Kumamoto Hidden Gems
Volcans et gastronomie au cœur de Kyushu. Le cratère du mont Aso est l'un des rares volcans actifs au monde que l'on peut observer de près, le château de Kumamoto renaît après le séisme de 2016, et le sashimi de cheval et l'onsen de Kurokawa complètent une étape de caractère.
20 spots
Construite autour du mont Aso, l'une des plus grandes caldeiras actives au monde, avec un château redoutable et les sources souterraines qui alimentent la ville.
Climat et meilleure saison
Étés chauds et humides, hivers frais à l'intérieur des terres ; les hautes terres d'Aso sont nettement plus fraîches. Le printemps et l'automne sont les meilleures périodes pour la caldeira.
Spécialités culinaires
- Basashi (sashimi de cheval)
- Karashi renkon
- Ramen de Kumamoto
- Ikinari dango
Lieux emblématiques
- Château de Kumamoto
- Caldeira du mont Aso
- Kurokawa Onsen
- Îles Amakusa
Amakusa Islands
The Amakusa Islands (120+ islands, population 100,000) were a center of hidden Christian faith during the 250-year prohi…
Minamata Disease Memorial
In 1956, a five-year-old girl in Minamata couldn't walk. Her fingers curled inward. She lost peripheral vision, slurred…
Shimotori & Kamitori Arcades
Shimotori and Kamitori are parallel covered shopping arcades running for 1.2km through central Kumamoto — the longest ar…
Kumamoto Castle
Kumamoto Castle, completed in 1607, is one of Japan's three premier castles and a masterpiece of defensive architecture.…
Kumamoto Contemporary Art Museum
The Kumamoto Contemporary Art Museum occupies a modernist building (designed by Kazuyo Sejima) in the heart of downtown,…
Mt. Aso Nakadake Crater
Mt. Aso is one of the world's largest active calderas (25km across) containing five volcanic peaks. Nakadake is the only…
Yamaga Onsen & Lantern Festival
Yamaga Onsen is a 1,800-year-old hot spring town in northern Kumamoto with alkaline waters (pH 9.5) that leave skin feel…
Kurokawa Onsen
Kurokawa Onsen (黒川温泉) is a preserved onsen village in the mountains north of Mt. Aso, designed to look like an Edo-perio…
Amakusa Five Bridges Sunset Drive
The Amakusa Pearl Line is a 17km scenic route connecting five islands via five consecutive bridges, built in 1966 to end…
Kumagawa River Rafting
The Kumagawa River, flowing through the mountains of southern Kumamoto, is called 'Japan's three fastest-flowing rivers'…
Basashi (Horse Sashimi)
Kumamoto is Japan's capital of basashi (馬刺し) — raw horse meat sliced thin and served with garlic, ginger, and sweet soy…
Myoken Fireworks Festival
The Yatsushiro Myoken Festival fireworks (October) is consistently ranked among Japan's top three fireworks competitions…
Kikuchi Valley
Kikuchi Valley is a 4km walking trail following the Kikuchi River through a gorge of broadleaf forest, designated as one…
Tatsuda-yama Park Cherry Blossoms
Tatsuta-yama Park contains 500 cherry trees (predominantly someiyoshino) planted along a 1.5km hillside path, creating a…
Honmyo-ji Temple
Honmyo-ji is a Buddhist temple on a forested hill northeast of Kumamoto Castle, established in 1585 by Kato Kiyomasa. Th…
Suizenji Jojuen Garden
Suizenji Jojuen is a 400-year-old stroll garden that recreates the 53 stations of the Tokaido road in miniature landscap…
Karashi Renkon
Karashi renkon (辛子蓮根) is Kumamoto's signature food — lotus root stuffed with spicy mustard-miso paste, coated in batter,…
Kumamoto Ramen
Kumamoto ramen is a regional variation of Hakata-style tonkotsu — thicker noodles, richer pork-bone broth, and the defin…
Aso Shrine
Aso Shrine, established in 281 AD, is one of Japan's oldest Shinto shrines and was famous for its three-story gate tower…
Aso Aka-Ushi (Red Cattle) BBQ
Aso Aka-ushi (阿蘇赤牛) is a regional cattle breed raised on the volcanic grasslands of Mt. Aso. Unlike heavily marbled wagy…