Kumamoto, Kumamoto

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**Kumamoto City**
**熊本市**
Kumamoto City's location in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Kyūshū
Prefecture	Kumamoto prefecture
Physical characteristics
Area	267.06 km²
Population (as of 2003)
Total	669,226
Density	2506/km²
Location	32°47′N, 130°44′E
Symbols
Tree	Ginkgo
Flower	Camellia
Kumamoto City City Hall
Mayor	Seishi Kōyama
Address	〒860-8601 Kumamoto-shi, Tetorisai-machi 1-1
Phone number	096-328-2111
Official website: Kumamoto City

Coordinates: 32°47′N, 130°44′E

Kumamoto (熊本市; -shi) is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū, Japan.

As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 669,034 and a density of 2,507.91 persons per km². The total area is 266.77 km².

Kato Kiyomasa, a contemporary of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was made daimyo of half of the (old) administrative region of Higo in 1588. After that, Kiyomasa built Kumamoto Castle. Due to its many innovative defensive designs, Kumamoto Castle was considered impregnable, and Kiyomasa enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest castle-builders in Japanese history. After Kiyomasa died in 1611, his son, Tadahiro, succeeded him, but Tadahiro was removed by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1633, replacing him with the Hosokawa clan. Former Prime Minister of Japan Hosokawa Morihiro is a direct descendant of the Hosokawa clan of Kumamoto. Another famous politician, former president of Peru Alberto Fujimori, also has roots in Kumamoto; Fujimori's ancestors emigrated from Kumamoto early in the 20th century.

The city's most famous landmark is Kumamoto Castle, a large and, in its day, extremely well-fortified Japanese castle. The donjon (castle central keep) is a concrete reconstruction built in the 1970s, but several ancillary wooden buildings remain of the original castle, which was assaulted during the Satsuma Rebellion and sacked and burned after a 53-day siege. It was during this time that the tradition of eating basashi (raw horse meat) originated. Basashi remains popular in Kumamoto and, to a lesser extent, elsewhere in Japan, though these days it is usually considered a delicacy.

Within the outer walls of Kumamoto Castle is the Hosokawa Gyobu-tei, the former residence of the Higo daimyo. This traditional wooden mansion has a fine Japanese garden located on its grounds.

Miyamoto Musashi lived the last part of his life in Kumamoto.

English-speaking visitors to the city will probably find most useful: the Shark Attack bar [1],Jeff's World Bar, Kumamoto International Centre, and a Kinokuniya book shop that offers some foreign books. There is also a lively email discussion group for international (for which, read English-speaking) residents or visitors to Kumamoto - called Kumamoto-I. One may also notice the town also associates itself with Miyamoto Musashi. Close to the castle is the fairly large Shimontori shopping arcade with modern types of products and services: Levis, coffee, books, records, and toys. The streetcar - in the gallery below - connects to it from Kumamoto Station.

Kumamoto is also home to Suizenji-Joujuen, a formal garden neighboring Suizenji Temple approximately 3 kilometers southeast of Kumamoto Castle. Suizenji Koen is considered to be one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan, together with Kenroku-en in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, and the gardens Kairaku-en and Koraku-en.

The current administrative body of the "City of Kumamoto" was founded on April 1, 1889.

1 Education
2 Kumamoto in Fiction
3 Photo gallery
4 Sister cities
5 External links

[edit] Education

[edit] Kumamoto in Fiction

Akira Kurosawa was granted permission to use the castle at Kumamoto for one of the three castles in his 1985 epic film Ran.

In the Star Trek:Deep Space Nine episode Emissary, Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) remarks that when his wife Keiko O'Brien (Rosalind Chao) saw their quarters she spoke of going to visit her mother in Kumamoto.

Kumamoto Castle, Suizenji Park, and parts of Mt. Aso were used as filming locations for the 2003 movie Last Samurai. source: Kumamoto Film Commission