Kumamoto is where Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's most legendary samurai warrior, spent his final years. Musashi made his way to Kumamoto in 1640 as a retainer to the Hosokawa Clan, and it was from this time until his death in 1645 that he studied the arts of calligraphy and painting, and penned his world-renowned treatise on martial arts, "The Book of Five Rings." Musashi also spent his time in Kumamoto refining his innovative Niten Ichiryu style of swordfighting which explores the advantages of using two swords when facing an opponent. Martial arts students in Kumamoto still practice Niten Ichiryu to this day.
Nowadays, Musashi is a popular subject in Japanese movies and TV shows, and the best-seller manga Vagabond is based on his life. The spirit of Miyamoto Musashi still lives on in Kumamoto, and makes Kumamoto a true samurai town.
There are a number of sightseeing spots with connections to the legend of Miyamoto Musashi scattered throughout Kumamoto City; however, some may be a bit difficult to reach without a car. The most famous and most important spot is the Reigando Cave where Musashi wrote "The Book of Five Rings". If you have a car or enough time for a long bus ride, Reigando and the nearby temple are excellent places to visit. For visitors on a tight schedule interested in learning more about Miyamoto Musashi, we recommend taking a look at our Samurai Sightseeing Course for recommendations on nearby places to visit.
The Kumamoto Castle Samurai Team, a band of samurai, ninja, and a royal lady dressed in authentic 17th century clothing and armor awaits visitors in Sakura no Baba Jousaien. The group is well-known among tourists and locals alike for their entertaining performances, wonderful appearance, and enthusiasm to show off what Kumamoto Castle has to offer. Please remember, however, that they are not real samurai, so don't pick a swordfight with any of them.
Link：http://kumamoto-bushoutai.com/
Standing proudly as one of Japan's three great castles, Kumamoto Castle was constructed in 1607 by famed castle architect Lord Kato Kiyomasa. Himself the veteran of countless battles, Kiyomasa drew upon his vast experiences in war to design a castle that would provide defenders with numerous positions ideal for attacking raiders, thereby making Kumamoto Castle nearly impregnable to attacking forces. The unique appearance of Kumamoto Castle stems mainly from its raven-black fortifications and its enormous musha-gaeshi sloped stone walls. The term "musha-gaeshi" roughly translates to "warrior repellent." The walls start out with a gentle slope at the base to make climbing appear easy to an attacking samurai or ninja, but the incline gradually becomes steeper near the top of the wall, leaving the would-be attacker exposed and with no other option but to fall back down.
Higo Koryu is a traditional style of tea ceremony that has been passed down for centuries in Kumamoto and is said to be the same style practiced by the originator of Japanese tea ceremony, Sen no Rikyu. Higo Koryu is also known as Bushi no cha, or the "tea of the warrior," the idea of which is reflected in the fact that in most other tea ceremony styles, the fukusa, a cloth for wiping the tea utensils, is normally held on the belt of the kimono on the left side; in Higo Koryu, the fukusa is not attached on the left, as the left side is where a warrior would traditionally have his katana. Higo Koryu is characterized by the beauty of its movements and the uniqueness of its form.
If you're lucky, you can experience true Higo Koryu at the Kumamoto Castle Festival or at a tea ceremony at Suizenji Park.
The honmaru gozen dinner plan is an elegant recreation of the type of feast that samurai enjoyed in the Edo era and is based on the secret recipes and notes of the Hosokawa family who ruled Kumamoto Castle at that time. The honmaru gozen meal is available at Aoyagi, the downtown restaurant that originally developed the honmaru gozen.
There are eight dishes in the honmaru gozen meal, each of which are created using traditional methods and local ingredients to best represent how the samurai of old would have prepared and eaten their meals. The karashi renkon (lotus root with spicy mustard) is a traditional local favourite and is a must for any visitor to Kumamoto.
Links：http://aoyagi.ne.jp/cuisine/honmaru_dinner.html
