Kumamoto Prefecture (熊本県)

Landscape of Kusasenrigahama at Mount Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture


Kumamoto Prefecture (熊本県) is a prefecture on the central western part of Kyushu in southern Japan. It covers 7,404.14 sq km and has a population of 1.8 million people (2011 estimate). The capital is also called Kumamoto.

Suizenji Japanese Garden in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture


Kumamoto Prefecture is bordered by Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Oita Prefecture to the northeast, Miyazaki Prefecture to the east and Kagoshima Prefecture to the south. It faces the Ariake Inland Sea to the west. As with the other prefectures of Japan, Kumamoto Prefecture was created during the Meiji Restoration of 1871. It was formerly known as Higo Province.

Kumamoto Prefecture is the location of Mount Aso, the most active volcano in Japan. It is located in the eastern part of the prefecture.

Tsujun Bridge, Kumamoto Prefecture

Planning your trip to Kumamoto

You can reach Kumamoto by taking the Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train from Fukuoka (50 min, ¥4990) and Kagoshima (60 min, ¥6760). From Honshu Island, you can take the Sanyo Shinkansen from Osaka (3 hr 20 min, ¥18,020), Okayama (2 hr 30 min, ¥16,030) or Hiroshima (1 hr 45 min, ¥12,970) to Kyushu Island, and change to the Kyushu Shinkansen.

You can also fly to Kumamoto, arriving at the Aso-Kumamoto Airport (KMJ), which receives flights from Tokyo-Haneda, Nagoya-Centrair, Nagoya-Komaki, Osaka-Itami, Kobe and Seoul-Incheon, among others. It's an hour by shuttle bus from the airport to Kumamoto (¥670).

Kurakawa Onsen, Kumamoto Prefecture

Cities of Kumamoto Prefecture

Tourist Attractions of Kumamoto Prefecture

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