History / Culture / Tour Spots in Kumamoto Area

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Category

Travel / Tourism

History / Culture / Tour

Aso Shrine

4.0

354 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Aso-shi Ichinomiyamachi Miyaji 3083-1

Records state this Shinto shrine was founded in 282 BCE. The head shrine of the 500-some Aso shrines across the country, the shrine is dedicated to Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto and eleven other related deities. This ancient shrine combines Shinto with a mountain faith which worships the caldera of Mt. Aso as a sacred object, and is revered as the most important shrine in what was Higo Province (now Kumamoto Prefecture). Six of the shrines structures, such as its main shrine building and two-storied gate have been designated National Important Cultural Properties. In particular, its two-storied gate is one of the largest in Kyushu and is counted as one of the three greatest two-storied shrine gates in all of Japan. Some of the shrine's many other highlights include a stone which is said to grant wishes, and a pine tree which is said to grant luck in finding love and marriage.

Travelling to Miyaji on a JR Hohi Line Limited Express, my primarly motivation for the journey was to sample JRs attractive Kawasemi Yamasemi scenic train for the return journey to Kumamoto. With...
Kato Shrine

4.0

365 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Pref. Kumamotoshichuouku Honmaru 2-1

Located on the northern part Kumamoto Castle's grounds, this Shinto shrine honors the local feudal lord Kato Kiyomasa, who is called by the name “Seishoko-san” by the locals in friendly manner. You can recognize it by its large white torii gate. The Seishoko Festival is held every year in July. Lots of people come for the night market the evening before the main event as well as the main festival's procession.

This shrine, located in the premises of Kumamoto Castle, is dedicated to Kato Kiyomasa, a beloved hero of Kumamoto. But the foundation of this shrine is relatively new and it only dates back to Meiji...
Kumamoto Castle

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Pref. Kumamotoshichuouku Honmaru 1-1

In 1607, Kato Kiyomasa built a castle in a hilly area called Chausuyama, which is one of the three premier castles in Japan. Thereafter, Kumamoto Castle has been a stage of a diverse history for 400 years from the Middle Ages to the present age. Castle buildings from those days are also in existence, and 13 of the buildings have been designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan. Kumamoto Castle was damaged in the Kumamoto earthquake which occurred in April 2016, and restoration work is currently still under way.
Aoi Aso-jinja Shrine

4.0

206 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Pref. Hitoyoshishi Kamiaoimachi 118

This shrine was built in 806, the first year of Emperor Heizei’s reign, and became known as the shrine dedicated to the local deity of the Kuma region. The main building was constructed starting in 1610 over the course of approximately three years by Nagatsune Sagara, and it still stands today. It features a black thatched roof with steep slopes, as well as gorgeously colored, exquisitely decorative Momoyama-style sculptures. In 2008, the five sections of the main shrine building were designated National Treasures. White flowers bloom around the lotus pond in early summer, making it quite a sight to behold.

This wooden carving Aoi Shrine has over 1200 years history. The 5 structures has been recognized National Treasures in 2008; The gate, Mail hall, Corridor, Offering hall and Oratory. There are...
ASO VOLCANO MUSEUM

3.5

144 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kumamoto Pref. Asoshi Akamizu 1930-1

This three-story museum in Aso City is dedicated to Mt. Aso, an active volcano. The second floor's permanent exhibit features panel displays of the area's geology and the current conditions of the volcano. The third floor has video facilities showcasing Aso's natural environment and the area's folk culture. The museum lets visitors view the craters in real time, helpful when access is restricted due to bad weather or volcanic activity. Head to the first floor for the gift shop and a restaurant serving light fare.

I visited this after the snow storm. The view is really amazing both along the way to this and around this place FB:กินเที่ยวไม่ซ้ำ จำที่ไม่ได้ Google map:กินเที่ยวไม่ซ้ำ จำที่ไม่ได้
Yachiyoza

4.5

114 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Pref. Yamagashi Yamaga 1499

Yachioyaza, one of Japan’s Important Cultural Properties, is a playhouse built in 1910. Since opening they have put on a variety of shows, but with the changing era the number of visitors fell and the place closed. However, thanks to the ardent fund-raising activities of groups both old and young, restoration took place over 30 years and it is now a working playhouse again. It is also possible to take a look behind the scenes of the theater, from the revolving stage to the theater basement.

Yachiyoza is one of the old Japanese theaters still in use. Actually it was a reconstruction and the actual building has only 20 years of history. But it was so finely reconstructed that we can now...
Kumamotojo Inari Jinja

3.5

113 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Kumamoto-shi Chuo-ku Honmaru 3-13

A small Inari Shrine that is at the SW corner of the Castle premise. Quite visible by the flagging red/white banner as we left the Castle, the red-white banner is a common Inari Shrine setup for...
Amakusa Shiro Memorial Hall

3.5

83 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kumamoto Pref. Kamiamakusashi Oyanomachinaka 977-1

Near the beginning of the Edo period, Shiro Amakusa led a popular uprising fueled by faith that would become known as the “Shimabara Rebellion.” The “Amakusa Shiro Memorial Hall” introduces the conflict’s background and historical context in an easy-to-understand manner using powerful video footage and other materials. Come trace the origins of this epic struggle for freedom and peace.

向かいに道の駅があり、そちらの観光協会で割引クーポンをもらえました。少し高台にあります。教会風の建物が素敵です。
KUMAMOTO PREFECTURAL MUSEUM OF ART (Main Building)

4.0

61 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kumamoto Pref. Kumamotoshichuouku Ninomaru 2

This prefectural art museum is on the grounds of Ninomaru Park. It has a wide range of work on display, including paintings, crafts, and a collection of prints from Kumamoto-born artist Hamada Chimei. There's also a room with a reproduction of the decorated tombs found in the prefecture. The museum has high ceilings, and its large windows look out on the wooded surroundings. They hold regular programs too like museum seminars and workshops for kids.

熊本城の敷地内にあり、雰囲気はいいです。常設展はどうなのか、私もさっぱりですので、特別な展覧会が開催されているか確認してから行った方がいいですね。私も今回オードリーヘップバーン写真展が開催されていたので行きました。県立なので、なかなか有名な展覧会が開かれることは少ないですが、年に１回は何かあると思います。(^^; ただ、熊本ではいちばん大きな美術館だと思いますので、展覧会開催には適していると思いま...
Kengun Shrine

4.0

65 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Pref. Kumamotoshihigashiku Kengunhonmachi 13-1

Located in Higashi Ward, this is the oldest Shinto shrine in Kumamoto City. It's dedicated to Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto, who is said to be the grandson of Japan's first emperor. One of the four main Aso shrines, it has a roughly 1,200-meter approach called the Hatchobaba leading to it. There's also a lovely tower gate. The torii gate before it was built on the small size so as not to block the view. A sacred ginkgo tree is on the grounds, as well as the Sazare-ishi boulder sung about in the Japanese national anthem.

健軍神社は熊本市内で最も古い神社とされており、阿蘇四社の一つとして、様々な神が祀られている。健軍の名称は征伐勇士に由来したそうである。
Amakusa Rozariokan

4.0

63 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Pref. Amakusashi Amakusamachioe 1749

About 65 minute drive from the Amakusa Airport, or one minute walk from the Tenshudou Iriguchi bus stop. This museum houses a collection of valuable and rare objects related to the lives, culture, and faith of the underground Christians in Amakusa history. In addition to Maria kannon statuettes, the holy water urn used during funeral services, the ‘sutra-erasing urn’, which is a prefectural Important Cultural Property, on display, through videos, the history, nature, and underground Christians’ lives are introduced. The erstwhile mass is even a reenacted. This is experienced accompanied by ‘oratio’ sounds of prayer in a full scale diorama of a ‘hidden room’ especially built for secret worship services.

市内に幾つかある天草の隠れキリシタン関連の施設の中で、関連資料が一番整理されて纏まっていると思います。来館したらまずは15分の映像を見てから館内を見て回ると良いでしょう。
Kikuchi Shrine

4.0

47 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Pref. Kikuchishi Waifu 1257

This Shinto shrine is located in Kikuchi City. Founded in 1870, it honors three feudal lords of the Kikuchi clan who fought on the southern side during the period of the Northern and Southern dynasties (1336–1392) The Kikuchi Jinja History Museum on the precincts displays valuable items tied to the clan and other historical cultural assets. It's also a popular cherry blossom viewing spot and gets crowded in spring when they're in bloom.

熊本県の北部にある菊池市。私たちは、小国町にある鍋ケ滝を後にして国道を南に走って菊池市の中心部に着きました。町の中心部近くにあったのが、菊池神社です。菊池神社は、小高い丘全体に境内が広がっていました。私たちが小高い丘と思った場所は、かつて菊池城という中世の山城跡で、この地を治めていた菊池氏の本拠だったそうです。緑豊かな中に、お堂などが点在していました。
Lafcadio Hearn’s Former Residence

4.0

79 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Pref. Kumamotoshichuouku Anseimachi 2-6

Koizumi Yakumo, also known as Lafcadio Hearn, was the famed author of tales based on Japanese legends such as Hoichi the Earless and The Snow Woman. The residence here was the first home he lived in in Japan when he came to Kumamoto as an English teacher for Daigo Junior and Senior High School (now Kumamoto University). It is said that Hearn penned Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan in this building. The residence was severely damaged in the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake and currently only a portion of the home and garden are open to the public (as of January 2017).

In a small park behind Tsuruya department store, there is a former residence of Koizumi Yakumo, a famous writer of Meiji. As I am interested in literature, the visit was quite meaningful. Natume...
Fujisaki Hachiman-gu Shrine

3.5

52 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Pref. Kumamotoshichuouku Igawabuchimachi 3-1

This shrine is located in Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City. Founded in 935, it honors the Emperor Ojin, Empress Jingu, and Sumiyoshi Sanjin (Three Gods). It was the primary place of worship for the lords of Kumamoto Castle during the Edo period. The shrine was destroyed by fire in 1877 during the Satsuma Rebellion and later moved to its present location and rebuilt. Every September they hold the Annual Autumn Festival of Fujisaki Hachiman-gu Shrine with a procession of accompanying soldiers and elaborately decorated horses.

Now revealed that they have been abusing horses at anual events for long time. Traditons?? religeon?? They should close the horific events to a buseing innocents animals...
Izumi Shrine

3.5

71 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Kumamoto-shi Chuo-ku Suizenji Park 8-1

This Shinto shrine is located inside Suizenji Jojuen Garden, a Momoyama-style circular strolling garden. The shrine was erected in 1878 to pray for the restoration of the local area, a castle town beneath Kumamoto Castle which was devastated by the Satsuma Rebellion. The shrine is principally dedicated to Hosokawa Fujitaka, founder of the Hosokawa clan; Hosokawa Tadaoki, the second Hosokawa lord; Hosokawa Tadatoshi, the third Hosokawa lord; and Hosokawa Shigekata, the eighth Hosokawa lord. The shrine is also dedicated to later lords of the Hosokawa clan as well as Gracia, wife of Tadaoki. The current shrine was rebuilt in 1973 after the original was damaged during World War II. The shrine is still widely visited and is believed to grant worshipers luck in scholarly, martial, and industrial endeavors.

스이젠지 공원 내부를 돌다보면 만날 수 있는 아담한 신사입니다. 호소카와 가문 일부 인물들의 위패를 모시고 있으며 이따금 종교적인 행사가 열리기도 한답니다.
Hitoyoshijo Castle History Museum

4.0

39 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Pref. Hitoyoshishi Fumotomachi 18-4

Located on the site of Hitoyoshi Castle, this museum has displays on the construction and history of the castle, including the 12-meter long Kuma Ezu diagram. A reconstructed stone cellar gives you a chance to see the masonry of that period. These are quite rare in Japan. They also have facilities for meetings and trainings, and locals use it as a place to study.

人吉城跡は、天守閣などの建物はほとんど残っていません。代わりに、こちらの歴史館で見たり学んだらすることができます。土日には、歴史館近くにある門櫓という横長の建物も見学できます。
Yamaga Lanterns Folk Crafts Museum

4.0

54 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Pref. Yamagashi Yamaga 1606-2

"A museum with a collection of beautiful Yamaga lanterns, a designated National Traditional Craft Product. The museum building, a Romanesque structure built in 1925, is designated a national Tangible Cultural Property. Yamaga lanterns are crafted using just Japanese washi paper and a small amount of glue making use of traditional techniques passed down since the distant Muromachi period. Due to their delicate subtlety, they have even been acclaimed as the pinnacle of Japanese washi paper crafts. The museum's renowned collection consists of numerous beautiful examples of Yamaga lanterns, including famous kintoro ""gold"" lanterns crafted in fanciful styles such as ""shinden-zukuri"" (""palatial"") and ""torikago"" (""birdcage""). Visitors can also watch live demonstrations of lanterns being made and make a mini lantern (advance reservation required)."

This museum is located near Sakurayu. The building that houses the museum used to be a bank, and the building itself is worth taking a picture of. Beside displays of lanterns, there are many maquette...
Tawarayama Koryukan Moe no Sato

4.0

40 Reviews

Shopping

Kumamoto Pref. Asogunnishiharamura Komori 2115-3

This community center is in Nishihara Village, Aso County. They have a produce stand selling local vegetables as well as prepared products like original shochu liquor made from local sweet potatoes, confections, and pickled vegetables. They display the work of the Kumamoto born calligrapher Soun Takeda too.

南阿蘇村から県道２８号線を熊本市内方面へと向かっていました。阿蘇の外輪山である俵山を過ぎると長い下りが続いていて、しばらく下ると、道の左手に「俵山交流館...
Mifune Dinosaur Museum

4.0

30 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kumamoto Pref. Kamimashikigunmifunemachi Mifune 995-6

A Tyrannosaurus rex stands at the entrance to Mifune Dinosaur Museum, looking as if it is about to move even now. The museum is arranged into five permanent exhibit zones including dinosaur skeletons and fossils. Of these the most impressive is the “dinosaur evolution parade” with displays focused around dinosaur bones. The Pterosaur in the ceiling is so dynamic that it looks as if it is really flying. At the museum’s “open laboratory” one can watch staff doing work such as cleaning fossils up close. This is a museum where the history and evolution of animals come alive.

熊本城を見に行ったついでに笑ここに寄らせて頂きました＾＾。個人的に恐竜がめっちゃ好きで、福井県の勝山市にも大きい博物館がありますが、まだいっておりませんｗカナダにもめっちゃいおおきいのがありますよね-- さて、ここはかなり田舎でのどかな風景が心を癒してくれますね-- で、つくとかなり綺麗な建物で、現在も発掘していて、いろいろこじんまりとした化石があります。恐竜の骨組みは、レプリ...
Eikokuji Temple (Ghost Temple)

4.0

55 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kumamoto Pref. Hitoyoshishi Dotemachi 5

"This historic Soto sect Zen Buddhist temple is the ninth stop on the Higo pilgrimage to 33 sites sacred to the bodhisattva Kannon. Also known as the Ghost Temple, it has a hanging scroll depicting a ghost from a temple legend that has been passed down since ancient times. The pond behind the main hall is where the ghost was said to have appeared. They have a popular Ghost Festival every August, where for one night only they open a ""Ghost House"" and various festival stands set up shop."

永国寺と言えば別名を幽霊寺とも言うそうです。お寺の横の駐車場に車を停めて、立派な門をくぐり透けて進むと、本堂がありました。本堂には、自由に入ることができました。正面の仏様にお参りを済ませた後、改めて本堂を見渡すと、側面の壁に「幽霊が描かれている掛け軸」が下げられていました。この幽霊の掛け軸は、こちらのお寺を開いた和尚さんが書かれたものと伝えられているそうです。本堂から奥に進むと、庭が見え...

Kumamoto

Kumamoto City Kikuchi / Yamaga Arao Tamana Aso Yatsushiro / Uki / Kamimashiki Amakusa

Travel / Tourism History / Culture / Tour

Reference/Local/Exhibition/Literature Museum Shrine Castle / Ruins of Castle Historical Monument Temple Church Ruin / Grave / Ancient Tomb Memorial Hall Cultural Property Event Hall / Public Hall Art Museum Museum / Science Museum Other Historic Site/Building

Kumamoto Areas

Kumamoto lies in the center of Kyushu, a calm prefecture perfect for easy strolls around the historic center and lazy evenings in the natural hot springs at Kurokawa Onsen. For a slightly more strenuous activity, head to Mount Aso, whose surrounding hills offer hiking opportunities aplenty with views over the active volcano.