Kumamoto City Tour
Joined 2025
This tour focuses on Kumamoto City and its nearby attractions. We will visit Kumamoto Castle, Suizenji Park, Musashizuka Park, and Mount Kimpo. Along the way, we can stop for a meal, let me know your preferred cuisine. Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets also offer a wide selection of delicious lunch boxes.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At your hotel
- Your Hotel or Airbnb.
Kumamoto Castle.
In 1467, the Ideta clan laid the first foundations of the castle, which changed hands regularly up until 1632, when the Hosokawa clan took charge–less than 30 years after the actual castle had been completed. The Hosokawa reign lasted more than 200 years and spanned eleven generations. In 1871, the feudal system was abolished in Japan, and the castle was subsequently given to the Japanese government and has been in government hands ever since.
Suizenji Park.
This garden on the southeast side of Kumamoto Castle was created by Hosokawa Tadatoshi (1586–1641), who took control of the Higo, now known as (Kumamoto) in 1632. He built a Buddhist temple called Suizenji and a teahouse here in the 1630s.
Suizenji Jojuen is a stroll garden (kaiyushiki teien) set around a pond fed by springs from Mount Aso. Two stone bridges that date from the Meiji era (1868–1912) are at the entrance. To the east, on the far side of the lake, is a strikingly symmetrical tsukiyama, or artificial mountain, evoking the shape of Mt. Fuji. To the north of the garden is the Izumi Shrine, dating from 1878, the year after the city of Kumamoto was burned down in the Satsuma Rebellion. It is said that the rebels may have used the miniature Mt. Fuji to mount an artillery battery in the attack. The pine tree here is said to have grown from a bonsai cultivated by the first-generation Hosokawa lord, Tadatoshi. A little further on is Inari Shrine, preceded by its vermilion gates. Just beside the shrine, which venerates the deity of the harvest, are four groves of plum trees that flower in early spring.
Mount Kimbo.
Mount Kimbo is a stratovolcano and lava dome in the west of Kumamoto city. Older than nearby Mount Aso, it formed over the past 100 million years. Extensive volcanic activity took place 50 to 56 million years ago.
Musashizuka Park.
Believed to be the final resting place of Miyamoto Musashi (1584–1645), the legendary samurai who was never defeated and perfected the two-sword fighting technique.
Miyamoto Musashi (宮本 武蔵, c. 1584 – June 13, 1645), also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was an expert Japanese swordsman and Rōnin.
Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age. He was the founder of the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū or Niten-ryū style of swordsmanship and the author of The Book of Five Rings (五輪の書 Go Rin No Sho).
A book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is still studied today.
Ending Point
Your Hotel or Airbnb.
Want to personalize this tour?
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Guide & private driver.
4x4 SUV Nissan Extrail.
Gasoline fee.
Toll fees.
Lunch $10 per person.
Parking fees $10.
Tour Important Information
This tour includes a private guide and driver, with plenty of walking involved, so comfortable shoes and clothing are recommended. Please note that all the photos featured in these tours were taken at specific times of the day, night, and during particular seasons. Depending on the time of year you visit, the locations may appear different. Above all, you can expect an unforgettable experience in Kumamoto.
Important message from the supplier
It’s very important that you inform me of any food allergies you may have. This way, I can make sure to notify the restaurant staff and ensure your safety and comfort.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Joined 2025
About Tour Guide Steve R.
Hello! I'm Steve and I’m originally from Sydney, Australia, but I’ve lived in Kumamoto City for the past 28 years. I’d love to take you on a tour of some of the region’s most historic and stunning sites. I took my profile picture on the balcony of my home, which sits high on a hill, offering great views of the city both day and night, with majestic mountain ranges in the distance.
I was a school teacher here for 25 years, starting in Japanese public schools before transitioning to an American institution.
I understand that when traveling abroad, many people prefer a local tour guide. While I wasn’t born in Japan, after nearly three decades here, I consider myself as local as it gets! Not only can I share insights about the local culture, but I can also offer a unique perspective as a foreigner who has grown to love this country as my own.
With our comfortable 4x4 full leather interior SUV, we’ll explore hidden gems that typical tour buses can’t reach, making your experience even more special.
On our way to the sites, I’ll describe anything that catches your eye so you don’t miss a thing. I know that returning back from a great trip can feel like the end of something special, so if there’s anything I can do to make the ride more enjoyable, just let me know. On the way back, feel free to play any music you like on the BOSE sound system in the car.
$139/ per group
More tours by Steve R.
Mount Aso Full Day Tour
Join me for a full-day tour of Mount Aso, the most active volcano in Japan. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to stop and capture photos or videos of anything that catches your eye. With a 4x4 SUV, we will be able to access places that tour buses are not capable of.
