Yatsushiro / Minamata / Kuma

Top Things to do

• Kumagawa Kasenjiki Sports Park

  Kumamoto Pref. Yatsushiroshi Watashimachi 1303

  This large park running north-south along the Kuma River is approximately ten minutes on foot from JR Yatsushiro Station. It has a baseball and soccer fields, and people play softball there too. It also acts as the venue for various local events, as well as the turning point for a long-distance relay race. The park hosts the Yatsuhiro National Fireworks Competition every October, with perfect views of the powerful display launched just in front of the seating area.

• Yunoko Cherry Line

  Minamata City, Kumamoto Prefecture

  This popular cherry blossom viewing spot is approximately 20 minutes by car from Tsunagi Interchange. Its rows of cherry trees stretch for five kilometers along the Minamata Cherry Line on the Yunoko Coast. The area gets packed with visitors who come to see the blossoms of its nearly 300 Yoshino cherry trees when they're in full bloom from late March to early April. The Yunoko Onsen Sakura Festival takes place during this period, when they run 30-minute rides on a flower-viewing tour boat (reservations required), festival stalls spring up along the road selling fare like sweet dango dumplings, and visitors sip sakura-cha, tea laced with cherry petals.

• Kyusendo (Kyusen Cave)

  Kumamoto Pref. Kumagunkumamura Ose 1121

  This station on the JR Hisatsu Line connects Yatsushiro Station in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture to Hayato Station in Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture. A total of eight trains stop there in a day from either direction from six in the morning to ten at night. Besides shops for specialty goods, hot springs and lodging facilities in the vicinity, there are also tourist attractions such as caves, waterfalls, shrines and temples. Discovered in 1973, the 4.8 kilometer cave is the largest limestone cave in Kyushu, and you can take a free shuttle bus from the nearest train station if you contact the cave installation operator.

• Orange Restaurant Express

  4.5

  14 Reviews

  Kumamoto Pref. Yatsushiroshi Shin-Yatsushiro Station - Sendai Station

  Enjoy a meal while rolling down the tracks on this dining train run by the Hisatsu Orange Railway. They serve a variety of fare depending on which train you take, including baked goods and coffee for breakfast, lunch with authentic French cuisine, and delicious dinners you can enjoy while taking in the sunset.

• DEN-EN Symphony Happiness Train

  Hitoyoshi City Kumamoto Prefecture Hitoyoshi Onsen Station-Yumae Station

  This luxury sightseeing train running from Hitoyoshi Onsen Station to Yumae Station offers a relaxing ride while taking in the scenery of the Kuma region. Operated by the Kumagawa Railway, the colorful seats and other aspects of the interior have seasonal designs. The train slows down while passing sights along the way. Their Hospitality Corps provides services to passengers at the stations the train stops at.

• Ashikita Seaside General Park

  Kumamoto Pref. Ashikitagunashikitamachi Tsurugiyama 1400

  Located adjacent to Tsurugahama Beach, this park has fun activities for kids and adults alike. Try out their Zorb that lets you roll downhill in an inflatable sphere, or race along on their Roller Luge, an attraction that got its start in New Zealand. Other facilities include an inline-skate park and roller rink, as well as an obstacle course.

• Roadside Station Ashikita Dekopon

  4.0

  9 Reviews

  Kumamoto Pref. Ashikitagunashikitamachi Sashiki 443

  This roadside station is in Ashikita Town, Ashikita County. It has a farmers market run by JA Ashikita that sells seasonal vegetables, including a local specialty fruit called dekopon. They also offer Ashikita beef, fresh fish, prepared products, and their popular homemade omanju buns and sekihan red beans and rice. There's a restaurant and a tourist information center too.

• Roadside Station Ono Onsen

  4.5

  3 Reviews

  Kumamoto Pref. Ashikitagunashikitamachi Amatsuki 1000

  This roadside station is in Ashikita Town, Ashikita County. Surrounded by greenery, it provides tourist information and sells locally harvested vegetables and handmade prepared items. Its restaurant offers a healthy buffet featuring lots of local vegetables. They also have an on-site ground golf course and a hot spring facility.

• Otachimisaki Park

  4.5

  10 Reviews

  Kumamoto Pref. Ashikitagunashikitamachi Tanouramachi 145

  A park located in Ashikita Town, Ashikita County, Kumamoto Prefecture. The park's full array of facilities includes lawn skiing, slides, tennis courts, a fishing ground, putting golf course, and campground. In summer, the park's beach, the largest artificial beach in the prefecture, attracts large numbers of visitors. The park is also a renowned destination for flower viewing, with some 1,300 Yoshino cherries growing along the road, and during the blooming season the park bustles with visitors.