamoto earthquake of April 16th 2016. However, the shrine can still be visited and festivals will still be held throughout the year. In fact witnessing the damage first hand is a very humbling experience. The shrine will be
Recently granted World Heritage Status the Misumi West Port (Misumi Nishi Kou) in Uto, at the entrance to the islands of Amakusa is an interesting stop off if you are journeying south. The port is situated around 90 minutes drive from Kumamoto City. The Misumi West Port was built at the start of the Meiji era
