Kumamoto

The Gothic spire of Sakitsu Church rising above tiled roofs, seen past the mossy stone torii of Sakitsu Suwa Shrine on a rainy day

Kumamoto Streets & Towns

Sakitsu Village: The Altar Went Where the Stepping Was

Published: Sep 29, 2026

White façade, three arched entrances and a domed tower at Ōe Catholic Church in Amakusa.

Kumamoto Architecture

Ōe Church: A French Priest with an Amakusa Accent

Published: Sep 26, 2026

Polished steel spheres on the terraces of the Minamata Memorial, with Minamata Bay and its distant shore behind them.

Kumamoto Parks & Gardens

Eco Park Minamata: A Memorial with a View Worth Protecting

Published: Sep 24, 2026

A classroom of handmade scarecrows seated at desks in Miyajidake Scarecrow Village in Amakusa, Kumamoto.

Kumamoto Local Culture

Miyajidake Scarecrow Village: A Closed School with a Full Class

Published: Sep 20, 2026

Two black-and-white cats resting beside an open glass door on sunlit tatami.

Kumamoto Architecture

Natsume Sōseki’s Uchitsuboi House: I Am a Cat. Still No Name?

Published: Sep 13, 2026

Close view of three golden child figures of Kazenko with outstretched arms and bent knees against the sky in Tsunagi, Kumamoto.

Tsunagi’s Sixteen Sculptures: A Quiet Town with a Flair for the Dramatic

Published: Sep 12, 2026

Akaushi don at yoka-yoka in Kumamoto, with rare seared beef arranged around an onsen egg and wasabi.

Kumamoto Food Story

Akaushi Don: The Leaner Side of Wagyu

Eaten at: Akaushi Dining yoka-yoka Teppan & Grill (あか牛Dining yoka-yoka 鉄板＆グリル)
Published: Sep 7, 2026

Golden Buddha carved directly into a living tree at Tatzu Butzu in Tsunagi, Kumamoto, with another figure visible deeper in the grove.

Tatzu Butzu: Golden Buddhas That Keep Growing

Published: Aug 26, 2026