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Situated halfway down the west coast, within striking distance of Aso to the east and Unzen to the west,
KUMAMOTO
makes a good base for exploring central Kyushu. The city itself is reasonably attractive and boasts a couple of worthwhile sights, namely the fearsome, fairy-tale
castle
dominating the town centre, and one of Japan's most highly rated gardens,
Suizenji-koen
, in the western suburbs. Wars and development have left little else of particular note, though you've got to admire a city which invented the endearingly offbeat "Kobori-style" swimming which "involves the art of swimming in a standing posture attired in armour and helmet".
Kumamoto owes its existence to the Kato clan who were given the fiefdom in the late sixteenth century in return for supporting Tokugawa Ieyasu during his rise to power.
Kato Kiyomasa
, first of the feudal lords, not only built a magnificent fortress but is also remembered for his public works, such as flood control and land reclamation. However, political intrigue resulted in the Kato being ousted in 1632, in favour of the
Hosokawa
clan who had previously held Kokura. Thirteen generations of Hosokawa lords ruled Kumamoto for more than two centuries, during which time the city thrived as Kyushu's major government stronghold, until feudal holdings were abolished in 1871. Six years later, the final drama of the Meiji Restoration was played out here when Saigo Takamori's rebel army was defeated by government troops, but not before destroying much of Kumamoto's ultimately impregnable castle.
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