Kumamoto Prefecture

Coordinates: 32°43′N 130°40′E / 32.717°N 130.667°E / 32.717; 130.667
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"Kumamoto, Japan" redirects here. For the city, see Kumamoto.
Kumamoto Prefecture
熊本くまもと県けん
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese熊本くまもと県けん
 • RōmajiKumamoto-ken
The towns of Takamori and Minamiaso in the heart of Nango-dani valley in Aso district, Kumamoto prefecture. This land is completely located in the giant caldera of the Aso volcano
The towns of Takamori and Minamiaso in the heart of Nango-dani valley in Aso district, Kumamoto prefecture. This land is completely located in the giant caldera of the Aso volcano
Flag of Kumamoto Prefecture
Flag
Official logo of Kumamoto Prefecture
Symbol
Anthem: Kumamoto kenmin no uta
Location of Kumamoto Prefecture
Coordinates: 32°43′N 130°40′E / 32.717°N 130.667°E / 32.717; 130.667
Country Japan
RegionKyushu
IslandKyushu
CapitalKumamoto
SubdivisionsDistricts: 9, Municipalities: 45
Government
 • GovernorTakashi Kimura (木村きむら敬たかし) (from April 2024)
Area
 • Total7,409.48 km2 (2,860.82 sq mi)
 • Rank15th
Population
 (1 June 2019)
 • Total1,748,134
 • Rank23rd
 • Density240/km2 (610/sq mi)
GDP
[1]
 • TotalJP¥ 6,363 billion
US$ 58.4 billion (2019)
ISO 3166 codeJP-43
Websitewww.pref.kumamoto.jp
Symbols of Japan
BirdEurasian skylark (Alauda arvensis)
FlowerGentian (Gentiana scabra var. buergeri)
TreeCamphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora)

Kumamoto Prefecture (熊本くまもと県けん, Kumamoto-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū.[2] Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 (as of 1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 7,409 square kilometres (2,861 sq mi). Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture to the northeast, Miyazaki Prefecture to the southeast, and Kagoshima Prefecture to the south.

Kumamoto is the capital and largest city of Kumamoto Prefecture, with other major cities including Yatsushiro, Amakusa, and Tamana.[3] Kumamoto Prefecture is located in the center of Kyūshū on the coast of the Ariake Sea, across from Nagasaki Prefecture, with the mainland separated from the East China Sea by the Amakusa Archipelago. Kumamoto Prefecture is home to Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan and among the largest in the world, with its peak 1,592 metres (5,223 ft) above sea level.

History[edit]

Main article: History of Kumamoto Prefecture
See also: Historic Sites of Kumamoto Prefecture

Historically, the area was called Higo Province; and the province was renamed Kumamoto during the Meiji Restoration.[4] The creation of prefectures was part of the abolition of the feudal system. The current Japanese orthography for Kumamoto literally means "bear root/origin," or "origin of the bear." However, Man'yōgana-like phonetic transcriptions based on the kanji for "a ball, a sphere" (球たま /ku/ ~ /kjū/) and "to polish, to grind, to brush (one's teeth)" (磨すり /ma/) are used for the names of the Kuma River (球磨川くまがわ) and Kuma District (球磨くま郡ぐん). The Kuma element also appears in the ancient Kumaso.

Geography[edit]

Map of Kumamoto Prefecture showing municipal boundaries
     Government Ordinance Designated City      City      Town      Village

Kumamoto Prefecture is in the center of Kyushu, the southernmost of the four major Japanese islands. It is bordered by the Ariake inland sea and the Amakusa archipelago to the west, Fukuoka Prefecture and Ōita Prefecture to the north, Miyazaki Prefecture to the east, and Kagoshima Prefecture to the south.

Mount Aso (1,592 m (5,223 ft)), an extensive active volcano, is in the east of Kumamoto Prefecture. This volcano is located at the centre of the Aso caldera.

As of 31 March 2019, 21% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as natural parks: the Aso Kujū and Unzen-Amakusa National Parks; Kyūshū Chūō Sanchi and Yaba-Hita-Hikosan Quasi-National Parks; and Ashikita Kaigan, Itsuki Gokanoshō, Kinpōzan, Misumi-Ōyano Umibe, Okukuma, Shōtaisan, and Yabe Shūhen Prefectural Natural Parks.[5]

Cities[edit]

See also: List of cities in Kumamoto Prefecture by population
Hitoyoshi
Kumamoto City
Itsuki Village
Aso City
Minamata

Fourteen cities are located in Kumamoto Prefecture:

Name Area (km2) Population Map
Rōmaji Kanji
Amakusa 天草あまくさ市し 683.17 83,082
Arao 荒尾あらお市し 57.15 53,675
Aso 阿蘇あそ市し 376.25 27,039
Hitoyoshi 人吉ひとよし市し 210.55 33,461
Kami-Amakusa 上天じょうてん草市くさいち 126.94 27,603
Kikuchi 菊池きくち市し 276.66 49,455
Kōshi 合志こうし市し 53.19 61,022
Kumamoto (capital) 熊本くまもと市し 390.32 738,907
Minamata 水俣みなまた市し 162.88 25,310
Tamana 玉名たまな市し 152.55 70,530
Uki 宇城市し 188.56 59,928
Uto 宇土うと市し 74.17 37,442
Yamaga 山鹿やまが市し 299.67 53,404
Yatsushiro 八代やしろ市し 680.59 129,358

Towns and villages[edit]

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Name Area (km2) Population District Type Map
Rōmaji Kanji
Asagiri あさぎり町まち 159.56 15,796 Kuma District Town
Ashikita 芦北あしきた町まち 233.48 16,306 Ashikita District Town
Gyokutō 玉東ぎょくとう町まち 24.4 5,363 Tamana District Town
Hikawa 氷川ひかわ町まち 33.29 12,250 Yatsushiro District Town
Itsuki 五木いつき村むら 252.94 1,136 Kuma District Village
Kashima 嘉島かしま町まち 16.66 9,119 Kamimashiki District Town
Kikuyō 菊陽きくよう町まち 37.57 41,411 Kikuchi District Town
Kōsa 甲佐こうさ町まち 57.87 10,924 Kamimashiki District Town
Kuma 球磨くま村むら 207.73 3,863 Kuma District Village
Mashiki 益城ましき町まち 65.67 33,001 Kamimashiki District Town
Mifune 御船みふね町まち 99 16,901 Kamimashiki District Town
Minamiaso 南みなみ阿蘇あそ村むら 137.3 11,086 Aso District Village
Minamioguni 南小国みなみおぐに町まち 115.86 3,977 Aso District Town
Misato 美里みさと町まち 144.03 10,532 Shimomashiki District Town
Mizukami 水上みずかみ村むら 192.11 2,276 Kuma District Village
Nagasu 長洲ながす町まち 19.43 16,125 Tamana District Town
Nagomi 和水わすい町まち 98.75 10,030 Tamana District Town
Nankan 南関なんかん町まち 68.92 9,572 Tamana District Town
Nishihara 西原いりばる村むら 77.23 6,752 Aso District Village
Nishiki 錦にしき町まち 84.87 10,899 Kuma District Town
Oguni 小国おぐに町まち 137 8,735 Aso District Town
Ōzu 大津おおつ町まち 99.09 33,793 Kikuchi District Town
Reihoku 苓北れいほく町まち 67.06 7,462 Amakusa District Town
Sagara 相良さがら村むら 94.54 4,598 Kuma District Village
Takamori 高森たかもり町まち 174.9 6,189 Aso District Town
Taragi 多良木たらき町まち 165.87 9,604 Kuma District Town
Tsunagi 津奈木つなぎ町まち 33.97 4,574 Ashikita District Town
Ubuyama 産山うぶやま村むら 60.72 1,542 Aso District Village
Yamae 山江やまえ村むら 121.2 3,553 Kuma District Village
Yamato 山都やまと町まち 544.83 15,771 Kamimashiki District Town
Yunomae 湯前ゆのまえ町まち 48.41 4,046 Kuma District Town

Mergers[edit]

Main article: List of mergers in Kumamoto Prefecture

Demographics[edit]

As of 1 June 2019, the population was 1,748,134 inhabitants with a population density of 236 inhabitants per square kilometre (610/sq mi). The prefecture ranks 23rd in Japan.

Economy[edit]

Tsūjun Bridge in Yamato, Kamimashiki
Kumamoto Castle

The largest motorcycle production facility in the world is located in Kumamoto.[6]

In 2023, Mitsubishi Electric announced plans to spend 100 billion yen on a new semiconductor factory in Kumamoto, with a target start date of April 2026 to begin production.[7]

Renge-in Tanjō-ji

Tourism[edit]

The prefecture has a mascot named "Kumamon", a black bear with red cheeks, who was created to attract tourists to the region after the Kyushu Shinkansen line opened.[8][9]

Education[edit]

Universities[edit]

National[edit]

Public[edit]

Private[edit]

Transportation[edit]

Rail[edit]

Tramway[edit]

Road[edit]

Expressways and toll roads[edit]

National highways[edit]

Ports[edit]

Ferry routes[edit]

Airport[edit]

Sports[edit]

Roasso Kumamoto franchise stadium in KKWing of Kumamoto

These sports teams are based in the prefecture:

  • Professional:
  • Amateur:
    • Kumamoto Golden Larks - regional baseball

The Kumamoto Prefecture hosted the 2019 World Women's Handball Championship, having previously hosted the 1997 World Men's Handball Championship.

Sister cities[edit]

Kumamoto Prefecture is the 'sister state/prefecture' of Montana in the United States.

Kumamoto has a sister city located in Texas named San Antonio, which holds an annual fall festival 'akimatsuri' for its Japanese citizens. In 2015 the mascot, 'Kumamon' visited as an honorary ambassador during the festival located at the Japanese Tea Gardens.

Notable people[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "2020年度ねんど国民こくみん経済けいざい計算けいさん（2015年ねん基準きじゅん・2008SNA） : 経済けいざい社会しゃかい総合そうごう研究所けんきゅうじょ - 内閣ないかく府ふ". 内閣ないかく府ふホームページ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  2. ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Kumamoto prefecture" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 572, p. 572, at Google Books.
  3. ^ Nussbaum, "Kumamoto" in p. 572, p. 572, at Google Books.
  4. ^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
  5. ^ 自然しぜん公園こうえん都道府県とどうふけん別べつ面積めんせき総括そうかつ [General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture] (PDF) (in Japanese). Ministry of the Environment. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  6. ^ Frank, Aaron (2009-10-22). "Honda greens up its Kumamoto motorcycle manufacturing facility". Motorcyclist.
  7. ^ "Mitsubishi Electric to build 100 bil. yen chip factory in Kumamoto Pref". Mainichi Daily News. 2023-03-15.
  8. ^ The Life and Times of Japan's Mascots
  9. ^ "Top Ten Japanese Character Mascots". Finding Fukuoka. 2012-01-13. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  10. ^ JpopAsia. "Miku (BAND-MAID) | JpopAsia". JpopAsia. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  11. ^ "Eiichiro Oda, Hajime Isayama Show Their Support After Kumamoto Earthquakes". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  12. ^ "Real-life Locations of "Natsume's Book of Friends" in Kumamoto's Countrysides (Part 1)". So Japan. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  13. ^ "A Forest Shrine in Japan". Twisted Sifter. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  14. ^ "Hitomi at AV Idol Directory". in Japanese

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kumamoto prefecture.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Kumamoto_prefecture.
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