Kumamoto 2-day itinerary

Suizenji Jojuen Garden

Suizenji Jojuen is a beautiful Japanese landscape garden. The garden, which is modeled over the 53 post stations of the historic Tokaido road, has a miniature replica of Mount Fuji amongst its attractions. The garden is laid out in a way where you hardly ever see other people when walking around the park. There are two shrines in the garden, and a lovely tea house.

Location: see map.

Read more

Former Residence of Lafcadio Hearn

Lafcadio Hearn was a Greek/Irish writer who is well known for his texts about Japan. He lived in Japan for 14 years, from 1890 to 1904, when he died. He was so fascinated by Japan and Japanese culture, that he dived in fully by getting a Japanese name, getting married and generally followed a Japanese lifestyle. His books are famous for depicting Japan, through the eyes of a foreigner, in the 1890’s. It was a period where Japan had recently opened up to the outside world, and started it’s modernization. The book “Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan” is one of his famous works. He also wrote books about Japanese legends and folklore, like the famous “Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things“. 

This is one of the houses he lived in, while residing in Japan. The house is renovated and in good condition. It’s a good oportunity to learn about Hearn, but also to have a look inside a late 1890’s Japanese home. Entrance is free of charge.

Location: see map.

Kumamoto City Hall Observation Deck

This is a bit of a hidden gem in Kumamoto. The city hall, which is located just across the street from Kumamoto Castle, has a free observation deck on the 14th floor. While offering great views of the city, it also has one of the best views of Kumamoto Castle. This is especially interesting at the moment, where the castle is under reconstruction following the tragic 2016 earthquake. Most of the castle is closed off, so it’s hard to find better views than from atop the neighboring city hall.

Location: see map.

Sakura-no-baba Josaien “Castle Town”

Sakura-no-baba Josaien “Castle Town” is a recently constructed tourist area, located just in front of Kumamoto Castle. A collection of old-style buildings contain specialty shops, restaurants and souvenir shops. Food is also sold on the street, and near the back of the area is a large stage where performances of different kinds take place throughout the day. You are likely to experience people dressed in traditional clothes, such as warriors, lords etc. The area was built to enhance the experience of visitors coming to see Kumamoto Castle.

Location: see map.

Kumamoto Castle

Kumamoto Castle is one of the three best kept castles in Japan, along with Himeji Castle and Matsumoto Castle. The castle dates as far back as 1467, and no less than 13 of the castles buildings are designated important cultural properties by the Japanese government. Sadly, the castle was badly damaged by a very large earthquake which hit Kumamoto in 2016. Many buildings and stone foundations have collapsed, and the castle is now mostly closed off for visitors due to the reconstruction efforts. As of October 2019, and small walkway into the castle area has opened to the public. The fee for the entrance goes towards the reconstruction of the beautiful castle. 

It is still possible to see parts of the castle from the outside. A good spot is at Kato Shrine, which has a good view of the main tower. Alternatively, go to the 14th floor observation deck in the City Hall.

Location: see map.

Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art

Kumamoto has a large number of interesting museums of both history and art. The Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art has changing exhibitions throughout the year – always of very high quality. The exhibits generally focus on art in Japanese history or on Japanese artists. 

If you travel with kids, then the Kumamoto City Museum might be a better choice due to it’s more kids friendly exhibits. 
Please note that the nearby Hosokawa Mansion Museum is closed for reconstruction as of 2019.

Location: see map.

? Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art official website

? Kumamoto City Museum official website

? Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto

Central Kumamoto Shopping, Dining and Entertainment

Kumamoto has a fairly large, and very lively city center. The center is comprised of multiple covered shopping arcades, full of shops, restaurants, bars, cafe’s and souvenir shops. It’s a bit of a labyrinth, but it is the perfect place to find your Kumamon souvenirs. Kumamon is the mascot of Kumamoto, and he is the most popular mascot in all of Japan. 

Just at the edge of the shopping area is the massive, and newly constructed (2019) Sakura Machi shopping center. It contains an enormous amount of shops and restaurants, and is another great place to get some shopping done. On the top of the building is a big open roof-top garden. Sakura Machi is conveniently combined with the central bus terminal.

Location: see map.

Mt. Aso Day trip

Mount Aso is Japans largest, active volcano, and it is (usually) open for tourists to visit. The area gets closed off by the authorities every now and then, if it is unsafe though. So check the current restriction information before going. There are a few differents ways you can get to Mt. Aso and have the biggest nature experience of your life:

How to get to Mt. Aso

Rent a car: The easiest way is to rent a car and drive there yourself. If you drive, you should aim for Asosanjoyuryo Parking Lot which is the highest you can go by car. From there, you can take the Aso San Ropeway (if the area is open). The drive takes about 75 minutes from central Kumamoto.

Public transportation: the train line which runs north of the volcano was destroyed in 2016, and is not repaired yet. Therefore, it is not possible to get to the JR Aso Station. Your best chance, by public transport, is to take the train from Kumamoto Station to Higo-Ozu Station, from there a bus to Aso Station, and from Aso Station another bus to Asosan-nishieki (ropeway station). It can take as much as 3 hours under the current conditions. 

Alternatively take a highway bus from Kumamoto Station to Aso Station (1530 yen) and then another bus from Aso Station to Asosan-nishieki (630 yen)

? Kyushu Bus Booking

? Sankobus website

Arranged tour: book a guided tour by bus, and all the transport problems will be resolved. There are quite a few tours available. One option is the “Around Aso Daytour” which departs from Higo-Ozu Station (easy to get to). The tour doesn’t focus solely on the top of the crater, but rather focuses on the nice views of the crater form around in the caldera. Therefore, this tour is also much less prone to cancellations due to closing of the area. 

Book Around Aso Day Tour