Kumamoto

About Kumamoto

Kumamoto Prefecture spans about 7,409.13 square kilometers, population about 1.67 million, capital Kumamoto City, a designated major city of over 700,000 whose water supply is entirely groundwater, rare worldwide. Located in the middle of Kyushu main island, it borders Fukuoka, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima and, across Ariake Sea, Nagasaki. Eastern highlands include Mt. Aso with a caldera 18 by 25 kilometers wide, the second widest in the world, and the Kyushu mountains including Mt. Sobo-Katamuki Quasi-National Park 1,756 meters. Western lowlands spread into the Kumamoto Plain facing Ariake Sea and Yatsushiro Plain facing Yatsushiro Sea, while the Uto Peninsula leads to the Amakusa archipelago connected by Amakusa Five Bridges. The old province was Higo, also called Hi-no-Kuni, Land of Fire, due to volcanic activity and mysterious sea fires of Shiranui observed on Yatsushiro Sea. In 1871, during Haihan-chiken, Kumamoto and Hitoyoshi Prefectures were created, merged into Shirakawa Prefecture in 1872, then combined with Yatsushiro to form Shirakawa in 1873, and renamed Kumamoto in February 1876. The Hosokawa clan ruled 540,000 koku, and the Kumamoto Yo Gakko with Leroy Lansing Janes formed the Kumamoto Band which influenced Protestant Christianity in Japan. Climate is Pacific-type warm but with large temperature swings. Kumamoto City averages 17.2C, but basin effects make summers extremely humid with many days over 35C, peak over 100 tropical days in 2005, and winter mornings often below freezing, the most winter days in Kyushu with 10.5 days in January. Aso mountain zone is cold with frequent snow and 3,009 mm annual rain, summer never reaching 30C at summit while winter reaches minus 15C. The Amakusa coast is oceanic with mild winters 16-17C average. Industry combines strong agriculture in rice, watermelon largest output in Japan, tomato, horse meat basashi culturally popular, and livestock with growing semiconductor manufacturing, Kumamoto's unique all-groundwater supply supporting clean fabs, attracting TSMC with Sony and Denso JV JASM in Kikuyo Town, boosting economy with land prices surging. Kumamon mascot as Sales Manager spawned 1.46 trillion yen merchandise sales and global recognition with 30,000 products. Tourism highlights include Kumamoto Castle, rebuilt after 2016 Kumamoto earthquake damage with black walls and stone walls called Musha-gaeshi, Aso Volcano Museum and Kusasenri plateau with horses grazing, Tsujun Bridge aqueduct Edo-era water supply with arched sluice release still performing, Kurokawa Onsen with rotenburo forest baths selected as one of Japan's best onsen towns, Yamaga lantern festival where women wear gold lanterns 1,000 paper, Kuma River rafting one of Japan's three fastest rapids with 90 km course, Sakitsu Village hidden Christian site in Amakusa with tide-influenced chapel built by private funds arranging altar to see sea, plus Amakusa's Dolphin watching and Gokyo Bridge chain and Gokase River valleys and Kikuchi Gorge lime blue water.