Great Walks in Kumamoto Prefecture

Aug 30, 2022

Great Walks in Kumamoto Prefecture

Kumamoto has to be one of the best destinations in Japan for walks. The number of options available means you’ll never need to repeat the same walk — although you may discover some favorites you want to return to repeatedly. As a starting point, a few walks, in particular, stand out as the best.

Shiramizu Falls

Waterfalls are always beautiful, but hiking out to them is often strenuous. Shiramizu Falls is much more accessible than many others. Reach the trail by driving 30 minutes from Takamori to the Hinatamenosato campsite. The walk is just 600 kilometers. It starts out flat and then takes you up a series of steps, but these are easy to climb. After passing a few small waterfalls, you’ll reach a volcanic rock cliff, down which the main falls cascade. The entire trail is under a canopy of maple trees, making this a perfect option for escaping the summer heat and seeing the autumn leaves in the fall.

Mount Kishima

The Aso caldera is made up of five mountains, one of which is Mount Kishima. You can reach its peak in just over an hour, but the walk is moderately difficult due to the elevation of 225 meters. Once you’ve reached the top, you’ll be rewarded with fantastic views of the surrounding landscape.

Kusasenri

A walk you definitely must not miss while you’re in Kumamoto is Kusasenri. Kusasenri is a plateau created by two giant craters, still filled with magma but topped with ash from Mount Nakadake over thousands of years. The area is a grassland where horses and cattle graze, but lakes fill the craters after heavy rainfall. To hike Kusasenri, you can take the 4.2-kilometer loop trail that starts near Aso.

Mount Nakadake

You can also pay a visit to Mount Nakadake and Mount Takadake, the largest active volcano in the country. Be warned that this is quite a challenging hike. The trail is 9.3 kilometers long and may take about 3.5 hours to complete.

Suizenji Gardens

Close to downtown Kumamoto, you’ll find Suizenji Gardens. Walking around the grounds, you’ll find two shrines, a couple of bronze statues, tea rooms, and a lake. Twice a year, the gardens hold a yabusame ceremony (a mounted archery ritual), and performances occur throughout the spring and fall in the Noh theater. Since the park is a popular tourist destination, it’s best to visit on a weekday.

Kikuchi Gorge

Head to Kikuchi Gorge in the Kikuchi Valley to incorporate forest bathing into a walk. You can choose between 30 and 60-minute hikes featuring moss-covered trees and waterfalls as you walk along the gorge.

From short walks to intense hikes, Kumamoto has everything. Pick a different walk each week to explore all the natural beauty around the prefecture. You could start with the more leisurely walks and work your way up to the harder ones — you’ll soon find that you’re fitter than ever!

江頭潤吉, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons