Explore Kumamoto

Activities

Yamaga Lantern Museum 山鹿灯籠民芸館

The Yamaga Lantern Craft Museum,  灯籠民芸館, introduces the history and culture of the traditional craft of paper lantern making. This rare and extraodinarily delicate paperwork has been passed down since ancient times and is unique to the Yamaga area. The museum is situated in the old bank just a couple of minutes walk down the

Yamaga Lantern Museum 山鹿灯籠民芸館 Read More »

Yachiyoza kabuki theatre tour

Yachiyoza Theatre

The town of Yamaga is situated an hour’s drive north of Kumamoto City. In its heyday, over a hundred years ago, Yamaga was a prosperous, bustling agricultural town and a very lively onsen retreat. In 1910 the local merchants funded the very first kabuki theatre in Kyushu and called it the Yachiyoza (the Eternal Place). This theatre born

Yachiyoza Theatre Read More »

Kumamoto weather snow in Aso

Nakadake Mount Aso’s active volcano

The title Mount Aso Volcano is a little misleading as the whole central mountain range within the Aso caldera is comprised of volcanos, fortunately only one is still active. Mt. Nakadake – Mount Aso’s active volcano  Nakadake long worshipped as a powerful god, the active volcano at the center of Mount Aso is a rarity, not only does

Nakadake Mount Aso’s active volcano Read More »

Aso shrine fire festival

Hifuri-Shinji Festival

Blazing torches light the sky and in the darkness a multitude of flaming reed straw ropes are swung around in an exciting spectacle to welcome the kami of Aso Shrine. The dramatic Hifuri-shinji  festival takes place in mid March in the grounds of  Aso Shrine.  The holy ritual has been designated as one of Japan’s Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties. This ancient  ritual’s

Hifuri-Shinji Festival Read More »

Scroll to Top