From Wikitravel
Kumamoto (熊本) is the capital of Kumamoto
prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan.
Understand
It has a population of about 680,000 and is famous for its large
castle, for Lake Ezu and for Suizenji Gardens.
Kumamoto means "origin of the bear", and its nickname
is Hi No Kuni (fire country), because of the nearby giant
volcano (Mt. Aso) and
Mori no Miyako (capital of the forest).
Get in
By plane
Kumamoto has an airport, recently renamed the Aso-Kumamoto
Airport, from which shuttle buses make a one-hour jaunt into the
town (¥670). There are flights to and from Tokyo Haneda, Tokyo
Narita, Osaka Itami, Kansai International, Chubu International,
Matsuyama, Naha, Amakusa, Shizuoka, and Seoul.
If arriving at Fukuoka Airport, there is a highway express bus
service (named Hinokuni-go) that will bring you to Kumamoto for
¥2000 and takes roughly 2 hours. Alternatively you can take the
subway to Hakata Station and take the JR Kagoshima Line (see
below).
By train
Kumamoto, on the JR Kagoshima Line, is easily
accessible from Hakata station in Fukuoka - the terminating stop on the San'yo
Shinkansen line. From here, three limited express trains run to
Kumamoto every hour: Two Relay Tsubame trains, and one
Ariake train. The trains make varying stops, reaching
Kumamoto in 75-85 minutes. The one-way charge is ¥3900 for a
reserved seat. The trip is covered under the Japan Rail
Pass; if you do not have a rail pass, JR Kyushu sells
discounted multiple-trip tickets. A round-trip, for example, costs
¥7000 reserved (¥3500 per person one-way) and a four-trip ticket
costs ¥12920 reserved (¥3230 per person one-way). Non-reserved
mutli-trip tickets are cheaper. More than one person can combine on
a multiple-trip ticket, in a similar fashion to the Seishun 18
Ticket, i.e. four people can travel one-way on the
four-trip ticket.
Local trains take 2 1/2 hours to reach Kumamoto (change in
Omuta) at a cost of ¥2070.
Travel times from Hakata will be reduced significantly when the
last section of the Kyushu Shinkansen becomes
fully operational in the spring of 2011.
Get around
Transportation within Kumamoto City and some of its neighboring
towns is accomplished through a fairly extensive bus system and a
simple two line tram system. City day passes are available that can
be used on both the bus system and tram lines.
By tram
One tram line runs from Kumamoto Station and the other from
Kami-Kumamoto Station. They meet near the downtown area and run
east to Kengun Machi. One trip costs ¥150.
By bus
Buses run fairly regularly from stops through Kumamoto City.
Kotsu Center, the main bus terminal, is located near the downtown
area and is easily reached by taking the tram to the Kotsu
Center-mae stop.
See
Kamikumamoto is near Kumamoto in Japan.
It is near the Fujisakidai baseball ground and the driving
school and the big town.
Get in
Very convenient are the JR train and tram.
Get around
You can bicycle around. It takes about 30 minutes by bicycle to
Kumamoto Gakuen University from Kamikumamoto.
- Kumamoto Castle 熊本城 is one of the most
beautiful castles in Japan, and the third largest. Though in
actuality the real Kumamoto Castle was burned down during the
Satsuma Rebellion in 1877, the current keep is a concrete
reconstruction built during the sixties, though some of the other
buildings are the originals, nevertheless, it is a must see
attraction which is effectively the heart of the city. A single
adult's ticket costs ¥500.
- Lake Ezu
- Suizenji Gardens 水前寺公園 is a renowned Japanese
traditional garden, considered one of the four best in Japan. You
can walk around a lovely course of trees and mini hills covered in
grass right in the middle of the city, and it feels like your in
the country side! Food stalls are also to be found in the immediate
vicinity.
- Shiki no Sato Park has its own natural hot
springs and animal park.
- Kumamoto Prefectural Traditional Crafts Center
exhibits the various traditional crafts for which Kumamoto is
well-known. (includes a gift shop)
- Honmyo-ji Temple 本妙寺 is one of the most famous
temples in Kumamoto. Honmyoji was built in honor of Kato Kiyomasa,
the builder of Kumamoto Castle. The temple is halfway up a hill at
the same level as the castle. There is a long staircase lined with
old candle stands to the temple. After the temple there is another
staircase that leads to a park at the top of the hill that has a
statue of Kato Kiyomasa and a nice view point where you can see the
castle towering over the city . In the daytime you can also see Mt.
Aso in the background. In the last weekend in March they have the
Nighttime Cherry Blossom Festival. Then they have live music and
lit up cherry blossoms and candles all the way to the top of the
hill.
- Hosokawa Gyobutei is another piucturesque
place to visit. It's the family home of the Hosokawa Clan (whose
descendent Morihiro became Prime Minister of Japan in the
1990s.)
- Hanaokayama 花岡山. Hanaokayama is a hill near Kumamoto Station. It
looks over downtown and has a great night view. On a clear day you
can see Mt. Aso towering behind the city. There is also a nice
temple and a huge shrine gate (torii) on the top. You can go up by
car, which most couples do, or hike about 15 minutes to the
top. edit
- Fujisaki Hachimangu Shrine 藤崎宮. This is the most famous shrine in the city. It
is north of Kamitori and not too far from downtown. This is the
most crowded shrine in the city every New Year`s. It is also
crowded for other festivals the most famous being the "Drunken
Horse Festival" which is held every September. edit
- Mt.
Kinpo 金峰山. is about 11 km from
downtown but when you get to the top you`ll be rewarded with a
beautiful view over Kumamoto and Nagasaki. The view of the city
lights is great and you can also see the peaks of Mt. Aso in
Kumamoto and Mt. Unzen in Nagasaki. You can take a bus to the area
but then you have to hike for about an hour to the top. On top
there is a temple and a famous fence full of locks that couples
have locked to a fence on the observation deck. There is no ropeway
so you gotta hike or take a car. edit
- Kumamoto City Hall 熊本市役所, Tetorihoncho 手取り本町. Right in the heart of downtown is city hall. If
you go to the fourteenth floor there is a free view of the castle
and downtown area. free. edit
- Kamitori上通 is one of the two most popular and
accessible shopping districts inside the city. It houses a wide
variety shops and cafes, the rear entrance opens out onto an area
where a large number of traditional Japanese restaurants are
situated.
- Shimotori下通り is the other and larger of the
two districts, the selection of the shops is very much the same as
Kamitori though naturally more comprehensive given the size. Many
backstreet shopping areas offshoot from the sides of Shimatori, so
if you're looking for something special be sure to remember
that.
- Hikari no Mori光の森 is a large shopping center.
There are many shops including: Kinokuniya, Shinseido, Mujirushi,
Starbucks café, and so on. It also contains a large cinema complex
with 9 cinema theatres.
- Tsuruya- there are 6 "Tsuruya" department
stores in Kumamoto city. They are "The Main building and the East
building of Tsuruya", "New-S" and "WINGⅡ", "Comme ca store",
"Nextage", and "Brooks Brothers". These buildings are located in
"Shimotori" or "Kamitori".
- Kumamoto Hanshin- Kumamoto Hanshin is a big
department store and it is located near the "Kumamoto castle" and
next to Kumamoto bus terminal. Kumamoto Hanshin sells goods of
"Hanshin Tigers" that is a popular Japanese baseball team.
- Rice Terrace is a general shop at
Kamitori. It is opened in November. You can buy any cute
goods at a low price. There are bags, accessories, glasses and many
goods.
- Diamond City CLAIR Shopping Mall. CLAIR as it is known by locals is the biggest
shopping mall in Kumamoto and at the time of building the biggest
mall in Kyushu. It has about 190 stores, a huge Warner Brothers
Movie Theater, and a Food Mall with some good restaurants. It is on
the far south side of the city and takes about 30-45 minutes to get
there from downtown depending on how bad traffic is.
edit
- AUNE Kumamoto, Torichosuji. This is the newest shopping mall in Kumamoto.
It just opened at the end of 2008. It is right in the heart of
downtown at the Torichosuji Tram Stop. edit
- Foreign Foods. If
you just gotta have that foreign snack or macaroni and cheese there
are a few places you can go in town. There are two Don Quixote`s,
one on Nishi Ginza St. and the other in Kami-Kumamoto. They have a
lot like Doritos, Dr. Pepper, beef jerkey, etc...In Kamitori there
is a Sony Plaza in the basement of the New-S Mall it also has many
western snacks and lots of European chocolates. Tsurya Dept. Store
has some stuff in the second basement, but it is most expensive.
Lastly, there is a small shop on the 6th floor of the Wing Gap
building, thats where to buy macaroni and cheese and root beer
among other things edit
- Shinshigai Sunroad 新市街サンロード. This is the third major arcade downtown. It is
billed as the widest arcade in Kyushu. It is known for karaoke,
pachinko, and hotels. It connects with Shimotori Arcade and Shower
Road ( an uncovered shopping street). edit
- Piacres
ピアクレス. The only shopping arcade
outside of downtown. Piacres is at the end of the tram line at
Kengun Station （健軍電停） on the east side of the city. edit
Eat
There are some unique traditional foods in Kumamoto.
- Karashirenkon辛子蓮根 is the most popular food for
visitors. It's rarely found elsewhere in Japan.
- Ikinaridango is a famous sweet. This contains
a slice of sweet potato and anko-bean paste. Visitors who come to
Kumamoto buy it for a souvenir.
- The Dipper Dan nestled right next to
Daiei is a popular ice cream and dessert parlor
located in Shimotori. Perhaps not as unique, but appears to be a
local favorite.
- Ringo no Ki is a cafe at Shimotori in
downtown. You can eat apple pie and some breads. Especially, I want
to recommend coffee and tea. The coffee beans are rare and the
taste is really good. Moreover, you can drink the tea which tastes
and smells apple.
- Basashi馬刺し is raw horse meat.
- Azuma Sushi 東寿司, 熊本市水前寺5丁目5-14 (betwee the Suizenji Park and the Kumamoto
Budokan), ☎ 096-383-2468, [1]. Probably the oldest and the best sushi
restaurant in Kumamoto: the rice for the sushi is made according to
the traditional recipe of the owner's family. Besides from sushi
you can find a lot of great Japanese foods and beverages. The place
is new clean, and comfortable; staff is nice, friendly and fast. A
must in Kumamoto! (32.792742,130.73754) edit
- Kumamoto Ramen熊本ラーメン. Kumamoto ramen is very famous edit
- Ni no
ni 弐ノ弐. There are two of them
downtown. One is just off of Shimotori on one of the side streets
south of Ginza St. The other is on Kami-no-ura St. 上乃裏通り which runs
parallel to Namigizaka St. 並木坂通り a couple blocks to the east
(Namigizaka is the continuation of Kamitori after the arcade roof
ends). Ni no ni is very famous for the gyoza 餃子. I recommend the
tan tan men 坦坦麺and Taipei Karaage 台北風唐揚げtoo. Most of the foods are
under 500 yen. So you can buy a few foods and have a beer for under
2000 yen easily. edit
- Plaza del Sol. from
7pm. this is the only Mexican
restaurant in Kumamoto. There used to be two with the same owner
but he closed one and Plaza del Sol is all we have left. There are
actual Mexicans making the food so it is pretty good. The Mexican
beer is great. It is just off of Shimotori south of Ginza. You will
see a Mexican wooden figure in Shimotori pointing to the entrance.
It can be expensive if you have more than a couple beers. Look to
spend between 2000-3000 yen. edit
- Yokobachi よこばち, Kami-no-ura St. 上之裏通り (Walk to the place where Kami-tori's roof
ends, face North (away from the roof). Go to your right 2 (maybe 3)
blocks, turn left, and look for a blue and white YOKOBACHI sign
within 20m on your left hand side. Across from one of the Ni no
Ni). open until midnight. This is a great Japanese restaurant. You can
get many traditional foods and some local stuff too. They have
outdoor and indoor seating. In the spring and fall its great
sitting outside under the stars. Menu is in Japanese only, but if
you can say the names of some local specialties or typical izakaya
dishes you might be okay. Everyone in Kumamoto knows this place so
if you cant find it just ask someone。 edit
- Sri
Lanka スリーランカ, Sannenzaka St. 三年坂通り. This place has some of the best curry in town.
The curry is spicy but the taste is amazing. I recommend the noodle
curry. Some of the side dishes such as the Sri Lanka Rolls are also
good. You can try Sri Lanka beer if you want but I wasn`t a big
fan. The lunch special is a bargain. You get curry, salad, tea, and
dessert for only 750 yen!!! This is just off of Shimotori and very
close to Daiei Dept. Store. edit
- Star of India, Sannenzaka St. 三年坂通り. This is the best Indian food in town, it is
just behind the downtown Tsutaya and between Shimotori and
Kagomachi-doori St. edit
- Second Sight, Sakae St. 栄え通り. This building has various restaurants and
places to have fun. The Swiss Bakery and Chinese restaurant are on
the first floor. The second floor is a great Italian restaurant and
the top two floors are themed karaoke rooms. You can sing in jail,
on the beach, etc...When the weather is good Second Sight has a
retractable wall that opens up and brings in the sun to the main
lobby. edit
- Yayoiken , Shimotori, Kamitori. this place is open 24 hours and there are one
in Shimotori and Kamitori. It is a great place to go when you have
been out all night drinking and are sick of McD`s. The tonkatsu is
good and the rice is all you can eat. 600-1000 yen. edit
- Goro`s. 4:30-10pm.
this is the place with the best Turkish
kebabs in Kyushu. Goro makes them fresh right in front of you from
his van. Unfortunately it isn`t downtown. If you take the tram
towards Kengun it is between the Miso Tenjin Mae and Shin Suizenji
Stops. It is an orange van behind the Mitsubishi gas station. Goro
speaks English and welcomes foreign guests. He also recently opened
up a kebab restaurant downtown near Kaminoura St. 400-550 yen. edit
- Timeless is a cafe (not a chain) with an
exceptionally nice old style atmosphere, usually playing jazz. It
is located on the right when you exit the Kamitori shopping mall.
They have an international selection of coffees (though espresso
could be added) and some European style cakes that are worth
trying.
- Pronto is an Italian-style coffee shop located
in (again) Shimotori. Aside from coffee, the selection includes
various alcoholic beverages, pizza, and desserts.
- Sinh to is a stylish cafe looking down onto
Shimotori street from the 2nd floor.
- Jeff's World Bar is a popular hang out with
English speakers. This is the main expat bar in town. It is
usually crowded on Friday and Saturday.
- The Ginza district comprises many bars and
clubs of the western style, it runs parallel to Shimotori, though
be warned the area also houses some of the city's seedier
attractions.
- Rock Bar Days, Sakaba St. 酒場通り. This is the bar with 5000 CDs. Mainly rock and
alternative music from the 70s-90s. Beer is a little expensive for
the quality at 600 yen a pop but you can tell them what you want to
hear and they`ll play it. It is a little hard to find. Sakaba St.
is just off of Shimotori. If you go down the side with the Sakaba
St. gate about 100 meters, a sign will say DAYS in black and white.
Its on the 3rd floor. edit
- Club
Django, Fuji
St.. This is the main place
for local rock, punk and metal. Sometimes touring bands from
overseas play here. Fuji Street is just off of the Shinshigai
Arcade新市街. Club Django is underground so it is easy to pass by it
without seeing it. It is almost directly accross the street from
the Comfort Inn Hotel. edit
- Drum
Be-９. This is another place for
local and national acts to be seen. Mainly rock and alternative
music. It is on the north side of downtown and just off of
Kaminoura St.上之裏通り edit
- Club
Jail. This is the most happening
club in town. Every weekend this place is pumpin` with Japanese
homies and ladies wearing almost nothing. Sometimes special
DJs will perform and so there might be a cover charge.
edit
- Shark Attack. this
is a small foreigner bar just off of Kagomachi St. 鹿児町通り its
accross from 7-11 on the 8th floor. The floor is covered in sand.
edit edit
- Bar
Sanctuary. This is a four storey
bar with areas for dancing, pool, darts, karaoke, and just
chillin`. The name recently changed but everyone still calls it by
the old name. It is just off of Shimotori and behind the Taigeki
(Bowling Alley) Building. City Hall is also very close. They used
to stay open until 10am but I think they recently changed it to
4am. edit
- Shotengai 商店街. In
Japan new bars open and shut down every day. As long as you stay in
the Shimotori/Kamitori/Shinshigai Arcade area you are bound to find
something that looks interesting. There are thousands of places to
go in that area. edit
- Good Time Charlie`s, Ginza St. 銀座通り. This bar is one of a kind. It is owned by
Charlie Nagatani, the most famous country musician in Asia. From
the 1960s-90s he played many times at the Grand Ole Opry in
Nashville. His band has shows every night of the week at the bar.
They serve Coors beer here. Its not very cheap but its worth
experiencing Japanese cowboys at least once. The bar is on Ginza
St. across from the Karaoke-kan カラオケ館building on the 5th
floor edit
- Hideout Bar Eighty One, Shiromichoudoori,
城見Buikding ２F. ９ｐｍ－６Am.
Small bar very close to Jeff's World Bar.
Sometimes many foreigners. edit
- FRESCO, Hanabatacho 11-14, KOHEN Building
2F, ☎ 096-323-1229, [2]. This
dance club is in the fairly new KOHEN building just above Zawatami
Izakaya. Some nights it gets really crowded, but its still a fun
place. edit
- Precious Kumamoto, Tetorihoncho 4-12, Fain Bldg.
5F, ☎ 096-352-2139. From 9pm until everyone is gone. Precious is nice because its a free dance club
and its open as late as you're there. Some nights it crowded and
other nights its empty. They also have a pool table.
edit
- Crossroad`s, Nishi Ginza Doori. a recently reopened international bar. it has a
nice atmosphere and sometimes can be crowded. its in the fujiichi
building on the 7th floor right across the hall from Club
Jail edit
- Cowboy
Bar, Nishi
Ginza Doori. one hour of
all you can drink for 1000yen, need i say more? Its right across
the street from the big Don Quixote store downtown 1000 yen. edit
- Cowgirl Bar, Pools Court Rd. same owners as Cowboy Bar have one with only
women serving on Pool`s Court Road, which is just one road over
from Nishi Ginza 1000 yen.
edit
- Retro Cowboy Bar, Nishi Ginza Doori. another one owned by the Cowboy Bar folks. its
just down the street from Cowboy Bar but its in the basement so its
easy to pass by. a little more expensive than the other cowboy bars
but more things to do like free karaoke and darts. 1500 yen. edit
There are several around Kumamoto and are conveniently located.
The rooms are small but have everything, including free internet.
The staff are courteous and helpful and tolerant of English
speaking guests. Breakfast was good. It is great value. You can
book on the internet but can only book a certain time in advance.
Suido cho one is well placed for tourists to Kumamoto. [[3]]
The New Sky Hotel is one of the very best, in Kumamoto. This is
where Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan stay during his visit here.
NA Hotel HOTEL KUMAMOTO NEW SKY 2 HIGASHI-AMIDAJICHO KUMAMOTO,
KUMAMOTO, 860 8575 JAPAN Hotel Reservations: 1 800 993 3563 Hotel
Front Desk: 81-96-3542111 Hotel Fax: 81-96-3548973 Check-In Time:
1:00 PM Check-Out Time: 11:00 AM [[4]]l [[5]]
Get out
Travelers would probably not want to spend too long in the city,
and may prefer to enjoy the wide range of natural surroundings
within easy reach of the city.
- Aso highland area, with an
immense caldera, numerous hot spring resorts, fine hiking courses,
and an active volcano to look down into.
- Amakusa, a chain of
islands off the west coast of Kumamoto, and not far from the south
coast of Nagasaki (to
which ferries run regularly).
- Hitoyoshi which is
famous for hot springs. There are many other places to visit
too.
- Takamori is also
interesting for Yuusui tunnel.
- Yatsushiro is
famous for igusa, the material used to make tatami mats.
- Uki is comprised of Matsubase,
Misumi, Ogawa, Shiranuhi, and Toyono
- Shiranuhi
area is on the west coast.
- Misato is famous with 3333
stone steps, the longest set in Japan.
- Siki no
Sato Park has hot springs and kangaroos. What more can you ask
for?
Shimabara/Mt. Unzen, Nagasaki- you can take the express ferry
from Kumamoto Port and be there in 30 minutes. You can see
Shimabara Castle and the onsens of Mt. Unzen
| This is a usable article. It has
information for getting in as well as some complete entries for
restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this
article, but please plunge forward and help it grow! |
Heidelberg, Germany since 1992[4]
Guilin, China
San Antonio, USA [1]
Bristol, United
Kingdom
S 
E 
Top topics
Wikis
Misc
Search
