(1) Best of Kumamoto One Day Tour (Approx. 8 hours) and (2) Half-Day Walking Tour (Approx. 4 hours)
(1) Kumamoto One Day Tour Meeting Point: Kumamoto St. or your hotel in Kumamoto
City
Ending Point: Same as above or downtown Kumamoto
Transportation: City Tram, Bus, and Taxi (estimated cost for 3 guests
is about JY10,000)
(1) Suizenji Jojuen: beautiful Japanese garden with a historical tea room,
Izumi Shrine, horseback archery range, Noh theater.
(2) Kumamoto Castle: all the highlights of the castle (i.e. graceful stone
walls and moats, defense mechanisms, etc.) will be shown to you with historical
background.
(3) Old Hosokawa Gyobu-tei : a rare example of highclass samurai mansion
surrounded by tranquil garden
(4) Reigando: a sacred cave where Miyamoto Musashi wrote his "Book
of Five Rings)
(5) Honmyoji Temple: a mausoleum of Kato Kiyomasa who founded Kumamoto
Castle
(6) Shimada Museum: Miyamoto Musashi's painting, portrait, letter are exhibited together with samurai worriers'
amours and swords
Kumamoto St. or your hotel - Suizenji Jojuen - Kumamoto Castle - Lunch at Josaien - Old Hosokawa Gyobu-tei - Reigando - Honmyoji Temple - Shimada Museum - ending point (Kumamoto St. or your hotel in tow, or if you wish, I will drop you at Kami Tori and Shimo Tori; busy shopping arcades with many shops and restaurnts
(2) KumamotoHalf Day Tour Meeting Point: Kumamoto St. or your
hotel in Kumamoto City
Ending Point: Same as above or downtown Kumamoto
Transportation: City Tram & Bus (estimated cost for oneperson is about
JY600)
(1) Suizenji Jojuen: beautiful Japanese garden with a historical tea room,
Izumi Shrine, horseback archery range, Noh theater.
(2) Kumamoto Castle: all the highlights of the castle (i.e. graceful stone
walls and moats, defense mechanisms, etc.) will be shown to you with historical
background
Kumamoto St. or your hotel - Suizenji Jojuen - Kumamoto Castle - Ending point
Return trip to Aso from Kumamoto city (by taxi) (Approx. 6 hours)
Mt.Aso is the general name for the region with volcanic mountains one of
which is still active. About 50,000 people live in the crater that was
created
by volcanic activities some 90,000 years ago. Aso is also the natural
reservoir with lots of springs. Shirakawa fountain head yields tons of
water by second.
Meeting point: Kumamoto St. or your hotel → Shirakawa fountain head →Aso (Kusasenri, Nakadake volcanic crater) → Daikanbo (a view point on the outer rim of Aso) → your hotel
A Taxi charter fee: approx. 27,000yen
Highlights of Mt. Aso (train and bus tour for JR rail pass holder) (Approx. 9.5 hours)
Meeting Point: Kumamoto Station (8:15am)
Aso West Station: This station is outside the restricted area (within 1km
radius from the crater). You can observe the smoke from the crater from
the close distance, feeling a real sense of the living earth
Kusasenri-ga-hama: relax at greenaryhighland
Aso St.: Enjoy fresh fruits, vegetables, sweets, etc. at a local specialty
store next to the station
Aso Shrine: the oldest shrine in Japan with enjoyable shopping arcade &
spring water tasting
Kumamoto St. - Aso West Station - Kusasenri-ga-hama - Aso St. - Aso Shrine - Kumamoto St. (the tour ends at Kumamoto St. around 17:45 upon return by train.)
One way trip to Aso and kurokawa Hot Springs (Approx. 6hrs and 40min.)
Kurokawa Onsen is a very popular destination for those seeking quiet pastime
soaking in hot open air baths that are surrounded by refined forests. Each
of 20 some hotels (most of them in Japanese style with modern facilities)
in the area has at least one and more open air baths
Meeting point: Kumamoto St. or your hotel→
Shirakawa fountain head→Aso volcano→Daikanbo→Kujyuflower park→Kurokawa
Hot springs
taxi charter fee: approx.27,000yen
Dolphin Watching (Approx. 3 hours)
Meeting place: Sanko Bus Center at Hondo City
(1) dolphin watching
(2) Tomioka Castle Ruins
(3) Uchida Sarayama Pottery
Tour ends at Sanko Bus Center
Activity level: light
Tax charter fee: 10,980- 15,000 yen (depends on the number of passengers)
Unzen Shimabara Course (Approx. 7 hours)
- Shimabara is a castle town with a castle and samurai houses. Ther are springs
spouting out throughout the town because of volcanic activities
that took place about 200 years ago.
Unzen is one of the first national parks in Japan with active volcanic vents from which magma and smoke are ejected to display one of characteristic hot spring sceneries of Japan.
Meetingpoint:Kumamoto St. or your hotel→Kumamoto Port→Shimabara castle →Samurai houses→Nita Pass→Unzen jigoku→your hotel in Unzen.
