The outline of the history of Kumamoto Prefecture is described herein. Kumamoto Prefecture is an eastern half of Hinokuni (The land of Hi, fire), corresponding to the Higo Province as called in days gone by. Exceptions are the part of Kuma gun or Kuma Districts of Japan which had once been included in Sagara Domain and Nagashima which is included in Kagoshima Prefecture. Kumamoto Prefecture roughly corresponds to traditional Higo Provice, like Miyazaki Prefecture which corresponds to Hyuga Province.
| Kumamoto Prefecture | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese transcription(s) | |||
| • Japanese | 熊本県 | ||
| • Rōmaji | Kumamoto-ken | ||
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| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Kyūshū | ||
| Island | Kyūshū | ||
| Capital | Kumamoto | ||
| Government | |||
| • Governor | Ikuo Kabashima | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 7,404.14 km2 (2,858.8 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 16th | ||
| Population (October 1, 2005) | |||
| • Total | 1,842,140 | ||
| • Rank | 23rd | ||
| • Density | 249/km2 (644.9/sq mi) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | JP-43 | ||
| Districts | 10 | ||
| Municipalities | 48 | ||
| Flower | Gentian (Gentiana scabra var. buergeri) | ||
| Tree | Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) | ||
| Bird | Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis) | ||
| Website | www.pref.kumamoto.jp/ english/list.html |
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Kumamoto Prefecture is roughly divided into three areas, namely, the northern area with Kikuchi River, Shirakawa River and Mount Aso Area; the Kumagawa Area including the Hitoyoshi Basin and the Amakusa Island Area. The first one is the Kumamoto han, and the second the Hitoyoshi han and the third one is the Tokugawa Shogunate controlled Amakusa Area.
The history of Kumamoto is characterized by kofuns in natural beauties or volcanic activitites, the Ritsuryo and the following rise of samurais, the arrival of Kato Kiyomasa from Nagoya, wars around the Bakumatsu including the Satsuma Rebellion, and public problems concerning Minamata disease. After the establishment of the Yamato Government or Yamato Ouken, the history of Kumamoto has been constantly under the influence of the Central Government.
About one thirds of archaeological sites of the lower paleolithic age in Japan were found in Kumamoto Prefecture. However, only a few areas were excavated. Mainly these were distributed in the outer Aso mountain areas and Kuma district. The oldest one is the Ishinomoto Site in Hirayama machi in Kumamoto City; dating back more than 30,000 years ago by the radiocarbon dating method. A large number of artifacts (archaeology) or stone tools such as stone axes and knives were excavated, suggesting that Kyūshū had been nice places for living as a hunter-gatherer society. However, at the same time, Kyūshū experienced great volcanic activities by the activities of Mount Aso, Aira Caldera in Kagoshima Prefecture and Kikai Caldera. There were four large series of Mount Aso volcanic activities with structural changes, the last one was about 90,000 years ago. The lava belts thus produced presented stone materials for bridge construction in Kumamoto Prefecture.
In the early part of the Jomon period, there were no rich exvacations in the Kumamoto Prefecture, because of the volcanic activitites about 7300 years ago by the Kikai Caldera in Kagoshima Prefecture. In the middle age of the Jomon period were Goryo midden and Kurohashi midden. Later, 13 middens in Kumamoto were situated at the height of 5 meters above sea level. In Souhata midden, acorns were found stored. Fish hooks made of stone were found in Amakusa. A peculiar style of earthenware called kokushokukenmadoki was developed according to the development of living styles. Burned rice corns and barley corns were found in a dugout (shelter) dwelling in Uenobaru midden in Kumamoto City.[1] 770 Archaeological sites were found in the Jomon period in Kumamoto Prefecture, including Kannabe midden, Kumamoto in which Dogūs and ground stones were found.
In Nihon Shoki, Japan's earliest official document, the early countries of Yamato Ouken, Wa (Japan), appointed a king of small area which came under the Yamato Ouken, a head of agata (Agata Nushi). Yamato Ouken is considered to be the forerunner of the Japan's Imperial House of Japan existing in the Nara area or somewhere and started in the 3rd century. In the same document and in Chikushi-koku-fudoki, there were three Agatas or Districts in the present Kumamoto Prefecture, Kuma agata, corresponding to Kuma Area, Asonken, corresponding to the Mount Aso area and Yatsushiro area, which is considered to be larger than today. Near the Uto Peninsula area are about 120 large kofuns, or megalithic tombs or tumuli in Japan, constructed between the early 3rd century and early 7th century. In Kumamoto Prefecture, there are a concentrated distribution of decorated kofuns, in which various patterns were drawn, for instance, breasts of a woman in Chibusan kofun in Yamaga city. In another kofun in Uto city, the burial of a woman in her thirties was confirmed, suggesting the presence of Miko or a shaman. It was a Japanese term that anciently meant a "female shaman, spirit medium" who conveyed oracles from kami. A sword in a kofun named Etafunayamakofun had Chinese characters describing Emperor Yūryaku（in kanji), Historian Wakatakeru has suggested that this area was under the control of Yamato Ouken. One of the gozokus was named Takebe-no-Kimi, a family of samurai nature, who was given such a name by Yamato Ouken, and who was assumed to live near Kokai-Honmachi；in those days, near Takebe.
There are various Japanese names for a political/governmental organization present starting in the third century of kofun period in Kinki area of Japan, composed of several powerful families, with Oh (king) or Ohkimi (great king) as its center. These names include Yamato Choutei (Court), Yamato Ouken, Wa Ouken, and Yamato Seiken. At the same time, there are views that the presence of smaller regional states should be respected. At the present time, Yamato Chotei (Yamato Court) is employed in the textbooks censored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. There is a view that Choutei (Court) should not be used before the 4th and 5th century. At the present time, Yamato Ouken is tentatively used here.
The name, Higo first appeared in Nihon Shoki, the official history of Japan, in its description of a soldier who returned from the Tang empire after 33 years of captivity after the Battle of Baekgang; he was Mibu no Moroishi of Kohshi gun of Higo Province. It was in 696. In the same book, the construction of Kukuchi castle in preparation of a possible attack, was described in 696. This castle is considered to be a storage place.[3] Under the ritsuryo system of Japan, a branch of the central government called Kokufu was placed in areas under the influence of the central government. In Kumamoto Prefecture, Kokufu, was placed in Mashiki in Wamyo Ruijusho and in other places in other books. As the name of a place, Kokubu(or -fu) was in Kumamoto city, and there was a building in the 9th century; which was found destroyed in a flood. As a government post, Higonokami Michinokimi Obina was recorded; he was born in 663, and he assumed the post of the head of Higo Province. He was also a poet and his name was in Kaifuso. As the heads of Higo Province, there were Ki Natsui, Fujiwaha Yasumasa and Kiyohara no Motosuke; the last one was a nobleman, waka poet, and the father of Sei Shonagon who wrote The Pillow Book. Unlike other governors, Kiyohara did come to Kumamoto. The ritsuryo system was introduced in the Asuka period, and silk was transferred to the capital for taxation. This was confirmed in Wamyo Ruijusho and in Shoku Nihongi. Fishes and rice were also items for taxation and Higo Land was a big country in this respect. Divisions of land by roads (Jourisei) were started and transportation (stations of horses) was prepared. Kokai Station was found within the campus of Kumamoto University[4]
In 768, a white turtle was presented to Yamato Ouken from Ashikita, and in 771, two white turtles were presented from Ashikita, and Mashiki, both from Kumamoto coinciding with the enthronement of Emperor Konin, and the death of Empress Kōken, and the title of the years was changed from Jingokeiun to Hōki, meaning a precious turtle. Dokyo, the lover of Empress Kōken lost power. At the same time, those under the influence of Fujiwara clan gained power among Kumamoto people over those under the influence of Ohtomo family.
In the latter part of Heian period, groups of samurais gained power. This was also so in the land of Higo, but powerful samurais governing a country had not appeared, until the time of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Well known groups of samurais included the Kikuchi clan, Aso clan, Kihara of the Midorigawa area, Moroshima of Amakusa, Sagara clan of Hitoyoshi, and Kumabe ; some of them fought at the The Toi invasion in 1019.
Kikuchi clan started with Fujiwara Noritaka who was a grandson of Fujiwara Takaie, who fought at Toi invasion. However, this was probably a mistake, and Fujiwara Masanori, the father of Fujiwara Masanori was an inhabitant near Kikuchi area around 1070. At present, there are several views concerning its origin; 1) Local Gozoku who worked at Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture, 2) A descendant of Kishitsu Fukunobu from Korea, 3) A descendant of the Kukuchi family (not Kikuchi family), 4) A descendant from the Minamoto clan. Kikuchi clan enjoyed a powerful presence in the Kikuchi area, belonging to the group in the center of Japan by presenting their land as Manorialism or Shouen system of Japan. In the days when Taira clan was in power, the Kikuchi clan approached the Taira clan, while Minamoto clan was in power, the Kikuchi clan favored the Minamoto clan. In the Kamakura period, Kikuchi clan fought bravely and successfully against the enemy at Fukuoka during the Mongol invasions of Japan. Kikuchi Taketoki (1292–1333) was the 12th head of the Kikuchi Clan. Emperor Go-Daigo asked Taketoki for help him. He was Go-Daigo's first man and was awarded for this. Taketoki gathered many people in Kyūshū and was planning to attack Chinzei Tandai's Hōjō Hidetoki (Akahashi Hidetoki) but they found out about his plan and they attacked him first. Taketoki and his son Yoritaka died in this attack. However, the Kikuchi clan remained a highly powerful clan in this area.
Aso clan started with Kannushi worshipping kami of Mount Aso area and later became the head of Agata by presenting their land to the Yamato Ouken and later to the group in power as shoen. They became a powerful group of samurais, and they named themselves a Dai-guji, or great Kannushi and the top of gozokus or samurais combined. It is said that Aso Shrine was the earliest shrine in the Higo Province and included lower shrines such as Kengun Shrine in Kumamoto, Kosa Shrine and Kouriura Shrine extending their area of influence.
In the latter half of Heian period, samurais had staged wars in almost all areas of Japan, and Shirakawa Jokyo in cloistered rule started to control kokushis; the situation became very complex. In Kyūshū, Minamoto no Tametomo, a hero from Kyoto had a number of legend of doing violence. The legend of Minamoto no Tamotomo was interpreted as the uprising of groups of samurais in rural or peripheral areas of Japan against the previouly authortative groups of samurais. When Taira no Kiyomori had power, smaller groups of samurais had to choose either siding with the Heike clan or resisting Heike clan. Azuma Kagami The Tale of the Heike, Genpei Jōsuiki, (also known as Genpei Seisuiki), Rebellion of Chinzei was recorded, coinsiding with the uprising of Minamoto no Yoritomo. However, it was not so, Kikuchi Takanao, Aso Koreyasu and Kihara Jirou selected the way of resistance. Defeated, their groups were incorporated with the Heike clan.
The Kamakura period covers 1185 to 1333. Samurais in east Japan occupied the post of Soujitou, and Kikuchi clan sided with Gotoba-joko, and lost to some extent. In 1268 and 1271, the Kamakura shogunate rejected the proposal of envoys from Mongol for peace. It ordered all those who held fiefs in Kyūshū to reject Mongol Invasions, including many samurai groups from Kyūshū, including Kumamoto. Fortunately Takezaki Suenaga left vivid pictures concerning the Mongol invasions of Japan.
Takezaki Suenaga (1246–1314) was a retainer of the Higo Province, Japan who fought in both battles of Mongol invasions of Japan. Suenaga commissioned the Moko Shurai Ekotoba, a pictorial scroll showing his own valor in war, composed in 1293. During the Mongol invasion of 1274. Suenaga fought at Fukuoka under Muto Kagesuke. Suenaga sold his horses and saddles in order to finance a trip to Kamakura, where he reported his deeds in battle to the Shogunate. In order to receive rewards for valorous deeds from the bakufu, it was necessary for the deeds to be witnessed by others and reported to the Shogunate directly. By his own account in the scrolls, Suenaga says, "Other than advancing and having my deeds known, I have nothing else to live for", showing that, first, he wanted to advance in terms of measurable money and rank, and that, just as importantly, he sought fame and recognition.
Muromachi period is subdivided into the Nanboku-chō period, Muromachi period in a smaller sense and Sengoku period.
Nanboku-chō period is between 1336 and 1392. Emperor Go-Daigo started to overthrow the shogunate Hōjō Takatoki and the order was reached through Prince Kanenaga (or Prince Kaneyoshi) to various samurai groups in Kyūshū, and Kikuchi Taketoki was killed in a battle in Fukuoka. Kikuchi clan and Aso clan sided with Southern Court in Kyoto. Later, Northern Court won over the Southern Court. In order to strengthen Kikuchi clan, Kikuchi Takeshige made Yoriaishu Naidan no Koto, in 1338, meaning the rules of decision within Kikuchi clan with blood signature. This was translated into the Kikuchi Constitution, the oldest blood signature and this was stored in the Kikuchi Shrine.
Muromachi period in a smaller sense. Shibukawa Mitsuyori assumed the Kyūshū branch of central government, Kyūshū Tandai, the military branch of the Ashikaga shogunate. Kikuchi clan showed resistance, however, it approached the Ashikaga shogunate later. Kikuchi clan started to trade with Korea and gained some strength. In 1481, a large meeting for 10,000 Renga was held in Kikuchi, the land of Kikuchi clan showing high standards of culture was there. Later Kikuchi clan declined. Sagara families fought within their own families in Hitoyoshi area, but stayed there because the Hitoyoshi is encirled by mountains. Aso families staged conflicts within their families in the Aso area.
Sengoku period is roughly between 1493 and 1572. Kikuchi clan declined, and Higo Province became the land of Field Mowing, meanig that the stronger can get the land of the weaker.
Azuchi–Momoyama period was from 1573 to 1603. It was followed by Edo period.
In 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi started to invade Kyūshū in his war in order to unify Japan and reached Kumamoto on April 16. He gave letters of reassurance of the possession of land to 52 persons in Kumamoto, and gave Sassa Narimasa the Province of Higo. Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered that the measurements of land should not be examined in the following three years. However, Sassa Narimasa could not observe the order and conflicts started; Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered the groups of samurais in Higo be destroyed. Sassa Narimasa was responsible for this conflicts and he was ordered to commit seppuku. On the following day, Toyotomi Hideyoshi gave the northern half of Higo Province to Kato Kiyomasa and the southern half to Konishi Yukinaga. Sagara clan in Hitoyoshi lost Yatsushiro and Ashikita, but finally the possession of Hitoyoshi was reassured. Five groups of samurais in Amakusa resisted against Konishi Yukinaga, but the five groups of samurais in Amakusa finally were defeated.
At the Battle of Sekigahara, which was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600, cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu. In Kyūshū, Kato Kiyomasa, and other Samurais such as Kuroda, Nabeshima, Hosokawa joined the group of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Konishi Yukinawa, Shimazu, Ootomo, Tachibana went into the side of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Katou Kiyomasa attacked Uto castle, and he won the battle when the news of the defeat of Ishida and the capital punishment and defeat of Konishi Yukinaga reached Uto. Kato Kiyomasa was given the Province of Higo with the exception of Hitoyoshi and Amakusa. His Kokudaka reached 540,000 koku and he was asked to add his followers, and accepted the previous samurais belonging to Konishi Yukinaga and Tachibana. He started to strengthen the Kumamoto Castle and completed it in 1607. Kiyomasa was one of the three senior commanders during the Seven-Year War (1592–1598) against the Korean dynasty of Joseon. Together with Konishi Yukinaga, he captured Seoul, Busan and many other crucial cities. He defeated the last Korean regulars in the Battle of Imjin River and pacified Hamgyong.
Kiyomasa was an excellent architect of castles and fortification. During the Imjin war, he built several Japanese style castles in Korea to better defend the conquered lands. Ulsan castle was one of these fortresses that Kiyomasa built, and it proved its worth when Korean-Chinese allied forces attacked it with far superior force, yet the outnumbered Japanese successfully defended the castle until the Japanese reinforcements arrived. After the meeting of Tokugawa Iemasa and Toyotomi Hideyori, he died on a ship on his way to Kumamoto in 1611. His child, Katou Tadahiro, was transferred to Dewa Maruoka-han in Tohoku area in 1632, for fear of his becoming too powerful and Kato clan came to an end.
Hosokawa Tadatoshi of Hosokawa clan entered Higo Province in 1632; he declared that he respected Kato Kiyomasa. Retired Hosokawa Tadaoki entered Yatsushiro castle. Hosokawa Tadatoshi introduced the system of tenaga, which was larger than a village; this system had been observed in his previous Han . The top of a tenaga was originally by heritage, but later the head of tenaga was appointed from above. It was by Bureaucracy but a more suitable system than heritage alone.
| Amakusa 天草市 |
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|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Location of Amakusa in Kumamoto | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kyūshū |
| Prefecture | Kumamoto |
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) |
Kato Kiyomasa, an earnest Nichiren sect Buddhist, did not like Christians. He proposed that Amakusa and Tsurusaki, Oita Prefecture be exchanged when he obtained the land of Kumamoto, and this was realized. Gozokus in Amaksa repeatedly fought each other in the sengoku period. In 1560, they realized the superiority of arquebus which Matsuura Takanobu had introduced into local warfare.
In 1566, a gozoku asked Cosme de Torres to send a Catholic missionary. Luís de Almeida was dispatched in the same year. He built a church with the permission of the rulers. In 1568, a congress of foreign missionaries was held in Amakusa. In 1570, missionaries baptized Shiki, Amakusa, and Amakusa ruling families. In Amakusa, 5 Ji-samurais also became Christian.
As a result, Catholic culture flourished. Amakusa College (College Amacusa) graduated scholars between 1591 and 1597, at Hondo or Kawaura of Amakusa.[5] It published more than 12 books including Aesop's Fables in Japanese in 1593 and the Tale of the Heike (Feique No Monogatari), in 1592. with the Gutenberg press, imported from Italy by overseas scholars Ito Mansho (Mancio Ito), Miguel Chijiwa, Hara Maruchino, and Nakaura Julian. Upon returning, they continued their studies at Amakusa College.[6][7]
The Shimabara Rebellion was an uprising largely involving Japanese peasants, most of them Catholic Christians, in 1637 and 1638. In the wake of the Matsukura clan's construction of a new castle at Shimabara, taxes were drastically raised, which provoked anger from local peasants and lordless samurais. In addition, religious persecution against the local Christians exacerbated their discontent, which turned into open revolt in 1637. The Tokugawa Shogunate sent a force of over 125,000 men and defeated them. The rebel leader Amakusa Shiro, a charismatic 15-year-old Christian, died when the castle fell. Executed in the aftermath of the fall, his head was displayed on a pike in Nagasaki for a very long time afterward as a warning to any other potential Christian rebels. Persecution of Christianity became strictly enforced. Japan's national seclusion policy was tightened, and formal persecution of Christianity continued until the 1850s. In 1641, Amakusa was made under the direct control of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
In 1805, 5200 underground (hidden) Christians were found in Amakusa. The Tokugawa Shogunate treated this problem unexpectedly softly and recognized religious conversion. Fumi-e had been used as a test for finding Christians.
People in Amakusa heard that the ban on Christianity had been lifted and some people reported that their faith was converted to Christianity in 1876. However, it was not accepted, and some others were punished because they conducted their funeral according to Christian style. In 1892, a French father, Frederic Louis Garnier,(1860–1941)started a church in Oe, Amakusa and he was mentioned in 5 Pairs of Shoes by Yosano Tekkan, Mokutaro Kinoshita, Kitahara Hakushu, Hirano Banri and Yoshii Isamu.
The town area of Kumamoto had been completed at the time of Kato Kiyomasa. Tsuboi Kawa (river) had been separated from Shirakawa. Tsuboi Kawa and Iseri Kawa were made a moat of Kumamoto Castle. Dwelling areas of Samurais were placed around Kumamoto Castle, and the areas of town people were separated. Choroku Bashi(Bridge) was the only bridge crossing Shirakawa River, it was only one for the defense of Kumamoto Castle. Suizenji Park, a Japanese style garden, was made for the exclusive use of the Hosokawa clan in 1634. A factory for wax production was completed in 1803; the products were transported over the rivers to the sea.
Hosokawa Shigekata (January 23, 1721 – November 27, 1785) was a 6th lord of Kumamoto of Hosokawa clan, noted for successful financial reform of Kumamoto Domain. His elder brother, the 5th daimyo, unfortunately and unexpectedly was killed, he had to face financial difficulties of the Kumamoto Han. The deficits at the time of his father reached 400,000 ryo, Tael. The finance of his Han had worsened because of the policy of the Tokugawa shogunate which requested the Sankin kotai.
In 1752, he appointed Hori Katuna the great Bugyo. Hori immediately went to Osaka to negotiate with Kohnoike family and others for loan, but the Osaka rich families refused the request of Kumamoto han. Then, Hori was successful in borrowing a huge sum of money from Kajimaya in return for the 100,000 koku or rice of Kumamoto Han. Kajimaya requested considerable reduced financial policy of Kumamoto han. Originally, 100 koku of samurais meant 40 koku of rice, or the samurai obtained 40 %. After the reform, 20 koku per 100 koku went to a samurai, and then 13 koku, this meant a reduction of 65 %. Kokudaka or the system of koku refers to a system for determining land value for tribute purposes in Edo period Japan and expressing this value in koku of rice. This tribute was no longer the percentage of the actual quantity of rice harvested, but was assessed based on the quality and size of the land. The system was used to value the incomes of daimyo, or samurais under daimyo.
Kumamoto han wanted that samurais were satisfied with the reform of Horeki, and at the same time, they should train themselves as strong samurais. One was to build a school of han for samurais and others. Another idea was to rehabilitate those who were against the rules, and Shigekata started completely new criminal laws of the han. He also started a medical school called Saishunkan. In addition, Shigekata and Hori started various new industries such as Japanese paper, silk, and wax.
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, usually accompanied or followed by malnutrition, starvation, epidemic and increased mortality. In 1634 ,there was a considerable famine which was said to lead to Shimabara Rebellion of 1637. The reduced production of rice was observed occasionally from time to time; 1729 was also the year of famine, and it was recorded that only there was only 11% of yearly production. In addition to famine, there was a peculiar tsunami. In 1792, a large mountain Mayu Yama(Maeyama), at the foot of Volcano Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture collapsed with volcanic earthquakes, producing a great tsunami, attacking the seashore of Kumamoto Prefecture. In all, 15,000 people died. This was the second largest tsunami, following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
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Usually translated as peasant uprising, it was reported that wealthy farmers also participated; in Higo Province, more than 100 cases of farmer uprising were recorded. These cases were characterized by small numbers of participants, less than 300 people, and their claims were the reduction of taxation, about the unstability of han money, request for the resignation of the shoya and employees. In 1747, farmer uprising occurred in Ashikita, requesting the withdrawal of the resignation of Inatsu Yaemon, a high-ranking gundai who had an understanding of farmers. Its participants numbered 7000 to 8000 people.
Bakumatsu was a period toward the end of Tokugawa Shogunate. Yokoi Shōnan (1809–1869) was a scholar and political reformer in Japan, influential around the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Yokoi was a samurai born in Kumamoto, was sent by the domain to Edo in 1839 for studies, and developed contacts with pro-reform members of the Mito domain. After his return to Kumamoto, he started a group to promote the reform of domain administration along Neo-Confucianism lines. In 1857, he was invited by the daimyo of Echizen, Matsudaira Yoshinaga to become his political advisor. Although he was highly evaluated at that time, he was assassinated in 1869.
There was a chain of events from the Bakumatsu, Meiji Restoration (1868), Abolition of the han system (1871) and Satsuma Rebellion (1877). The name of the Prefecture was finally made Kumamoto Prefecture in 1876.
Chinzei Tandai, one of the 6 large units of the Japanese Army, was placed in Kumamoto in 1871. After the Satsuma rebellion in 1877, the 6th Infantry Division was formed in Kumamoto City on May 12, 1888, as one of the new divisions to be created after the reorganization of the Imperial Japanese Army away from six regional commands and into a divisional command structure. The headquarters were placed in the Kumamoto Castle, with the infantry battalion, the cavalry battalion and artillery battalion, and this nature came to an end at the end of World WarⅡ. Japan experienced the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895 and 1896. After the Russo-Japanese War, Kumamoto accepted about 5,000 prisoners of war at Toroku. A large-scale military exercise was held in Kumamoto with Emperor Hirohito in 1931.
Yamasaki Training Place of the army, placed after the Satsuma rebellion, blocked traffic and the development of Kumamoto City. In consideration of public opinions, other military buildings were transferred to Toroku and Oe Mura, but the Yamasaki Training place was still there. At the cost of Kumamoto City, it moved to Oe Mura, starting as late as 1898. In the wake of the Yamasaki Training place, Renpei Cho and Karashima(the name of the then mayor) Cho were named, and Shinshigai became the busiest section of Kumamoto City. In 1907, Kumamoto Light railway company started, which later changed to Kumamoto Electoric Railway Company and then to streetcars. Public organizations were invited, such as the 5th Higher Middle School in 1887 which changed to the 5th High School in 1894, Tobacco Monopoly Bureau in 1911. Infrastructure such as construction of roads, water supply(1924), streetcars was completed, which was the basis of development of Kumamoto City.
At the end of World War II. Kumamto experienced several Air raids on Japan, and the greatest one on June 30 and July 1, 1945. About one third of the city was burned, and more than 300 people died. After the war, there were a considerable number of floods after typhoons attacking Japan, possibly due to deforestation and delay in river control. In June 1953, there was a combination of Mount Aso eruption and 1953 North Kyushu Flood, causing debris flows into the center of Kumamoto city, and more than 500 people died in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Various dams, such as Ichifusa dam, Midorikawa dam, Ryumon dam, have been constructed to prevent another disaster. Tateno dam is under construction. 1973 Taiyo Department Store fire occurred in the center of Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. The fire started at 1:15 pm on November 29, 1973; killing 103 people. After the fire, regulations pertaining to the construction of buildings were strengthened, one of which was the building of external steps outside of the high-storied buildings.
Since early times agriculture has remained an important industry and the government encouraged agriculture by placing agricultural experiment stations in 1911 in Kumamoto Prefecture. Since 1964, industrialization started, such as motorcycles and semiconductors. Kumamoto Technopolis Project was started to invite various factories near Kumamoto Airport. Five Bridges of Amakusa linked the Kyūshū Mainland, Kumamoto Prefecture and Amakusa Islands, on September 24, 1966. The Five Bridges not only gave hope and confidence in the development of Japan's bridge construction technology, but also changed the whole aspects of lives in Amakusa Islands including industries. Mount Aso (National Park in 1931) and Amakusa became attractions of sightseeing of Kumamoto Prefecture.
The Chisso Corporation (チッソ株式会社, Chisso kabushiki kaisha) started a factory in Minamata city in 1908. It was in 1956 that Minamata disease which was caused by the release of methylmercury in the industrial wastewater from the factory was discovered. The symptoms of the disease include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, narrowing of the field of vision and damage to hearing and speech. As of March 2001, 2,265 victims had been officially recognised (1,784 of whom had died) and over 10,000 had received financial compensation from Chisso. By 2004, Chisso Corporation had paid $86 million in compensation. On March 29, 2010, a settlement was reached to compensate as-yet uncertified victims.