Kumamoto

Located in the center of Kyushu is the prefecture of Kumamoto. Kyushu itself is well known to be a mountainous island, but Kumamoto is especially known for having Mt.Aso, which is an active volcano possessing the world’s largest caldera. Because of the volcano’s activity, many Onsen are created around the volcano. The most famous one Kurokawa Onsen. Surrounded by the evergreen mountains, there are about 30 Ryokan in this area alone. The symbol of Kumamoto is Kumamoto Castle. It was built during the Edo period, and now it has become the most popular castle in all of Japan. The surroundings of the castle are also a famous area to enjoy the cherry blossoms during spring.