Embraced by abundant water and greenery,
Kumamoto is a land where magnificent nature coexists with culture and history that
have been passed down and nurtured since ancient times.
The beautiful scenery of each season, the traditions carefully preserved and inherited,
and the enduring spirit of Kumamoto that lives on beyond time
will warmly welcome visitors and leave them deeply moved.
This site introduces the charms of Kumamoto’s culture from the perspectives of
“learning, encountering, and experiencing,” guiding you toward new discoveries.
Kumamoto is a treasure trove of culture, woven from its magnificent nature and rich history. With Kumamoto Castle built by Kato Kiyomasa and the traditions of the Hosokawa family as its backdrop, performing arts with samurai roots—such as kagura, noh theatre, and yabusame (horseback archery)—are still very much alive today.
A unique aesthetic sense has also been cultivated, seen in the Higo Six Flowers and the Higo Koryu school of tea ceremony, while traditional crafts such as Higo zogan inlay, Hanatebako decorative boxes, and Amakusa ceramics add color to people’s daily lives.
In addition, Kumamoto is home to World Cultural Heritage and Japan Heritage sites, allowing visitors to feel the presence of history and culture throughout the prefecture.
Kumamoto is home to many valuable historical and cultural assets that were created and nurtured over its long history and have been preserved and passed down to the present day. Through these, you can learn about Kumamoto’s local character, culture, and history.
Blessed with natural resources and materials, Kumamoto Prefecture has given birth to various traditional crafts, such as metalworks, woodworks, ceramics, and folk toys. Come and take a look at these crafts, which embody Kumamoto’s pride and spirit.
Kumamoto’s Japan Heritage, such as the Sagara Culture and the stone bridges of Yatsushiro, are full of charm that tells the region’s history and culture, where the story between human activities and nature continues to live on.
The history and culture nurtured in Kumamoto, along with the landscapes created by the coexistence of its magnificent nature and people, are irreplaceable treasures that must be protected and passed on to the next generation.
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Cultural Greats
of Kumamoto
From Kumamoto’s rich natural environment and long history, many great cultural figures have emerged. They were active in diverse fields such as literature, the arts, philosophy, and education, and are still remembered today as sources of pride for Kumamoto. Their achievements form the foundation of Kumamoto’s culture and continue to exert a profound influence even in the present day.
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area
MAP
We invite you on a journey to experience the many unique historical and cultural attractions of each region.
