Kumamoto literally means the origin of the bear, but the gag is there are no bears in Kumamoto!
However, their mascot is Kumamon, a black bear with red cheeks. You can see him all over Kumamoto and the bear is illustrated on all the souvenir goods. Many tourists go to Kumamoto solely for the Kumamon souvenirs, but the mascot isn’t the only symbol for Kumamoto. The people in Kumamoto take pride in their castle and produce from their local farms. Kumamoto also loves their drinkable underground water, which was named number one in Japan and the rarest system in the entire world.
Too bad I couldn’t take in all of what Kumamoto had to offer due to the rain. I was not only looking forward to seeing the castle, but also going to the rural farm areas of Aso. I guess that gives me a reason to go back again some other time!
Kumamoto Castle
A major symbolic landmark, Kumamoto is considered one of the top three greatest castles in Japan. This black and white fortress was constructed in 1601 for the domain lord Kato Kiyomasa. The castle features a special kind of stone walls, designed during that time, to resist intruders. In the spring time you can enjoy seeing the beautiful flowers of the Cherry Blossom trees.
Tragically, in 2016 there was an earthquake that hit Kumamoto hard which produced massive landslides leaving many people homeless and taking the lives of 50 people. In addition, a couple of structures within the castle property were severely damaged, including stones from the walls, tiles from the roof, and ornaments on the castle. For safety reasons, there is a fence and signs blocking visitors from entering the premises. It was pouring rain when I visited the castle, so I couldn’t really capture a good picture of what I could see of the castle.
The restoration of the castle is an ongoing progress for the next 20 years. For more information on how to access the castle click on the Kumamoto Castle button below.
SAKURANOBABA JOSAIEN
Josaien, resembling the 400-year old castletown of the Edo period is located at the foot of Kumamoto Castle. The literal translation of the Japanese of Sakuranobaba Josaien is “horse-riding ground of the cherry blossoms castle garden”. I couldn’t get a clear answer as to why the town was given this name, other than the fact that there are cherry blossoms in the area, and the area may have once been a garden.
Sakuranokoji is the collection of 23 shops selling goods unique to Kumamoto. As a popular tourist attraction, you can buy Kumamoto local foods, Kumamon souvenirs, and enjoy various events and performances on the center stage in the town. I bought a couple souvenirs from here and ate dorayaki- two Japanese pancakes with sweet red bean paste spread in the middle.
SHOPPING ARCADE
When you think of an “arcade”, a place where coin-operated games are played and prizes are won comes to mind. But here in Japan, a shopping arcade is a series of stores and restaurants on a long street under a covered roof. It’s similar to outlet malls, but the stores aren’t discount factory stores. I spent the second half of my day walking in the arcade and other department stores because of the rain.
By the way, these shopping arcade are all over Japan. My favorite one is the covered markets in Kyoto. Check out the Kyoto page for more information.
Contemporary Art Museum
Visiting local city art museums is also a nice activity to do on rainy days. The CAM is next door to a shopping arcade. On display in this museum which I visited was an interesting exhibit by an artist from Tokyo whose paintings were inspired by his memories of various cities around the world. You can check out the video clip to get a feel of the exhibition.
Access
Torichosuji tram stop
Transportation
Kumamoto has city buses, airport limousine buses, and a city streetcar. I rode all three during my stay and found that the streetcar was the best way to travel throughout the city. The streetcar is faster than the local buses because it runs along a dedicated lane on the street. It’s also cheaper because it charges one-flat rate, while the bus fare increases the further you travel along its route.
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