2025 Kumamoto Prefecture Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in April)

#NewYearNewTrip How to take a bus to Takachiho Gorge from Kumamoto Station 1. Book a round-trip bus ticket, starting from Kumamoto Station to Takachiho Miyazaki 2. Get on the bus at Kumamoto Station terminal 7 3. Travel time is about 3 hours, stopping once to use the restroom near Aso 4. When you arrive at Takachiho Bus Terminal, take a taxi to Takachiho Gorge or walk 5. On the way back, get on the bus at the same place, Takachiho Bus Terminal, and get off at Kumamoto Station

#Japan must-visit photo spots 🍂🍂 Once you leave Hakata Station, about 40 minutes away -- you'll come to Kumamoto, which is full of autumn! 🍁 How to get there: From Hakata to Kumamoto, it’s about 40 minutes by Shinkansen. Moreover, you can ride this Shinkansen for free unlimited times within the specified period as long as you have a Kitakyushu JR pass. The Shinkansen is divided into reserved and unreserved seats. Riding in reserved seats must be reserved with a JR pass. Or you can directly board the bus with JR pass to sit in free seats ✨️ (peak season time: it is recommended to reserve reserved seats in advance 🤣🤣). 💰If you buy a one-time ticket instantly: JPY4700 (As at 202311) #OverseasTravel #AutumnRecommendation #JapanTravel #FukuokaTravel #Fukuoka #Kumamoto #Autumn

Kusasenri Plains is perfectly located to see the Aso mountain range's Nakadake volcano spewing smoke. In the center of this vast plain, which is 1km in diameter, is a small rainwater pond where cows and horses often gather. The changing scenery from season to season is another attraction here.

Takachiho Gorge was originally a lava flow that erupted from Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, flowing along the Gokasegawa River and was suddenly cooled. In 1934, this place was designated as a national scenic spot, a national natural monument, attracting a large number of visitors. In the gorge, there is "Manai Falls" which was selected as one of the 100 representative waterfalls of Japan, the waterfall flows down from a height of about 17m, which is really attractive! You can rent a boat to experience the vibrant nature in the gorge, typically this "Manai Falls". You can look up at the waterfall from such a close distance that the water spray seems to cover you, it is an experience that cannot be found anywhere else.

#Overseas Travel #Japan Travel #Kumamoto Prefecture #Japan The great thing about Kikuchi Valley is that it has been selected as one of the top 100 scenic spots. -Japan's Top 100 Forests for Forest Bathing - Kumamoto Green 100 Views -Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls There are hiking trails along the stream, which can especially feel the coolness in the hot summer.. It is recommended for summer vacation😎😎 The Kikuchi Gorge is about 4 kilometers long. The source is the undercurrent that gushes out of the Aso outer rim mountain, so it is also called the Kikuchi water source. Address: 5026 Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture transportation: Take the Kumamoto Electric Railway bus bound for Kikuchi from JR Kumamoto Station, get off at Kikuchi Square after 1 hour and 10 minutes, and take a taxi for 30 minutes

It is a famous natural hot spring resort in Kumamoto Prefecture, surrounded by beautiful nature and an atmosphere of an old Japanese village. There are hotels and ryokans that warmly welcome tourists. This hot spring town was awarded 2 stars by the Michelin Green Guide for Japan in 2009. 💧 Another unique feature of Kurokawa Onsen is the all-you-can-use hot spring pass called “Nyuto Tegata”. It is a ticket made of wooden boards with cute designs that you can keep as a souvenir. With this pass, you can choose to use 3 hot springs out of 24 hot spring hotels in Kurokawa Onsen, each with its own unique hot spring baths. Most have both indoor and outdoor hot springs to choose from, and you can enjoy the beautiful scenery around you while soaking in the hot springs. 🌟 In winter, around Every year from January to March, Kurokawa Onsen holds the Kurokawa Onsen Bamboo Lantern Illumination or “Yuakari”, where the entire town is decorated with bamboo lanterns, creating a dreamy atmosphere with glowing lights. It is a beautiful sight and leaves a lasting impression on visitors. This is another highlight that should not be missed.

"Aoi Aso Shrine" Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture Day 5 of the Kyushu Trip Boasting a history of over 1200 years, it was the first shrine in Kumamoto Prefecture to be designated as a national treasure.  The thatched roof of the main hall is very tasteful, and the shrine has a calm atmosphere that evokes nostalgia. ⛩ However, the Kuma River flooded due to the heavy rains in Kumamoto in 2020, and Aoi Aso Shrine was also flooded.  The scars of the damage are still fresh in the surrounding area.  (See second photo) When I actually visited, there were people working towards reconstruction.  #shrine #freespot I hope for a speedy recovery. 

A hot spring area located very close to Aso ♨️  The atmosphere is amazing with many hot spring inns lined up!!  When you buy a hot spring tour pass, you can choose 3 day-trip hot springs at your favorite inns!  The color of the water and the scenery are all different depending on the hot spring, so you can enjoy your hot spring tour!!  Why not try to conquer all the baths😊 #KurokawaOnsen #HotSprings#CoupleTrip #KumamotoPrefecture #SupportTourism #HotSpringTrip

Located very close to Kurokawa Onsen in Kumamoto Prefecture♨️ Yamatake is a restaurant that has been remodeled from an old house First of all, it has an irori hearth and is a hot spot with a great atmosphere🍵 The standard menu is cute pickles and local cuisine made with wild yam! #Kumamoto #KumamotoPrefecture #HotSpringTrip #HotSpring #LocalCuisine #TourismSupport #GourmetTrip

#hotelcation Hotel Nikko Kumamoto is located in the city center with very convenient transportation. It is close to shopping and dining. It is close to the famous attractions Kumamoto Castle and Minister Kumamon's Office. The room is large, neatly organized and the mattress is comfortable. The breakfast is very rich, must try 👍👍 #hotelcation

#sakura-no-Baba Johsaien is located in Sakuranobaba, at the foot of Kumamoto Castle, one of Japan’s three major castles. It is a popular tourist attraction designed to enhance the appeal of the old castle town and convey to visitors the food, history and cultural traditions of #kumamoto #japan #travelinspiration #happynewyear

#AprilTravelSupport I took sticker photos with my friends in Japan. It was really fun decorating with various backgrounds and stickers. We couldn't stop laughing every time we took photos, and we had a great time choosing stickers that we liked. The results turned out pretty, so I felt good.

#aprilblooms

#HawaiiFlightEvent Unlike Osaka and Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Japan, has a generally quiet atmosphere. There were few people walking, and many locals riding bicycles. Kumamoto, Japan, was a place where you could take a leisurely walk because it wasn't as crowded as the city center👍🏻

#HawaiiFlightEvent The streets of Kumamoto, Japan were really nice for a walk. Unlike big cities, Kumamoto was a small city, so there were no people and the streets were quiet, which was nice. Kumamoto, a small city in Japan, had a unique Japanese scent that I liked. The flights are cheap, so you should definitely go there once👍🏻

#HawaiiFlightEvent I walked around Kumamoto Castle! Kumamoto Castle is famous as one of the three major castles in Japan, so it was fun to see. There was also a stream next to it, so it looked even prettier and was a great place to see! Also, please note that Kumamoto Castle closes early at 5:00.

#HawaiiFlightEvent Japan is a really great country for foodie travel🩷 This time, I went to Kumamoto, a small city, and since there weren't many Koreans, it felt like I was traveling more ⭐️Amu Plaza Kumamoto 📍Location: 3 Chome-15-26 Kasuga, Nishi Ward, Kumamoto, 860-0047 Japan ⏰Opening hours: Every day 10:00-20:00

#HawaiiFlightEvent The sushi quality is crazy! The salmon sushi looks really delicious and there are many kinds, but it's only 1080 yen, which is the best ⭐️Amu Plaza Kumamoto 📍Location: 3 Chome-15-26 Kasuga, Nishi Ward, Kumamoto, 860-0047 Japan ⏰Opening hours: Every day 10:00-20:00

#HawaiiFlightEvent Amu Plaza was really nice to look around. There were a lot of things to shop for and the interior was really neatly organized👍🏻 ⭐️Amu Plaza Kumamoto 📍Location: 3 Chome-15-26 Kasuga, Nishi Ward, Kumamoto, 860-0047 Japan ⏰Opening hours: Every day 10:00-20:00

I'll introduce two must-eat foods when traveling to Kumamoto!! The first is horse meat! Kumamoto is famous for horse meat, so you can eat it as sashimi or grilled. The sashimi is somewhere between tuna sashimi and Korean beef yukhoe, and it's very soft and delicious. It's chewy and tender even when grilled, so it's really delicious. The second is ramen! The ramen with Kumamoto's black garlic has a rich and delicious broth! The rich and spicy garlic flavor fills your mouth and spreads. I want to eat it again next time I go🤤 And I always bought milk pudding from Lawson, and it's delicious no matter how much I eat. It seems like Japan is really good at making pudding. I'm planning to go to Kumamoto again in early May, so I'll have to eat a lot then too. There's a lot to eat in the small city of Kumamoto, so please take note. #AprilTravelSupport

#Spring0yentrip I went to see the Kannon Sakura in Kumamoto Prefecture☺️ It's a tourist attraction in Minamiaso. A single cherry tree about 90 years old. It's called "Kannon Sakura" because a horse-headed Kannon is enshrined nearby. The Kannon Sakura can be seen after about 10 minutes of climbing the mountain path, and you have to climb a little further to get closer, so I recommend wearing comfortable shoes. There is horse manure near the cherry tree, so be careful. If you look closely, you'll see that the branches of the cherry tree have been reinforced. They are carefully protecting the branches that are about to break by reinforcing them. There were lots of horsetails growing along the mountain path, so I was able to take a walk while feeling the nature. If you are interested, please go and check it out☺️ ———————————————————- 📍Location: Kawakage, Minamiasomura, Aso-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture 🕰️Opening hours: 9am-5pm 💰Price per person: Adults ¥200, Children ¥100 🏖️Atmosphere/Facilities: The view was beautiful. #domestictrip #mayu✈️trip🇯🇵 #kumamoto

#HawaiiFlightEvent I traveled mainly to big cities like Fukuoka and Osaka, but this time I wanted to rest alone, so I went to Kumamoto, Japan! It was a quiet, small city, so it was a great place for healing! If you visit once, you will fall in love with it! Kumamoto is a really fun city.

#Spring0yentrip I went to Takamori Station in Kumamoto Prefecture☺️ This is one of the popular places for fans of the manga One Piece. At Takamori Station, you can take photos with the statue of Franky, and figures are also available for purchase. As part of a project started by the author of One Piece, who is from Kumamoto, to support the recovery from the Kumamoto earthquake, in Kumamoto Prefecture, there are statues of One Piece characters all over the city, so it looks like it would be fun to go around and see them. This time, I took the Minamiaso Railway from Takamori Station to Tateno🚃 It looks like the characters from the manga One Piece are hiding in the scenery you can see from the train window☺️ I took a normal train, but there is a One Piece-themed train called the Sunny Train, so if you're interested, check it out in advance. —————————————————————- 📍Location: Takamori, Takamori-machi, Aso-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture 🏖️Atmosphere/Facilities: Open and peaceful place #DomesticTravel #mayu✈️trip🇯🇵 #KumamotoPrefecture

#HawaiiFlightEvent The cheapest mart I use the most in Japan is Directex Drugstore. In Japan, the price difference is really big between each drugstore! That's why I mostly use the largest ones. This drugstore also sells food, so it was really good! The closing discount is good.

#HawaiiFlightEvent Cosmos Drugstore is the most frequently used low-cost mart in Japan. In Japan, the price difference between each drugstore is really big! That's why I use Cosmos the most because it's the largest. I also like Cosmos Drugstore because it sells food.

#HawaiiFlightEvent The rainy roads in Japan are really beautiful. It has a different charm from the rainy roads I see in Korea! It was a bit disappointing that it rained all three days I was in Kumamoto, but thanks to that, I was able to drink in a Japanese atmosphere and spend time in a cafe.

✨ Recommended accommodation in Kumamoto | Sotetsu Grand Fresa Kumamoto ✨ This hotel is really recommended! Not only is the location convenient, the room is also super comfortable~ 🛏️ The room is spacious and comfortable, and it is very relaxing to live in There is a whole set of tables and chairs that can be used for dining or working, which is very friendly for business travelers or long-term residents. There are sockets on both sides of the bed, which is very convenient for charging mobile phones and iPads🔌 The bathroom has a huge bathtub, taking a bath at night is really healing~ 🚶♀️ Convenient transportation, within walking distance! It is only a 7-minute walk from Kumamoto Sakuramachi Bus Terminal, so it is very convenient to go anywhere, and it is directly connected to Kumamoto Airport, which is very convenient. 🏙️ Great location! The shopping street is right outside The downstairs is directly connected to the shopping street, which is very convenient for shopping and strolling There are also many food options, from ramen, rice bowls to desserts, so you won’t have to worry about going hungry! 📌 Summary: The location is good, the room is large and comfortable, you can definitely stay here when you come to Kumamoto! Whether it is a free trip or a business trip, this one is worth collecting~ #MarchGoodDestinations2025 #Kumamoto

#HawaiiFlightEvent This is the only restaurant I visited two days in a row while traveling in Kumamoto! From draft beer to snacks, it's super delicious ⭐️Gyozaya Ninoni Shimotori Branch 📍Location: 2 Chome-2 Shimotori, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto, 860-0807 Japan ⏰Opening hours: Every day 17:00-23:30