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is the capital
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of
Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a population of 1,461,000, as of the 2000 census. , Kumamoto Metropolitan Employment Area has a GDP of US$39.8 billion. It is not considered part of the Fukuoka–Kitakyushu metropolitan area, despite their shared border. The city was designated on April 1, 2012, by government ordinance.


History


Early modern period


Shokuhō period

Katō Kiyomasa, a contemporary of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was made '' daimyō'' of half of the (old) administrative region of Higo in 1588. Afterwards, Kiyomasa built Kumamoto Castle. Due to its many innovative defensive designs, Kumamoto Castle was considered impenetrable, and Kiyomasa enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest castle-builders in Japanese history.


Edo period

After Kiyomasa died in 1611, his son, Tadahiro, succeeded him. In 1632, Tadahiro was removed by Tokugawa Iemitsu and replaced with the Hosokawa clan. Hosokawa Tadatoshi, the third lord of Kumamoto, was the patron of the artist and swordsman Miyamoto Musashi File:Statue of Hosokawa Tadatoshi.jpg, Statue of Hosokawa Tadatoshi within Suizen-ji Jōju-en. File:Hosokawa clan.jpg,
Mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * An ...
of the Hosokawa clan. File:Hidari mitsudomoe.svg,
Mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * An ...
of Miyamoto Musashi born in Ōhara-chō province of Mimasaka. File:Tokugawa shogunate.jpg,
Mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * An ...
of Tokugawa Shogunate. , Statue of Miyamoto Musashi à Ōhara-chō.


Late modern period


Meiji period

The current administrative body of the City of Kumamoto was founded on April 1, 1889.


Showa period

On July 1, 1945, near the end of World War II, Kumamoto was bombed in an Allied air raid that destroyed one square mile, which was 20% of the city's area.


Contemporary history


After WWII

After the war, the Japanese Buddhist monk Nichidatsu Fujii decided to construct a
Peace Pagoda A Peace Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa; a monument to inspire peace, designed to provide a focus for people of all races and creeds, and to help unite them in their search for world peace. Most, though not all, peace pagodas built since World War II ...
atop Mount Hanaoka in the city to commemorate all those lost in war and to promote peace. Inaugurated in 1954, it was the first of over 80 Peace Pagodas built by Fujii and his followers all over the world.


Heisei period

On February 1, 1991, the towns of Akita, Kawachi, Tenmei, and Hokubu (all from Hōtaku District) were merged into Kumamoto. On October 6, 2008, the town of Tomiai (from Shimomashiki District) was merged into Kumamoto. On March 23, 2010, the town of Jōnan (also from Shimomashiki District) and the town of Ueki (from Kamoto District) were merged into Kumamoto.都道府県別市町村変更情報:福岡
." kokudo.or.jp. Retrieved on November 22, 2008.
A series of earthquakes struck the area beginning April 14, 2016, including a tremor with moment magnitude 7.1 early in the morning of April 16, 2016.


Geography


Climate

Kumamoto has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
( Köppen climate classification ''Cfa'') with hot, humid summers and cool winters. There is significant precipitation throughout the year, especially during June and July. The average annual temperature in Kumamoto is . The average annual rainfall is with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Kumamoto was on 17 July 1994; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 11 February 1929.


Area


Wards

Since April 1, 2012, Kumamoto has five wards ''(ku)'':


Surrounding municipalities

; Kumamoto Prefecture *
Uki Uki or UKI may refer to: *Uki Goñi, writer, journalist and musician *Uki, New South Wales, an Australian town *Uki, Kumamoto, a Japanese city *Uki Island in Solomon Islands * ''Uki'' (TV series), a pre-school animated television programme from Bel ...
* Kikuchi * Tamana *
Uto Uto, Utö, or Utō may refer to: People Given name * Uto Ughi (born 1944), Italian violinist and conductor * Uto Wunderlich (born 1946), German sports shooter Surname * Datu Uto (died c. 1900), 18th Sultan of Buayan, Mindanao * Fumiaki Uto, Jap ...
* Yamaga * Kōshi *
Mashiki is a town located in Kamimashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. As of March 2017, the town has an estimated population of 33,001 and a density of 500 persons per km². The total area is 65.67 km². Kumamoto Airport is located in Ma ...
* Kōsa * Kashima * Kikuyō *
Mifune Mifune () is a Japanese name, Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Toshirō Mifune (三船 敏郎) (1920–1997), Japanese actor who appeared in almost 170 feature films *Jiro Mifune (born 1972), game designer *Mifune Chizuko ...
* Gyokuto


Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Kumamoto in 2020 is 738,865 people. Kumamoto has been conducting censuses since 1920.


Government

Kazufumi Ōnishi has been the city's mayor since December 2014.


Working mother incident

In November 2017, Kumamoto politician
Yuka Ogata is a Japanese local politician and a member of the Kumamoto City Assembly. She was first elected in the 2015 local elections, winning 4,196 votes in the Higashi Ward of Kumamoto. Before entering public office, Ogata was an officer in the Yemen ...
was forced to leave the Kumamoto municipal assembly because she had brought her baby. The incident was reported by international media as an example of the challenges facing women in Japan.


Transportation

Local public transport is provided by the Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau.


Airways


Airports

Kumamoto Airport is located in nearby
Mashiki is a town located in Kamimashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. As of March 2017, the town has an estimated population of 33,001 and a density of 500 persons per km². The total area is 65.67 km². Kumamoto Airport is located in Ma ...
.


Railways


High-speed rail

On March 12, 2011, work on the shinkansen (high-speed bullet train) network was completed, establishing a direct high-speed rail link to Tokyo via Fukuoka's
Hakata is a ward of the city of Fukuoka in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Many of Fukuoka Prefecture and Fukuoka City's principal government, commercial, retail and entertainment establishments are located in the district. Hakata-ku is also the locatio ...
station. ;
Kyushu Railway Company The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait ...
(JR Kyushu) * Kyushu Shinkansen:- Kumamoto Station -


Conventional lines

The JR Kumamoto station provides rail links to Japan's extensive rail network. ;
Kyushu Railway Company The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait ...
(JR Kyushu) * Kagoshima Main Line:- Tabaruzaka - Ueki - Nishizato - Sōjōdaigakumae - Kami-Kumamoto - Kumamoto - Nishi-Kumamoto - Kawashiri - Tomiai - * Hōhi Main LineKumamoto - Heisei - Minami-Kumamoto - Shin-Suizenji - Suizenji - Tōkai-Gakuen-mae - Tatsutaguchi - Musashizuka - Hikarinomori - ; Kumamoto Electric Railway * Kikuchi LineKami-Kumamoto - Kankanzaka - Ikeda Station - Uchigoshi - Tsuboigawa-kōen - Kita-Kumamoto -
Kamei Kamei ( 亀 井, "turtle well") is a Japanese surname. *Japanese clan, Kamei clan People that have the name include: *Akiko Kamei, politician *Eri Kamei, member of Morning Musume *Fumio Kamei, documentary film director *, Japanese fencer * Hirotad ...
- Hakenomiya - Horikawa - * Fujisaki LineKita-Kumamoto - Kurokamimachi - Fujisakigū-mae


Tramways

Trams run to a few suburbs near the downtown area. ; Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau


Bus

A large bus terminus, called the Kotsu Centre, provides access to both local and intercity destinations.


Taxi

Several local taxi companies serve the Kumamoto metropolitan area and are the only 24-hour public transport in the city.


Roads


Expressways

*
Kyushu Expressway ( Asian Highway Network ) is one of the Expressways of Japan from Kitakyūshū (and the bridge to Honshū) to west of Kagoshima linking with the Higashikyushu Expressway and the Ibusuki Skyline. It runs through the prefectures of Fukuoka Pref ...


Japan National Route

*
Japan National Route 3 is a major highway on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. It connects the prefectural capital cities of Kagoshima (Kagoshima Prefecture), Kumamoto (Kumamoto Prefecture), and Fukuoka (Fukuoka Prefecture), passing through Kurume as well. Its north ...
* Japan National Route 57 * Japan National Route 208 *
Japan National Route 218 National Route 218 is a national highway of Japan connecting Chūō-ku, Kumamoto, and Nobeoka, Miyazaki is a city located in the north of Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, the city has an estimated population of 119,521 and a po ...
*
Japan National Route 219 National Route 219 is a national highway of Japan connecting Chūō-ku, Kumamoto and Miyazaki, Miyazaki is the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1924. As of July 2022, the ...
* Japan National Route 266 *
Japan National Route 387 National Route 387 is a national highway of Japan connecting Usa, Ōita and Kita-ku, Kumamoto is one of the five wards of Kumamoto City, Japan. Meaning literally "north ward," it is bordered by the Nishi-ku, Chūō-ku, Higashi-ku and al ...
* Japan National Route 443 *
Japan National Route 445 National Route 445 is a national highway of Japan connecting Chūō-ku, Kumamoto and Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto is a city in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on February 11, 1942. the city has an estimated population of 30,752 and a ...
*
Japan National Route 501 National Route 501 is a national highway of Japan connecting between Omuta, Fukuoka and Uto, Kumamoto in Japan, with total length has 47.1 km (29.3 mi). References 501 __NOTOC__ Year 501 ( DI) was a common year starting on ...


Seaways


Seaports

*Port of Kumamoto


Ferry

*Kyusyu Shosen:Kumamoto - Shimabara *Kumamoto-Ferry:Kumamoto - Shimabara *Korean Marine Transport:Kumamoto - Busan


Education


Universities

* Kumamoto University * Prefectural University of Kumamoto * Kumamoto Gakuen University *
Sojo University is a private university in Nishi-ku, Kumamoto, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea o ...
*
Kyūshū Lutheran College has its roots in Kyushu Jo-Gakuin (九州女学院), originally established as a girl's high school in 1926. A women's junior college A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational i ...
*
Shokei College is a private university in Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japa ...
*
Shokei Gakuin University is a private university in Natori, Miyagi, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, w ...
* Tokai University


Landmarks


Kumamoto Castle

The city's most famous landmark is Kumamoto Castle, a large and once extremely well fortified Japanese castle. The '' donjon'' (castle central keep) is a concrete reconstruction built in the 1970s, but several ancillary wooden buildings from the original castle remain. The castle was assaulted during the Satsuma Rebellion and sacked and burned after a 53-day siege. It was during this time that the tradition of eating '' basashi'' (raw horse meat) originated. ''Basashi'' remains popular in Kumamoto and, to a lesser extent, elsewhere in Japan, although these days it is usually considered a delicacy. Within the outer walls of Kumamoto Castle is the Hosokawa Gyobu-tei, the former residence of the Higo '' daimyō''. This traditional wooden mansion has a fine Japanese garden located on its grounds.


Religious sites

The first of many
peace pagoda A Peace Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa; a monument to inspire peace, designed to provide a focus for people of all races and creeds, and to help unite them in their search for world peace. Most, though not all, peace pagodas built since World War II ...
s around the world was erected by Japanese Buddhist monk Nichidatsu Fujii atop
Mount Hanaoka Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...
beginning 1947. Inaugurated in 1954, it was the first of over 80 built by Fujii and his followers all over the world. Kumamoto is also the location of
Takahashi Inari Shrine Takahashi Inari Shrine (高橋稲荷神社, ''Takahashi inari jinja'') is a Shinto Inari shrine, dedicated to the worship of the kami Inari. It is located in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of K ...
and Fujisaki Hachimangū.


Suizenji area

Kumamoto is home to Suizen-ji Jōju-en, a formal garden neighboring Suizenji Temple approximately 3 kilometers southeast of Kumamoto Castle. Suizenji Park is also home to the Suizenji Municipal Stadium, where the city's
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team, Roasso Kumamoto, used to play regularly. The team now uses the larger
KKWing Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Higashi-ku, Kumamoto, Japan. It is currently used mostly for association football matches – it is home to club Roasso Kumamoto – and sometimes for Top League rugby games. The stadium holds 32,000 people. With ...
in Higashi Ward.


Other notable sites

Miyamoto Musashi lived the last part of his life in Kumamoto. His tomb and the cave where he resided during his final years (known as
Reigandō is a cave that lies to the west of Kumamoto, Japan, that became a temporary home to the legendary rōnin, Miyamoto Musashi. From 1643, Musashi spent many of his last months in the cave, meditating and writing his ''Book of Five Rings''. The cave i ...
, or "spirit rock cave") are situated close by. He penned the famous ''Go Rin no Sho'' ('' The Book of Five Rings'') whilst living here. The downtown area has a commercial district centred on two shopping arcades, the Shimotori and Kamitori, which extend for several city blocks. The main department stores are located here along with a large number of smaller retailers, restaurants, and bars. Many local festivals are held in or near the arcades. Cultural venues include the
Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art opened in the precincts of Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto, Japan in 1976. It is one of Japan's many museums which are supported by a prefecture. The permanent collection focuses on the art and crafts of Kumamoto Prefecture and also contains works by ...
and
Kumamoto Prefectural Theater is a centre for the performing arts in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. History It opened in 1982 and has two main spaces: a concert hall that seats 1,813 and a theatre that seats 1,183. Maekawa Kunio was the architect, with acoustical ...
.


Culture


Sports


Sports teams

; Baseball * Hinokuni Salamanders of the baseball Kyusyu Asia League are based in Kumamoto. ;
Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
* Roasso Kumamoto in
J.League The , officially is Japan's professional football league including the first division J1 League, second division J2 League and third division J3 League of the Japanese association football league system. J1 League is one of the most successfu ...
is the local football club. ; Basketball * Kumamoto Volters of the basketball
B.League The B.League is a professional men's basketball league that began in Japan in September 2016. The league is operated by the Japan Professional Basketball League and was formed as a result of a merger between the National Basketball League that w ...
are based in Kumamoto. ; Volleyball *
Forest Leaves Kumamoto A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
of the Volleyball V.LeagueV2)are based in Kumamoto. File:Fujisakidai Baseball Stadium Kumamoto.jpg, Kumamoto Fujisakidai Baseball Stadium File:Kumamoto kkw.JPG, Egao Kenko Stadium File:Kumamoto-pref synthesis gymnasium 1.jpg, Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium File:Kumamoto-city synthesis gymnasium 1.jpg, Kumamoto City Synthesis Gymnasium


Sporting events

The
Kumamoto Castle Marathon The is an annual marathon sporting event in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is border ...
is a yearly event in Kumamoto City. It was established in commemoration of Kumamoto becoming a designated city in 2012. The city also hosted the
1997 World Men's Handball Championship The 1997 World Men's Handball Championship was the 15th team handball World Championship. It was held in Kumamoto, Japan and was the first World Championship not played in a European country. Russia won the championship. Qualification Venues ...
and the
2019 World Women's Handball Championship The 2019 IHF World Women's Handball Championship, the 24th event hosted by the International Handball Federation, was held in Japan from 30 November to 15 December 2019. The Netherlands won their first title after defeating Spain in the final. ...
.


External relations


Twin towns/sister cities

Kumamoto City is twinned with the following cities.


International

* Billings, Montana, United States * Bristol, South West England, United Kingdom * Guilin,
Guangxi Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic ...
, People's Republic of China * Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (since 1992) *
Helena, Montana Helena (; ) is the capital city of Montana, United States, and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush, and established on October 30, 1864. Due to the gold rush, Helena would ...
, United States * San Antonio, Texas, United States (since 1987) * Ulsan, South Korea (since 2010) *
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung City (Mandarin Chinese: ; Wade–Giles: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;'' Pinyin: ''Gāoxióng'') is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsi ...
, Taiwan (since 2017)


Notable people

* Aimer, pop singer and lyricist. * Chisato Moritaka, pop singer and lyricist. * Eiichiro Oda, manga artist, author of '' One Piece.'' * Go Shiozaki, Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion and Chairman of the Noah Wrestlers' Association. * Higonoumi Naoya,
sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...
wrestler. * Inoue Kowashi, statesman. * Isao Yukisada, film director. *
Kaji Yajima was the founder of the Women's Reform Society and president of Japan's Woman's Christian Temperance Union. An educator, pacifist, and Christian activist, she vigorously advanced the cause for the education of women in Japan. Her name was usually ...
, educator, pacifist, president of the WCTU in Japan. *
Masahiko Kimura was a Japanese judoka and professional wrestler who is widely considered one of the greatest judoka of all time.Jim Chen, Theodore ChenThe Man Who Defeated Helio Gracie.July 3, 2003. He won the All-Japan Judo Championships three times in a row ...
, judoka. * Momoko Ueda, professional golfer. *
Noriko Kubo is a Japanese fencer. She competed in the women's individual and team épée events at the 1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as ...
, Japanese female fencer. * Rie Kugimiya, voice actress. * Sayaka Hirota, Japanese badminton player. * Sayuri Ishikawa, enka singer * Seiki Yoshioka, Japanese professional wrestler * Shōdai Naoya, sumo wrestler. *
Tochihikari Masayuki Tochihikari Masayuki (29 August 1933 – 28 March 1977) was a sumo wrestler from Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan who reached the second highest rank of ''Makuuchi#Ōzeki, ōzeki'' in 1962. He joined Kasugano stable in 1952 and reached the top ''maku ...
, sumo wrestler. *
Tadako Urata Tadako Urata (宇良田 唯子) (3 May 1873 – 18 June 1936) was a Japanese physician, trained in ophthalmology in Germany. She and her husband ran a clinic in Tianjin, China, from 1912 to 1932. Early life and education Urata was born in Ush ...
, ophthalmologist *
Yōko Shimada was a Japanese actress, best known to Western audiences for her portrayal of Mariko in the 1980 miniseries ''Shōgun''. ''Shogun'' miniseries Shimada was the only female member of ''Shōgun''s massive cast of Japanese actors shown speaking En ...
, actress. * Yokoi Shōnan, scholar and political reformer. * Yuri Masuda, vocalist from the group
m.o.v.e Move (styled as M.O.V.E or m.o.v.e, and previously as move) was a Japanese band. The band consisted of record producer and Disc jockey, DJ t-kimura (), rapper motsu () and singer Yuri (Japanese singer), yuri (). t-kimura left the band in 2009. H ...
. * Yuki Fukushima, Japanese badminton player. *
Yuta Iwasada is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher who currently plays for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball. Career Early career Yuta started his baseball career in 4th grade as an outfielder for the Wakaba Elementary School, and in ...
, Japanese baseball player.


References


External links


Kumamoto City official website


* * {{Authority control Cities in Kumamoto Prefecture Populated coastal places in Japan Port settlements in Japan Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan