City guide · 熊本 Kumamoto
Kumamoto
Katō Kiyomasa's "Ginkgo Castle" — a city of water beneath the watch of the living volcano Aso
The city of Kumamoto is the core city of central Kyushu, with Kumamoto Castle — one of Japan's three great castles — as its soul. Gracefully curved stone walls lift the keep tier upon tier, and because the grounds are planted full of ginkgo trees the castle is also called the "Ginkgo Castle." Kumamoto is also a famous "city of water," its tap water supplied almost entirely by groundwater. The 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes badly wounded the castle, and today the whole city lives and restores at once — the keep has already reopened, and the recovery itself is the most moving scene here.
History
How the city came to be
Since the medieval period Kumamoto has been the centre of Higo Province, where great houses such as the Kikuchi clan contended. From 1601 Katō Kiyomasa spent seven years rebuilding Kumamoto Castle on a grand scale, winning fame for flood control and famine stores. In 1632 Hosokawa Tadatoshi was transferred in, and the Hosokawa house ruled Higo until the Meiji era. In 1877, during the Satsuma Rebellion, government troops held the castle against the Satsuma army for more than fifty days, and the castle never fell. After Meiji, Kumamoto was Kyushu's military and academic city (the Fifth Higher School), and in 2012 it became a designated city. After the 2016 earthquakes, Kumamoto Castle began a restoration plan lasting decades.
- 1601Katō Kiyomasa begins the great rebuilding of Kumamoto Castle, essentially completed in 1607
- 1632Hosokawa Tadatoshi is transferred from Kokura to Kumamoto; the Hosokawa house takes over Higo
- 1877The Satsuma Rebellion breaks out; government troops hold Kumamoto Castle against the Satsuma army, and the keep burns down on the eve of the fighting
- 1889Kumamoto established as a city
- 1960The keep rebuilt in reinforced concrete
- 2016The Kumamoto earthquakes; Kumamoto Castle's stone walls and many buildings are badly damaged
- 2021The restored keep reopens to the public
Stories
Stories of the city
Katō Kiyomasa's fortress and Saigō Takamori's sigh
History · Kumamoto Castle
Between 1601 and 1607 Katō Kiyomasa expanded Kumamoto Castle into a huge fortress with 49 turrets. In the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, Saigō Takamori led the Satsuma army in a siege of Kumamoto Castle but failed to take it, and he is said to have lamented: 'I was not defeated by the Meiji government, but by Lord Kiyomasa.' In the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, part of the stone walls below the keep collapsed and the shachi roof tiles fell and shattered.
People
People connected with Kumamoto
Local life
Food and local daily life
Kumamoto Castle
Must-try
- Kumamoto ramen
- Basashi (horse sashimi)
- Taipien (glass-noodle soup)
Kumamoto ramen (tonkotsu with black garlic oil), basashi (horse sashimi, at licensed restaurants), taipien (glass-noodle chicken soup, a Kumamoto Chinese-food speciality), karashi renkon (lotus root stuffed with mustard miso), Aso aka-ushi rice bowls (nearby)
| Where to eat | The food area of Jōsaien (Sakuranobaba), restaurants on the Kamitōri / Shimotōri shopping streets |
|---|---|
| Dining etiquette | Eat horse meat only at licensed restaurants; no eating or drinking inside the castle |
| Typical price per person | JPY 1,800–3,000 ≈ CNY 81–135 |
| Tips | Taipien is the local speciality visitors find easiest to like; eat basashi with sweet soy, ginger and garlic. |
Prices are typical rates as of October 2026, not exact quotes; CNY equivalents are approximate where exchange rates fluctuate.
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pelican from Tokyo, Japan · CC BY-SA 2.0
Before you go
Rules to know in Kumamoto
There is no tipping in Japan
Do
- Say thank you with 'arigatō gozaimashita'
Don’t
- Pressing loose change on staff
Japan is a no-tipping country and bills usually include service; if you press a tip on staff, some will politely refuse.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Japanese table manners
Take off your shoes when you see a genkan (entrance step)
Do
- Take off your shoes at the entrance of homes, some restaurants, temples and hot-spring facilities
- If unsure, look for a shoe rack or slippers at the entrance
Don’t
- Stepping onto tatami or indoor wooden floors in shoes
It is seen as very rude.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Japanese etiquette
No phone calls on trains and the shinkansen; queue to board
Do
- Put your phone on silent; on the shinkansen, take calls in the area between carriages
- Queue at the marked spots on either side of the train door, and let people off before you get on
- Give priority seats to older people, pregnant women and passengers with limited mobility
Don’t
- Talking on the phone or playing sound aloud in the train
Not illegal, but you will get looks and a reminder from the conductor.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Japanese etiquette
Trips beyond the city
These places can be explored from this city but lie outside it. See each place for transport and visiting guidance.
