Steam Locomotive Hitoyoshi

A trip on Steam Locomotive Hitoyoshi will take you out into the beautiful Kumamoto countryside, through Yatsushiro, and along the Kuma River to Hitoyoshi.

The service began operation in 2009, but the steam locomotive itself is from Japan’s Taisho period (early 1900s), making it the longest running steam locomotive in Japan.

The full trip from Kumamoto Station to Hitoyoshi on the steam train takes about 2.5 hours and passes through Yatsushiro, and along the Kumagawa River. There is a lounge car that serves some of Kumamoto’s specialties, and observation cars with large windows to enjoy the breathtaking views.

Steam Locomotive Hitoyoshi doesn’t run daily and is quite popular, so it’s best to book in advance.

Kaname Falls

Kaname Falls can be found upstream on the Kaname River, a tributary of the Kuma River. Kaname Falls actually consists of three separate waterfalls: Otaki, Metaki, and Hirataki.

Each waterfall has its own characteristics; Otaki with its impressive 36m vertical drop and powerful falls, and Hirataki located just upstream with its wide sloping cascade. Metaki, is actually on a tributary of the Kaname River, and is a graceful two-tiered waterfall with a combined height of about 37m.

Even in summer, the immediate area surrounding the falls is quite cool, so it’s a popular spot with the Hitoyoshi locals escaping the heat.

The drive to Kaname Falls from Hitoyoshi Station only takes about 20 minutes.

Kuma River

The Kuma River is the lifeblood of Hitoyoshi and is counted as one the 3 fastest flowing rivers in Japan. It’s the main river of the Kumagawa River System and boasts beautifully clear water.

Now, you can’t have a fast river without rafting, right? There are a number of rafting companies in Hitoyoshi offering a range of courses to suit time, skill level, etc., so if you like outdoor adventure activities then this is the place for you. Rafting down the Kumagawa River will take you past mountains, forests, towns, and even past the castle mound where Hitoyoshi Castle once stood!

Kawa-kudari, which usually entails hopping into a wooden engineless boat guided by highly-skilled boatmen and riding down a river, was a big attraction in Hitoyoshi.

*Unfortunately, due to a terrible flood that occured in July 2020, kawa-kudari boat tours was one of the many businesses heavily affected in the area. According to information on their website, these kawa-kudari tours will not be available for the foreseeable future.

Aoi Aso Shrine

One of the most impressive historical landmarks in Hitoyoshi is the Aoi Aso Shrine. This impressive thatched-roof Shinto shrine has a 1200 year history, and the current structure is at least 400 years old. The architecture and embellishments are of an old-style found only in Hitoyoshi.

Looking upon the second tier of the romon gate, you will see carved faces on each of the four pillars. Two pairs of faces represent disorderly “yin” human emotions “anger” and “sadness”, while the other two represent the more harmonious “yang” emotions “happiness” and “fun”.

There are also a few major festivals that occur throughout the year at Aoi Aso Shrine, including the Okunchi Festival that occurs each year in early October. A Shinto dance performance called a ‘kagura’ is also performed during Okunchi, and the local version of this dance is called Kuma Kagura.

Aoi Aso Shrine is not a huge shrine complex, so it probably won’t take you a lot of time to check everything out. It is, however, quite a rare sight, and something unique to this region.

It’s also only about a 10 minute walk from Hitoyoshi Station, so certainly worth visiting if you’re in town!

Kuma Shochu

The Hitoyoshi - Kuma region is synonymous with shochu. There are about 28 distilleries altogether, producing the highest quality shochu.In fact, only shochu made in Hitoyoshi or neighbouring Kuma using water drawn from the pristine Kuma River and rice grown in Hitoyoshi can bear the name Kuma Shochu.

If you’re unfamiliar with this Japanese alcoholic beverage, shochu is a distilled alcohol made from ingredients like rice, sweet potato, barley, etc. Although it can be made from rice as saké is, it differs from saké in that it is distilled. Shochu is often served on the rocks, or diluted with cold or hot water. It can also be used cocktails.

Each of the 28 distilleries produces shochu with differing flavour profiles. You could make a day of going around to the different distilleries and taste-tasting, or head out to a local pub or izakaya and ask for a Kuma Shochu.

(Remember that drinking and driving in Japan is illegal. You must have a 0% blood-alcohol reading when driving. For that reason, if you’re driving around to the distilleries, the designated driver will not be allowed to drink.)

Final Thoughts

Hiking, visiting the old castle ruins, exploring a huge limestone cave, and visiting the sites that inspired locations in the Japanese anime Natsume’s Book of Friends (Natsume Yujin-cho) are just a few of the many other things you can do in Hitoyoshi. Getting here from Kumamoto City is easy, so if you’re looking for a holiday that’s a little more off the tourist trail, why not head to beautiful Hitoyoshi!