Kumamoto: A Town with a Castle and a Garden

I visited Kumamoto on April 4, 2006. It was one of the stops on my Kyushu trip. I arrived via the train from Fukuoka.

Some facts about the city courtesy of japan-guide.com and jnto.go.jp:

Kumamoto, situated roughly at the center of Kumamoto Prefecture, is the administrative and economic center of the prefecture. From the early 17th century to the end of the 19th century, it was prosperous as a castle town. Shira-kawa River and its branches run through the downtown area around the Kumamoto Castle. Therefore the city is called "City of Woods and Fresh Water".

Kumamoto is also a major city on Kyushu's west coast with a population of 650,000. The city is most famous for its castle, which is one of Japan's largest.

Kumamoto Castle:

Kumamoto Castle was constructed by the Kato Clan in 1607. Half a century later, it was handed over to the Hosokawa Clan, which ruled the surrounding fief from there for over 200 years until the end of the feudal age.

In 1877, Kumamoto Castle became the site of Japan's last civil war, when an army of former samurai under Saigo Takamori unsuccessfully rose against the new Meiji government. Large parts of the castle were destroyed in that civil war.

Most of the present castle buildings, including the large and small castle towers, are reconstructions, dating from the 1960s. The interior of the castle towers is a modern museum.

(from japan-guide.com)

Sakura in full bloom at the castle grounds:












Me:





View of the city from the top:







The moat of the castle:



View from the Observation Deck of Kumamoto's City Hall:







The Main Shopping Areas, in many towns and cities in Japan, pedestrian shopping streets are totally covered to protect shoppers from the elements:







Some of your typical fast-food chains in Japan, the Lotteria chain by Lotte. I personally think it is one of the worse ones in terms of food and price. I would never eat at one unless there is nothing around.



Mister Donut, the most widely seen donut chain in Japan, since there is almost no competition in the donut category, it wins by default if you are craving a donut. The donuts are so-so...



This is KFC, except that it is like luxury fast food in Japan, ever heard of the KFC Christmas Chicken? You can *order* it for about 5250 yen ($50~)

I found this on the KFC Japan "Christmas 2007" special website, the "Kentucky Premium Roast"! (mmm....$50 for a whole chicken made with Colonel's secret spices!):





After going to Kumamoto Castle and the main commercial areas in the morning I had nothing else to do so I went to Suizenji Park in the afternoon.

Suizenji-Jojuen is a spacious, Japanese style landscape garden in Kumamoto, best enjoyed by scrolling along a circular path. It was built by the Hosokawa family in the 17th century.

The garden reproduces the 53 post stations of the Tokaido, the important road, which connected Edo with Kyoto during the Edo Period, in miniature form, including a small Mt. Fuji.

(from japan-guide.com)















Kumamoto Station, on the way to Kagoshima:





Aboard the "Relay Tsubame" train, it seems trains in Kyushu have a less utilitarian interior design to them:







I stopped at the station of Shin-Yatsushiro to change to the Kyushu Shinkansen "Tsubame" for the rest of the way to Kagoshima (the Kyushu Shinkansen line from Fukuoka to Shin-Yatsushiro is still in construction, once it is done, you will be able to take the Shinkansen from Fukuoka all the way to Kagoshima)



Inside the Kyushu Shinkansen "Tsubame" train, the interior has a Japanese style feel to it:





Summary:

Pros:

- Nice green city with a lot of fresh air
- More attractions than Fukuoka

Cons:

- Kumamoto Castle is just a replica, and therefore looks authentic from the outside but modern in the inside (in other words, just a shell)

Recommendation: Not worth visiting unless you are en route to somewhere else or you want to visit just for the sake of "been there, done that".