20 Museums in Kumamoto worth your time

This museum in Yamaga showcases 200 decorated burial mounds from the Kofun period, with detailed reconstructions.

What it is

• Museum dedicated to unique cultural heritage of the Kofun period.
• Focuses on decorated tumuli, ancient burial mounds for ruling class.
• Designed by internationally renowned architect Tadao Ando.

What to see

• Permanent exhibition of Kumamoto's archaeological sites and artifacts.
• Rotating thematic displays in an exhibition space.
• Reconstructions of decorated tombs on the basement floor.
• Detailed reconstructions of stone chambers from 12 burial mounds.
• Remote-controlled camera for viewing inner chambers.
• Screening room called Imagination Hall with educational films.

Getting there

• Approximately 10 minutes southwest of downtown Yamaga by car.
• Iwabaru Tumuli (13 burial mounds) within walking distance.
• Yokoyama Tumulus within walking distance; tours requested at museum.

Address

〒861-0561　熊本県山鹿市鹿央町岩原3085 Map

Official site

kofunkan.pref.kumamoto.jp

Read more about Kumamoto Prefectural Ancient Burial Mound Museum

This museum, designed by Maekawa Kunio, offers ancient and modern art, including a unique kofun display.

What it is

• Art museum designed by architect Maekawa Kunio.
• Considered one of Maekawa’s masterpieces.
• Houses ancient, modern Japanese, and Western art.
• Features collections linked to Kumamoto and the Hosokawa family.

What to see

• Low-rise building designed by Maekawa Kunio.
• Imanishi Collection: ukiyo-e prints, tea utensils, objets d’art.
• Hamada Chimei Display Room: works by Kumamoto-born artist.
• Permanent display of painted kofun (megalithic tombs).
• Hosokawa Family Collection: paintings, Noh masks, armor.
• Café and terrace overlooking Kumamoto Castle grounds.

When to go

• Exhibitions change regularly throughout the year.

Getting there

• Located in the northwest corner of Kumamoto Castle grounds.

Address

熊本県熊本市中央区二の丸2番 Map

Official site

www.museum.pref.kumamoto.jp

Read more about Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art

This museum in Kumamoto displays artifacts, including paintings and swords, related to the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi.

What it is

• Small private museum in western Kumamoto.
• Dedicated to artifacts related to Miyamoto Musashi.
• Opened in 1977, the year its collector died.
• Houses about a third of Musashi-related items in Kumamoto.

What to see

• Paintings, sumi-e ink paintings, literary manuscripts, and swords.
• Famous portrait of Musashi in his later years.
• Portraits of Musashi from the late Edo period.
• Striking portrait of Musashi at age 13.
• Ink paintings by Musashi himself.
• Manuscript of the “Wind” chapter of The Book of Five Rings.

When to go

• Most precious works displayed around May.
• Works on paper exhibited on a rotating basis.
• Café displays contemporary artists' work.

Address

熊本県熊本市西区島崎4-5-28 Map

Official site

www.shimada-museum.net

Read more about Shimada Museum of Art

This museum showcases traditional paper lanterns and their craft, integral to Yamaga's history and culture.

What it is

• Museum dedicated to traditional paper lanterns (toro).
• Explores the craftsmanship of Yamaga toro.
• Housed in a Taisho-era building, formerly a bank.
• Building registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in 2002.

What to see

• View various Yamaga toro designs.
• Elaborate architectural models of local buildings.
• Changing exhibits reflecting contemporary culture.
• Photographs and posters from past festivals.
• Tools used in lantern-making.
• Romanesque architecture of the historic building.

When to go

• Yamaga Lantern Festival in August features toro dance.

Address

〒861-0501　熊本県山鹿市山鹿1606-2 Map

Official site

yamaga.site

Read more about Yamaga Lantern Folk Art Museum

This center promotes Kumamoto's local crafts, offering a shop and gallery of traditional items.

What it is

• Crafts center promoting local crafts.
• Large shop on the first floor.
• Gallery on the second floor displays designated crafts.

What to see

• Higo Inlay: decorative metalwork with silver and gold.
• Local ceramics: Shodai, Koda, and Amakusa ware.
• Yamaga toro lanterns: paper shrines and pagodas.
• Traditional toys: clay monkeys, wooden dolls, higomari balls.
• Woven bamboo baskets and boxes, woodwork products.
• High-quality cutting tools, decorative roof tiles, taiko drums.

Getting there

• Located northeast of the castle.

Address

〒860-0001　熊本県熊本市中央区千葉城町3-35 Map

Official site

kumamoto-kougeikan.jp

Read more about Kumamoto Prefectural Traditional Crafts Center

Explore the life and legacy of Shibasaburo Kitazato, a pioneer in modern medicine.

What it is

• A museum dedicated to Shibasaburo Kitazato.
• Includes his former residence and birthplace.
• Partly constructed in 1916, revitalized in 1987.
• Managed by the Manabiya-no-Sato Foundation.

What to see

• Shibasaburo Kitazato's former residence.
• His birthplace is on the grounds.
• Historical materials and books are displayed.
• The Kitazato Library is part of the facility.
• The Guest House and archive are also present.

When to go

• Open daily from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
• Closed from December 29th to January 3rd.

Address

〒869-2505　熊本県阿蘇郡小国町北里3199 Map

Official site

manabiyanosato.or.jp

Read more about Shibasaburo Kitazato Memorial Museum

Learn about Yokoi Shonan, a 19th-century reformer, at his former residence and private school.

What it is

• A museum in Kumamoto City.
• Dedicated to Yokoi Shonan, a 19th-century reformer.
• Located at Shonan's residence from 1855.
• Exhibits materials related to Yokoi Shonan.

What to see

• Writings of figures associated with Shonan.
• Shijiken, Shonan's private school, is preserved.
• Shijiken is a tangible cultural property.

When to go

• Open 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
• Closed Mondays and New Year holidays.

Getting there

• Shonan Park is a 10-minute walk northeast.

Read more about Yokoi Shōnan Memorial Museum

Free science museum in Kumamoto City dedicated to understanding water.

What it is

• Science museum in Kumamoto City.
• Exhibits focus on water-related content.
• Built to generate interest in water.
• Helps understand tap water and groundwater.

What to see

• Exhibits on water's role and importance.
• Learning facility for children.
• Waterfront facility.

When to go

• Open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
• Closed on Mondays.
• Closed during year-end and New Year holidays.

Getting there

• 10-minute walk from Hakkeimizu Station.
• Parking is available.

Official site

www.mizunokagakukan.jp

Read more about Kumamoto City Water Science Museum

Kumamoto City Museum: local history, nature, and a planetarium, good for an hour.

What it is

• City museum, opened 1952.
• Current building opened 1978, renovated 2018.
• Exhibits 4100 items from ancient to modern times.

What to see

• First floor: local history, including Satsuma Rebellion.
• Second floor: Kumamoto's flora and fauna.
• Basement: planetarium.
• Building designed by Kisho Kurokawa Architect & Associates.

When to go

• Open 9 AM to 5 PM.
• Closed Mondays and New Year holidays.

Getting there

• Accessible by Kumamoto Castle Loop Bus.

Address

〒860-0007　熊本県熊本市中央区古京町3-2 Map

Official site

kumamoto-city-museum.jp

Read more about Kumamoto City Museum

A museum dedicated to political cartoonist Ryosuke Nasu, featuring unique architecture and manga art.

What it is

• Commemorates political cartoonist Ryosuke Nasu.
• Opened in November 1992.
• Building design based on a Kijiuma toy.

What to see

• Three buildings are for the museum.
• Two buildings are for the community center.
• Building design is a Kumamoto Artpolis participant.

When to go

• Open from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
• Closed during New Year holidays.
• Closed during exhibition change periods.

Getting there

• 8-minute walk from Yunomae Station.

Official site

yunomae-manga.com

Read more about Yunomae Manga Museum

A folk craft museum in a relocated sake brewery, showcasing items from Japan and worldwide.

What it is

• A museum for collecting and exhibiting folk crafts.
• Opened in May 1965.
• First director Kichinosuke Tonomura collected items.
• Houses the Kumamoto Prefectural Folk Craft Association.

What to see

• Exhibits include ceramics, glass, toys, textiles, and woodwork.
• The building is an old sake brewery.
• The sake brewery was relocated from Okayama Prefecture.

Getting there

• Access is via Sannomiya bus stop.
• Located along Kumamoto Prefectural Road 337.

Address

〒861-8006　熊本県熊本市北区龍田1-5-2 Map

Official site

kumamoto-mingeikan.com

Read more about Kumamoto International Folk Craft Museum

This art museum offers diverse exhibitions and community spaces, including a library and children's playroom.

What it is

• Art gallery and community space.
• Features leading Japanese and international artists.
• Includes a library, children's playroom, and café.

What to see

• Permanent collection by artists like Yayoi Kusama.
• Magnificent main gallery with high ceilings.
• Around five special exhibitions annually.
• Exhibitions have included Ghibli Studio drawings.
• Exhibition room for local artists-in-residence.

When to go

• Evenings for piano recitals in the library.

Address

〒860-0845　熊本県熊本市中央区上通町2-3 Map

Official site

www.camk.jp

Read more about Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto

A free museum in Kumamoto City dedicated to leprosy care pioneers and their historic hospital.

What it is

• A museum-style memorial hall.
• Commemorates Hannah Riddell, Eda Hannah Wright, and Kaishun Hospital.
• Kaishun Hospital was Kumamoto's first leprosy hospital.
• Opened as a memorial hall on February 3, 1994.

What to see

• Building constructed in 1919, extended in 1935.
• Originally a laboratory, later Wright's residence.
• National Registered Tangible Cultural Property since 2008.

When to go

• Closed on Mondays.
• Closed during New Year holidays.

Official site

riddell-wright.com

Read more about Riddell-Wright Memorial Hall

This art museum showcases Zenzo Sakamoto's works in a unique tatami-matted setting.

What it is

• Museum dedicated to painter Zenzo Sakamoto.
• Opened in October 1995.
• Houses about 500 works by the artist.
• Received the Kumamoto Landscape Award in 1995.

What to see

• Relocated 1872 private house on site.
• New exhibition and storage buildings.
• Rare museum with tatami mats throughout.
• Adjacent to Hokonomiya Shrine's sacred area.

When to go

• Open 9:00 to 17:00.
• Closed on Mondays.
• Closed during New Year holidays.

Address

〒869-2502　熊本県阿蘇郡小国町黒渕2877 Map

Official site

sakamotozenzo.com

Read more about Sakamoto Zenzō Museum of Art

Janes' Mansion is a reconstructed historic home, offering a glimpse into Kumamoto's international past.

What it is

• Historic building in Kumamoto City.
• Built for American teacher Leroy Lansing Janes and his family.
• Modeled after a building in Oura foreign settlement.
• Designated a Kumamoto City cultural property in 1970.

What to see

• Building constructed by Nagasaki carpenters.
• Former government army headquarters in 1877.
• Reconstructed building after 2016 earthquake.

When to go

• Reopened to the public on September 1, 2023.

Official site

kumamoto-guide.jp

Read more about Janes' Mansion

Explore Goshoura Island's dinosaur and fossil museum, a natural history site worth an hour.

What it is

• Natural history museum on Goshoura Island.
• Focuses on dinosaurs and fossils.
• Opened in July 1997.
• Reopened March 20, 2024, with a new name.

What to see

• Fossil collection at the Trigonia Sandstone Fossil Quarry.
• Goshoura was selected for 'Japan's Top 100 Geological Sites'.
• Amakusa Goshoura Geopark certified in 2009.

Getting there

• Regular boats operate from various ports.
• Sea taxis are also available.

Read more about Goshoura Cretaceous Museum

See and experience Kumamoto's traditional crafts, with daily demonstrations and various classes.

What it is

• Public cultural facility in Kumamoto City.
• Opened in 1991.
• Exhibits traditional crafts of Kumamoto Prefecture.
• Specializes in craft demonstrations and experiences.

What to see

• Exhibits of Kumamoto Prefecture's traditional crafts.
• Daily craft demonstrations by artisans.
• Kawashiri cutlery, a traditional local craft.

When to go

• Open 9 AM to 5 PM.
• Closed on Mondays.
• Closed during New Year holidays.

Address

〒861-4115　熊本県熊本市南区川尻1-3-58 Map

Official site

www.kumamoto-kougei.jp

Read more about Kumamoto City Handicrafts Promotion Center

A modern art museum in Kumamoto, known for local artists and a unique monorail ride.

What it is

• A public art museum in Tsunagi Town, Kumamoto Prefecture.
• Opened in April 2001.
• Collects works by Kazuyuki Sakaino.
• Collects works by artists associated with Kumamoto.

What to see

• Artworks by Kumamoto-related artists.
• Costumes of Thai mountain people.
• A 241-meter monorail connecting to Maizurujo Park.

Getting there

• 10-minute walk from Tsunagi Station.
• Monorail ride takes about 5 minutes one way.

Official site

www.tsunagi-art.jp

Read more about Tsunagi Art Museum

This museum showcases local art in an award-winning building, open late on Saturdays.

What it is

• Opened in July 1999 as Shiranui Town Museum.
• Collects works by artists connected to Uki City.
• Located within Shiranui Culture Plaza.

What to see

• Building designed by Atsushi Kitagawara and Ito Architects.
• Building won the Kumamoto Landscape Award.
• Building won the Japan Library Association Architecture Award.

When to go

• Open 9:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and holidays.
• Open 9:00 to 21:00 on Saturdays.

Official site

www.museum-library-uki.jp

Read more about Shiranui Museum

See real dinosaur fossils and experience excavations at this natural history museum.

What it is

• A town-run natural history museum.
• Opened on April 30, 1998.
• Moved to a new building in April 2014.
• Dedicated to dinosaur fossils found locally.

What to see

• Exhibits of Mifuneryu fossils.
• Exhibits of overseas fossils.
• A fossil excavation experience area.

Getting there

• 10 minutes from Mifune Interchange on Kyushu Expressway.
• 40 minutes by bus from Kumamoto Sakuramachi Bus Terminal.

Address

〒861-3207　熊本県上益城郡御船町大字御船995-6 Map

Official site

mifunemuseum.jp

Read more about Mifune Dinosaur Museum