![Kumamoto Station west gate2021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Kumamoto_Station_west_gate2021.jpg)
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
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 () and has a geographic area of . Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture to the northeast, M ...
on the island of
Kyushu,
Japan. , the city has an estimated
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
of 738,907 and a
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
of 1,893 people per km
2. The total area is 390.32 km
2.
had a population of 1,461,000, as of the 2000 census. , Kumamoto
Metropolitan Employment Area
is a definition of metropolitan areas used in Japan, defined by the Center for Spatial Information Service of the University of Tokyo. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry defined 233 areas for the UEAs of Japan. It is different from ...
has a GDP of US$39.8 billion. It is not considered part of the
Fukuoka–Kitakyushu
is the most common name given to the region comprising the metropolitan areas of the cities of Fukuoka and Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan and in between. Alternate names are many, including Kitakyushu-Fukuoka Greater Metropolitan Regio ...
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
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. His court title was Higo-no-kami. His name as a child was ''Yashamaru'', and first name was ''Toranosuke''. He was one of Hideyoshi's Seven Spears of Shizugatake.
Biography ...
, a contemporary of
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
, otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...
, was made ''
daimyō
were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominal ...
'' of half of the (old) administrative region of
Higo in 1588.
Afterwards, Kiyomasa built
Kumamoto Castle
is a hilltop Japanese castle located in Chūō-ku, Kumamoto, in Kumamoto Prefecture. It was a large and well fortified castle. The is a concrete reconstruction built in 1960, but several ancillary wooden buildings remain of the original 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
Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川 家光, August 12, 1604 – June 8, 1651) was the third ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada with Oeyo, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lady Kasuga was his wet nurse, who a ...
and replaced with the
Hosokawa clan
The is a Japanese Samurai kin group or clan.
Ancestors
# Emperor Jimmu
# Emperor Suizei
# Emperor Annei
# Emperor Itoku
# Emperor Kōshō
# Emperor Kōan
# Emperor Kōrei
# Emperor Kōgen
# Emperor Kaika
# Emperor Sujin
# Emperor Sui ...
.
Hosokawa Tadatoshi
was a Japanese samurai ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Hosokawa Tadatoshi"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 359 細川忠利at ''Nihon jinmei daijiten''; retrieved 2013-5-29. He was the head of Kumamoto Domai ...
, the third lord of Kumamoto, was the patron of the artist and
swordsman
Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to an ...
Miyamoto Musashi
, also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin, who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship a ...
File:Statue of Hosokawa Tadatoshi.jpg, Statue of Hosokawa Tadatoshi
was a Japanese samurai ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Hosokawa Tadatoshi"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 359 細川忠利at ''Nihon jinmei daijiten''; retrieved 2013-5-29. He was the head of Kumamoto Domai ...
within Suizen-ji Jōju-en
is a '' tsukiyama'' Japanese garden located within in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The main ''tsukiyama'' is a representation of Mount Fuji. Lord Hosokawa Tadatoshi began construction of the garden in 1636 as a tea retreat. The park was named af ...
.
File:Hosokawa clan.jpg, Mon of the Hosokawa clan.
File:Hidari mitsudomoe.svg, Mon of Miyamoto Musashi
, also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin, who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship a ...
born in Ōhara-chō province of Mimasaka.
File:Tokugawa shogunate.jpg, Mon of Tokugawa Shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
.
, Statue of Miyamoto Musashi
, also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin, who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship a ...
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
was a Japanese Buddhist monk, and founder of the Nipponzan-Myōhōji order of Buddhism. He is best known for his decision in 1947 to begin constructing Peace Pagodas in many locations around the world as shrines to world peace.
Fujii was born ...
decided to construct a
Peace Pagoda 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
is a Japanese name and may refer to:
Places
* 8182 Akita, a main-belt asteroid
* Akita Castle, a Nara period fortified settlement in Akita, Japan
* Akita Domain, also known as Kubota Domain, feudal domain in Edo period Japan
* Akita, Kumamoto ...
,
Kawachi,
Tenmei
is a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', literally "years name") for the years between the An'ei Era and before the Kansei Era, from April 1781 through January 1789. The reigning emperor was .
Change of era
* 1781 : The new era name of Tenm ...
, 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
The moment magnitude scale (MMS; denoted explicitly with or Mw, and generally implied with use of a single M for magnitude) is a measure of an earthquake's magnitude ("size" or strength) based on its seismic moment. It was defined in a 1979 pape ...
7.1 early in the morning of April 16, 2016.
Geography
Climate
Kumamoto has a
humid subtropical climate (
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''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
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 () and has a geographic area of . Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture to the northeast, M ...
*
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
*
Yamaga
*
Kōshi
*
Mashiki
*
Kōsa
, also known as Hongan-ji Kennyo (本願寺 顕如), was the 11th head of the Hongan-ji in Kyoto, and Chief Abbot of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, cathedral fortress of the Ikkō-ikki (Buddhist warrior priests and peasants who opposed samurai rule), during ...
*
Kashima
*
Kikuyō
*
Mifune
*
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 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
Although women in Japan were recognized as having equal legal rights to men after World War II, economic conditions for women remain unbalanced. Modern policy initiatives to encourage motherhood and workplace participation have had mixed results ...
.
Transportation
Local public transport is provided by the Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau
The is a public transportation authority of Kumamoto City, Japan.
Tram Routes
The bureau operates 2 tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban street ...
.
Airways
Airports
Kumamoto Airport
, also known as , is an airport in Mashiki, Kumamoto, Japan.
History
The first Kumamoto Airport opened in 1960 on the site of a former Imperial Japanese Army air base and had a 1,200 m runway. It was replaced by the current Kumamoto Airport i ...
is located in nearby Mashiki.
Railways
High-speed rail
On March 12, 2011, work on the shinkansen
The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond l ...
(high-speed bullet train) network was completed, establishing a direct high-speed rail link to Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
via Fukuoka
is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since anc ...
's Hakata station.
; Kyushu Railway Company(JR Kyushu)
*Kyushu Shinkansen
The is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed railway network. It is an extension of the San'yō Shinkansen from Honshu connecting the city of Fukuoka (Hakata Station) in the north of Japan's Kyushu Island to the city of Kagoshima ( Kagoshima-Chuo St ...
:- Kumamoto Station
is the main railway terminal of the city of Kumamoto, Japan. It is located in Nishi-ku, Kumamoto, and is operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu).
In front of the station is a tram stop of the tram operated by Kumamoto City Transportatio ...
-
Conventional lines
The JR Kumamoto station
is the main railway terminal of the city of Kumamoto, Japan. It is located in Nishi-ku, Kumamoto, and is operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu).
In front of the station is a tram stop of the tram operated by Kumamoto City Transportatio ...
provides rail links to Japan's extensive rail network.
; Kyushu Railway Company(JR Kyushu)
*Kagoshima Main Line
The is a major railway line operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) between Mojikō in Kitakyushu, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima City, at the southern end of Kyushu. Until March 13, 2004, it extended 393 km between its ...
:- Tabaruzaka - Ueki - Nishizato - Sōjōdaigakumae - Kami-Kumamoto - Kumamoto
is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , 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, ...
- Nishi-Kumamoto - Kawashiri - Tomiai -
*Hōhi Main Line
The is a railway line in Kyushu, southern Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects the west and east coasts of the island. The line originates at Kumamoto Station in Kumamoto and ends at terminal of Ōita Statio ...
:Kumamoto
is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , 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, ...
- Heisei
The is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Emeritus Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito, ...
- Minami-Kumamoto - Shin-Suizenji - Suizenji - Tōkai-Gakuen-mae - Tatsutaguchi - Musashizuka - Hikarinomori -
;Kumamoto Electric Railway
The is a public transport company in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It is abbreviated as or . The company was founded in 1909. The company operates railway and bus lines.
Lines
* Kikuchi Line (菊池線)
** Kami-Kumamoto — Miyoshi:
* Fu ...
* Kikuchi Line: Kami-Kumamoto - Kankanzaka - Ikeda Station - Uchigoshi - Tsuboigawa-kōen - Kita-Kumamoto - Kamei - Hakenomiya - Horikawa -
*Fujisaki Line
The is a 2.3 km railway line owned by the Kumamoto Electric Railway, serving Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The line branches southward from Kita-Kumamoto Station to Fujisakigū-mae Station.
Previously, this line extended to Kam ...
: Kita-Kumamoto - Kurokamimachi - Fujisakigū-mae
Tramways
Trams run to a few suburbs near the downtown area.
;Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau
The is a public transportation authority of Kumamoto City, Japan.
Tram Routes
The bureau operates 2 tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban street ...
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
Japan National Route
*![Japanese National Route Sign 0003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Japanese_National_Route_Sign_0003.svg)
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 ...
*![Japanese National Route Sign 0057](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Japanese_National_Route_Sign_0057.svg)
Japan National Route 57
is a national highway of Japan connecting Ōita, Ōita and Nagasaki, Nagasaki in Japan.
Route description
*Length: 326.7 km (203.0 mi)
*Origin: Oita, Oita (junction with Route 10 and terminates at Route 210)
*Terminus: Nagasaki, ...
*![Japanese National Route Sign 0208](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Japanese_National_Route_Sign_0208.svg)
Japan National Route 208
National Route 208 is a national highway of Japan connecting Chūō-ku, Kumamoto and Saga, Saga in Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacif ...
*
Japan National Route 218
*
Japan National Route 219
*![Japanese National Route Sign 0266](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Japanese_National_Route_Sign_0266.svg)
Japan National Route 266
National Route 266 is a national highway of Japan connecting Amakusa, Kumamoto and Chūō-ku, Kumamoto in Japan, with a total length of 155.3 km (96.5 mi).
File:View from MatsushimaBridge.jpg, Amakusa Pearl Line-the Maeshima No.4 Bridg ...
*
Japan National Route 387
*![Japanese National Route Sign 0443](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Japanese_National_Route_Sign_0443.svg)
Japan National Route 443
National Route 443 is a national highway of Japan connecting Ōkawa, Fukuoka and Hikawa, Kumamoto
is a town located in Yatsushiro District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.
The town was formed on October 1, 2005 from the merger of the towns of ...
*
Japan National Route 445
*
Japan National Route 501
Seaways
Seaports
*Port of Kumamoto
Ferry
*Kyusyu Shosen:Kumamoto - Shimabara
*Kumamoto-Ferry:Kumamoto - Shimabara
*Korean Marine Transport:Kumamoto - Busan
Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, ...
Education
Universities
*Kumamoto University
, abbreviated to ''Kumadai'' (熊大), is a Japanese national university located in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture in the Kyushu region of Japan. It was established on May 31, 1949, at which time the following institutions were subsumed into it; ...
* Prefectural University of Kumamoto
*Kumamoto Gakuen University
called Gakuendai (学園大) or Shōdai (商大), is a private Japanese university in Kumamoto, Japan. It was established in 1942, at which time Eastern Language Vocational College (東洋語学専門学校 ''Tōyō Gengo Senmon Gakkō'') wa ...
* Sojo University
* Kyūshū Lutheran College
* Shokei College
* Shokei Gakuin University
*Tokai University
is a private non-sectarian higher education institution located in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded by Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae.
It was accredited under Japan's old educational system in 1946 and under the new system in 1950. In 2008, Tokai Un ...
Landmarks
Kumamoto Castle
The city's most famous landmark is Kumamoto Castle
is a hilltop Japanese castle located in Chūō-ku, Kumamoto, in Kumamoto Prefecture. It was a large and well fortified castle. The is a concrete reconstruction built in 1960, but several ancillary wooden buildings remain of the original castle ...
, a large and once extremely well fortified Japanese castle. The ''donjon
A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in ...
'' (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
The Satsuma Rebellion, also known as the was a revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. Its name comes from the Satsuma Domain, which had been influential in the Restoration and b ...
and sacked and burned after a 53-day siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...
. It was during this time that the tradition of eating ''basashi
Horse meat forms a significant part of the culinary traditions of many countries, particularly in Eurasia. The eight countries that consume the most horse meat consume about 4.3 million horses a year. For the majority of humanity's early existen ...
'' (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
were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominal ...
''. This traditional wooden mansion has a fine Japanese garden
are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desi ...
located on its grounds.
Religious sites
The first of many peace pagodas around the world was erected by Japanese Buddhist monk Nichidatsu Fujii
was a Japanese Buddhist monk, and founder of the Nipponzan-Myōhōji order of Buddhism. He is best known for his decision in 1947 to begin constructing Peace Pagodas in many locations around the world as shrines to world peace.
Fujii was born ...
atop Mount Hanaoka 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 and Fujisaki Hachimangū
is a Shinto shrine located in Chūō-ku, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan. It is dedicated to Emperor Ōjin, Empress Jingū and Sumiyoshi Sanjin.
History
In 935, Fujisaki Hachimangu was established with the Bunrei of Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū Kyoto, ...
.
Suizenji area
Kumamoto is home to Suizen-ji Jōju-en
is a '' tsukiyama'' Japanese garden located within in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The main ''tsukiyama'' is a representation of Mount Fuji. Lord Hosokawa Tadatoshi began construction of the garden in 1636 as a tea retreat. The park was named af ...
, 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 team, Roasso Kumamoto
is a Japanese football club based in Kumamoto, the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture. The club currently plays in the J2 League, which is the second tier of football in the country. ''Roasso'' is a portmanteau of the Italian words ''rosso'' a ...
, used to play regularly. The team now uses the larger KKWing Stadium in Higashi Ward.
Other notable sites
Miyamoto Musashi
, also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin, who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship a ...
lived the last part of his life in Kumamoto. His tomb and the cave where he resided during his final years (known as Reigandō, or "spirit rock cave") are situated close by. He penned the famous ''Go Rin no Sho'' (''The Book of Five Rings
is a text on ''kenjutsu'' and the martial arts in general, written by the Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi around 1645. Many translations have been made, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than other martial artists and people ac ...
'') 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 and Kumamoto Prefectural Theater.
Culture
Sports
Sports teams
;Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
* Hinokuni Salamanders of the baseball Kyusyu Asia League are based in Kumamoto.
; Football
*Roasso Kumamoto
is a Japanese football club based in Kumamoto, the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture. The club currently plays in the J2 League, which is the second tier of football in the country. ''Roasso'' is a portmanteau of the Italian words ''rosso'' a ...
in J.League is the local football club.
;Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
*Kumamoto Volters of the basketball B.League are based in Kumamoto.
;Volleyball
*Forest Leaves Kumamoto of the Volleyball V.League (Japan), V.League(V.Challenge League, V2)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 is a yearly event in Kumamoto City. It was established in commemoration of Kumamoto becoming a City designated by government ordinance, designated city in 2012. The city also hosted the 1997 World Men's Handball Championship and the 2019 World Women's Handball Championship.
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, People's Republic of China
* Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (since 1992)
* Helena, Montana, United States
* San Antonio, Texas, United States (since 1987)
* Ulsan, South Korea (since 2010)
* Kaohsiung, 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 people, Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion and Chairman of the Noah Wrestlers' Association.
* Higonoumi Naoya, sumo wrestler.
* Inoue Kowashi, statesman.
* Isao Yukisada, film director.
* Kaji Yajima, educator, pacifist, president of the WCTU in Japan.
* Masahiko Kimura, judoka.
* Momoko Ueda, professional golfer.
* Noriko Kubo, Japanese female fencer.
* Rie Kugimiya, voice actress.
* Sayaka Hirota, Japanese badminton player.
* Sayuri Ishikawa, enka singer
* Seiki Yoshioka, Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestler
* Shōdai Naoya, sumo wrestler.
* Tochihikari Masayuki, sumo wrestler.
* Tadako Urata, ophthalmologist
* Yōko Shimada, actress.
* Yokoi Shōnan, scholar and political reformer.
* Yuri Masuda, vocalist from the group m.o.v.e.
* Yuki Fukushima, Japanese badminton player.
* Yuta Iwasada, Japanese baseball player.
References
External links
Kumamoto City official website
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{{Authority control
Kumamoto,
Cities in Kumamoto Prefecture
Populated coastal places in Japan
Port settlements in Japan
Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan