This article is about the city in Japan. For the prefecture with the same name where this city is located, seeKumamoto Prefecture. For other uses, seeKumamoto (disambiguation).
Greater Kumamoto (熊本都市圏) had a population of 1,461,000, as of the 2000 census. As of 2010[update], KumamotoMetropolitan Employment Area has a GDP of US$39.8 billion.[4][5] It is not considered part of theFukuoka–Kitakyushu metropolitan area, despite their shared border. The city was designated on April 1, 2012, bygovernment ordinance.
Katō Kiyomasa, a contemporary ofToyotomi Hideyoshi, was madedaimyō of half of the (old) administrative region ofHigo in 1588. Afterwards, Kiyomasa builtKumamoto Castle. Due to its many innovative defensive designs, Kumamoto Castle was considered impenetrable, and Kiyomasa enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest castle-builders in Japanese history.
On July 1, 1945, near the end of World War II, Kumamoto was bombed in anAllied air raid that destroyed one square mile, which was 20% of the city's area.[9]
After the war, the Japanese Buddhist monkNichidatsu Fujii decided to construct aPeace Pagoda atop Mount Hanaoka in the city to commemorate all those lost in war and to promote peace.[10] Inaugurated in 1954, it was the first of over 80 Peace Pagodas built by Fujii and his followers all over the world.[11]
Kumamoto has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa) with hot, humid summers and cool winters. There is significant precipitation throughout the year, especially during June and July. The average annual temperature in Kumamoto is 17.2 °C (63.0 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2,007.0 mm (79.02 in) with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 28.4 °C (83.1 °F), and lowest in January, at around 6.0 °C (42.8 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Kumamoto was 38.8 °C (101.8 °F) on 17 July 1994; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −9.2 °C (15.4 °F) on 11 February 1929.
Climate data for Kumamoto (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1890−present)
In November 2017, Kumamoto politicianYuka Ogata was forced to leave the Kumamoto municipal assembly because she had brought her baby.[17] The incident was reported by international media as an example of the challenges facingwomen in Japan.[18]
On March 12, 2011, work on theshinkansen (high-speed bullet train) network was completed, establishing a direct high-speed rail link toTokyo viaFukuoka'sHakata station.
The city's most famous landmark isKumamoto Castle, a large and once extremely well fortified Japanese castle. Thedonjon (castle central keep) is a concrete reconstruction built in the 1970s, but several ancillary wooden buildings from the original castle remain. The castle was assaulted during theSatsuma Rebellion and sacked and burned after a 53-daysiege. It was during this time that the tradition of eatingbasashi (raw horse meat) originated.Basashi remains popular in Kumamoto and, to a lesser extent, elsewhere in Japan, although 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 Higodaimyō. This traditional wooden mansion has a fineJapanese garden located on its grounds.
The first of manypeace pagodas around the world was erected by Japanese Buddhist monkNichidatsu Fujii atopMount Hanaoka beginning 1947.[19] Inaugurated in 1954, it was the first of over 80 built by Fujii and his followers all over the world.[20]
Kumamoto is home toSuizen-ji Jōju-en, a formal garden neighboring Suizenji Temple approximately 3 kilometers southeast of Kumamoto Castle. Suizenji Park is also home to the Suizenji Municipal Stadium, where the city'sfootball team,Roasso Kumamoto, used to play regularly. The team now uses the largerKKWing Stadium in Higashi Ward.
Miyamoto Musashi lived the last part of his life in Kumamoto. His tomb and the cave where he resided during his final years (known asReigandō, or "spirit rock cave") are situated close by. He penned the famousGo Rin no Sho (The Book of Five Rings) whilst living here.
The downtown area has a commercial district centred on two shopping arcades, the Shimotori and Kamitori, which extend for several city blocks. The main department stores are located here along with a large number of smaller retailers, restaurants, and bars. Many local festivals are held in or near the arcades.
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![Mon of Miyamoto Musashi, born in Ōhara-chō province of Mimasaka[8]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aHidari_mitsudomoe.svg)
