Tatsuda Nature Park is well worth putting on your itinerary for a day out in the city. Tucked away behind Kumamoto University, perhaps its difficult to find location means that it is not more well-known. The park stands on Mt. Tatsuda, a forested hill in the north eastern part of the city. Step through the park gates and you feel you have entered into the setting of an ancient Japanese fairytale.
Explore Kumamoto can add a trip to Tatsuda Nature Park as part of your custom made city tour, just contact us with your request.
A forest of green, with bamboo groves, a luxuriant moss garden, stepping stones and winding paths, a tranquil lake and two ancient thatched tea houses. Here you will also find the moss covered tombs of the ancient Hosokawa Lords of Kumamoto. The land belongs to the Hosokawa family who have a residence here, they now allow visitors to access their private gardens and the resting place of their ancestors. This was the site of the Taishoin Shrine dedicated to the first and second Hosokawa Lords, their remains were moved to the site in 1637 when the Hosokawa family became rulers of Kumamoto.
Tadaoki, the 2nd Lord Hosokawa (1563–1645) was an acclaimed tea master studying under the most influential of the tea ceremony masters, Sen no Rikyu, Tadaoki developed his own version of the tea ceremony named Higo Kooryu which is still practised in the Kumamoto region. Two tea rooms Tadaoki designed stand in the park, the tea rooms can be entered by prior appointment. Contact Explore Kumamoto for details.
Opening Hours: 8:30 to 17:00 (no admission after 16:30)
Closed: Dec 29th to 31st
Entrance fee: 200 Yen for adults, 100 Yen for children up to 15 years old.
Getting there: Either take a taxi, about 10 to 15 minutes from the city center. Or add it in to your tour itinerary with Explore Kumamoto. Contact us for details. A visit to the Tatsuda Nature Park, the Reigando Cave and a famous samurai swordsmith are also included in Explore Kumamoto’s Samurai Swords Tour
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