Kumamoto Prefecture

Kumamoto is the capital and largest city of Kumamoto Prefecture, with other major cities including Yatsushiro, Amakusa, and Tamana. 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. Home to Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan and among the largest in the world, with its peak 1592 m above sea level.

• Name — Kumamoto Prefecture • Type — Prefecture • Translit Lang1 — Japanese • Translit Lang1 Type — Japanese • Translit Lang1 Info — 熊本県 • Translit Lang1 Type1 — Rōmaji • Translit Lang1 Info1 — Kumamoto-ken • Blank Emblem Size — 80px • Blank Emblem Type — Symbol • Anthem — Kumamoto kenmin no uta • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Japan • Subdivision Type1 — Region • Subdivision Name1 — Kyushu • Subdivision Type2 — Island • Subdivision Name2 — Kyushu • Seat Type — Capital • Seat — Kumamoto • Parts Type — Subdivisions • Parts Style — para • P1 — Districts: 9 • P2 — Municipalities: 45 • Leader Title — Governor • Leader Name — Takashi Kimura • Area Total Km2 — 7409.48 • Area Water Percent — 0.2 • Area Rank — 15th • Population Total — 1,683,115 • Population As Of — 1 October 2025 • Population Rank — 23rd • Population Density Km2 — auto • Demographics Type2 — GDP • Demographics2 Title1 — Total • Demographics2 Info1 — JP¥6,565 billion US$48.5 billion (2022) • Iso Code — JP-43 • Website — http: www.pref.kumamoto.jp

Historically, the area was called Higo Province; the province was renamed Kumamoto during the Meiji Restoration. 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) and "to polish, to grind, to brush (one's teeth)" (磨) are used for the names of the Kuma River (球磨川) and Kuma District (球磨郡). The Kuma element also appears in the ancient Kumaso.

• Illustration — Map of Kumamoto Prefecture showing municipal boundaries 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, 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.

• Illustration — Hitoyoshi • Illustration — Kumamoto City • Illustration — Itsuki Village • Illustration — Aso City • Illustration — Minamata Fourteen cities are located in Kumamoto Prefecture: • Name — Area (km 2) — Population — Map • Rōmaji — Kanji • Amakusa — 天草市 — 683.17 — 83,082 — • Arao — 荒尾市 — 57.15 — 53,675 — • Aso — 阿蘇市 — 376.25 — 27,039 — • Hitoyoshi — 人吉市 — 210.55 — 33,461 — • Kami-Amakusa — 上天草市 — 126.94 — 27,603 — • Kikuchi — 菊池市 — 276.66 — 49,455 — • Kōshi — 合志市 — 53.19 — 61,022 — • Kumamoto (capital) — 熊本市 — 390.32 — 738,907 — • Minamata — 水俣市 — 162.88 — 25,310 — • Tamana — 玉名市 — 152.55 — 70,530 — • Uki — 宇城市 — 188.56 — 59,928 — • Uto — 宇土市 — 74.17 — 37,442 — • Yamaga — 山鹿市 — 299.67 — 53,404 — • Yatsushiro — 八代市 — 680.59 — 129,358 —

These are the towns and villages in each district: • Name — Area (km 2) — Population — District — Type — Map • Rōmaji — Kanji • Asagiri — あさぎり町 — 159.56 — 15,796 — Kuma District — Town — • Ashikita — 芦北町 — 233.48 — 16,306 — Ashikita District — Town — • Gyokutō — 玉東町 — 24.4 — 5,363 — Tamana District — Town — • Hikawa — 氷川町 — 33.29 — 12,250 — Yatsushiro District — Town — • Itsuki — 五木村 — 252.94 — 1,136 — Kuma District — Village — • Kashima — 嘉島町 — 16.66 — 9,119 — Kamimashiki District — Town — • Kikuyō — 菊陽町 — 37.57 — 41,411 — Kikuchi District — Town — • Kōsa — 甲佐町 — 57.87 — 10,924 — Kamimashiki District — Town — • Kuma — 球磨村 — 207.73 — 3,863 — Kuma District — Village — • Mashiki — 益城町 — 65.67 — 33,001 — Kamimashiki District — Town — • Mifune — 御船町 — 99 — 16,901 — Kamimashiki District — Town — • Minamiaso — 南阿蘇村 — 137.3 — 11,086 — Aso District — Village — • Minamioguni — 南小国町 — 115.86 — 3,977 — Aso District — Town — • Misato — 美里町 — 144.03 — 10,532 — Shimomashiki District — Town — • Mizukami — 水上村 — 192.11 — 2,276 — Kuma District — Village — • Nagasu — 長洲町 — 19.43 — 16,125 — Tamana District — Town — • Nagomi — 和水町 — 98.75 — 10,030 — Tamana District — Town — • Nankan — 南関町 — 68.92 — 9,572 — Tamana District — Town — • Nishihara — 西原村 — 77.23 — 6,752 — Aso District — Village — • Nishiki — 錦町 — 84.87 — 10,899 — Kuma District — Town — • Oguni — 小国町 — 137 — 8,735 — Aso District — Town — • Ōzu — 大津町 — 99.09 — 33,793 — Kikuchi District — Town — • Reihoku — 苓北町 — 67.06 — 7,462 — Amakusa District — Town — • Sagara — 相良村 — 94.54 — 4,598 — Kuma District — Village — • Takamori — 高森町 — 174.9 — 6,189 — Aso District — Town — • Taragi — 多良木町 — 165.87 — 9,604 — Kuma District — Town — • Tsunagi — 津奈木町 — 33.97 — 4,574 — Ashikita District — Town — • Ubuyama — 産山村 — 60.72 — 1,542 — Aso District — Village — • Yamae — 山江村 — 121.2 — 3,553 — Kuma District — Village — • Yamato — 山都町 — 544.83 — 15,771 — Kamimashiki District — Town — • Yunomae — 湯前町 — 48.41 — 4,046 — Kuma District — Town —

As of 2019 06 the population was 1,748,134 inhabitants with a population density of 236 PD/km2. The prefecture ranks 23rd in Japan.

• Illustration — Tsūjun Bridge in Yamato, Kamimashiki • Illustration — Kumamoto Castle The largest motorcycle production facility in the world is located in Kumamoto. 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.

• Illustration — Renge-in Tanjō-ji • Kumamoto Castle • Mount Aso is one of the world's largest active volcanoes. • Suizenji Park • Tsūjun Bridge, the largest stone aqueduct in Japan is in Yamato 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.

• Kumamoto University

• Prefectural University of Kumamoto

• Heisei College of Music • Kumamoto Gakuen University • Kumamoto Health Science • Kyushu Lutheran College • Kyushu University of Nursing and Social Welfare • Shokei Gakuin University • Sojo University

• Hisatsu Orange Railway • JR Kyushu • Hisatsu Line • Hohi Line • Kagoshima Line • Kyushu Shinkansen • Misumi Line • Kumamoto Electric Railway • Kumagawa Railroad • Minami Aso Railway

• Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau

• Kumamoto Amakusa Road • Kyushu Chūō Expressway • Kyushu Expressway • South Kyushu Expressway

• Route 3 • Route 57 • Route 208 (Kumamoto-Tamana-Arao-Ōmuta) • Route 212 • Route 218 (Kumamoto-Takachiho-Nobeoka) • Route 219 • Route 265 • Route 266 • Route 267 (Hitoyoshi-Isa-Satsuma-Satsumasendai) • Route 268 • Route 324 • Route 325 (Yamaga-Minamiaso-Takamori-Takachiho) • Route 387 • Route 388 (Saiki-Nobeoka-Unomae) • Route 389 • Route 442 • Route 443 • Route 445 • Route 501 (Ōmuta-Arao-Uto) • Route 503

• Kumamoto–Shimabara • Nagasu–Unzen • Reihoku–Nagasaki • Ushibuka–Kuranomoto (Nagashima) • Yatsushiro–Kamiamakusa

• Amakusa Airport • Kumamoto Airport

• Illustration — Roasso Kumamoto franchise stadium in KKWing of Kumamoto These sports teams are based in the prefecture: • Professional: • Blaze Kumamoto – Men's association football • Mashiki Renaissance Kumamoto – Women's association football • Roasso Kumamoto – Men's football and J League Second Division • Amateur: • Kumamoto Golden Larks – regional baseball Kumamoto Prefecture hosted the 2019 World Women's Handball Championship, having previously hosted the 1997 World Men's Handball Championship.

Kumamoto Prefecture is the 'sister state/prefecture' of Montana in the United States. San Antonio, Texas is Kumamoto's sister city; it 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.

• Naoichi Fujimori, father of Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori • Kouki Fujiwara, drummer of WANIMA • Madoka Hisagae, female Japanese fencer • Kimeru, pop artist • Kazuaki Kiriya, filmmaker • Miku Kobato, founder and vocalist of Band-Maid • Tetsu Komai, Hollywood actor • Jun Kunimura, Japanese actor • Yuri Masuda, singer • Kenta Matsumoto, vocalist and bassist of WANIMA • Yuki Midorikawa, manga author, creator of Natsume's Book of Friends and Hotarubi no Mori e • Munetaka Murakami, Japanese baseball player • Kunio Nakagawa, Japanese Army general • Shodai Naoya, Sumo wrestler • Koushin Nishida, guitarist of WANIMA • Tetsuya Noda, contemporary artist • Eiichiro Oda, manga author, creator of One Piece • Hitomi Tanaka, pornographic actress • Ichiki Tatsuo, journalist and defector in the Indonesian National Revolution • Katsuhiro Ueo, drifting driver • Tomiko Van, singer, vocalist of Do As Infinity • Aki Yashiro, Japanese singer