# Kumamoto Prefecture

Kumamoto Prefecture (熊本県, Kumamoto-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. 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. 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

Historically, the area was called Higo Province; and 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 /ku/ ~ /kjū/) and "to polish, to grind, to brush (one's teeth)" (磨 /ma/) 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.

## Geography

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.

### Cities

Fourteen cities are located in Kumamoto Prefecture:
| Name | Name | Area (km$^2$) | Population | Map |
| Rōmaji | Kanji | Area (km$^2$) | Population | Map |
| 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 | |

### Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district:
| Name | Name | Area (km$^2$) | Population | District | Type | Map |
| Rōmaji | Kanji | Area (km$^2$) | Population | District | Type | Map |
| 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 | |

### Mergers
## Demographics

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

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.

### Tourism

* 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.

## Education
### Universities
#### National

* Kumamoto University

#### Public

* Prefectural University of Kumamoto

#### Private

* 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

## Transportation
### Rail

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

### Tramway

* Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau

### Road
#### Expressways and toll roads

* Kumamoto Amakusa Road
* Kyushu Chūō Expressway
* Kyushu Expressway
* South Kyushu Expressway

#### National highways

* 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-Udo)
* Route 503

### Ports
#### Ferry routes

* Kumamoto-Shimabara
* Nagasu-Unzen
* Reihoku-Nagasaki
* Ushibuka-Kuranomoto (Nagashima)
* Yatsushiro-Kamiamakusa

### Airport

* Amakusa Airport
* Kumamoto Airport

## Sports

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

## Sister cities

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

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