Mount Hanaoka

What it is

• A 132.2 meter high mountain park located in Nishi-ku, Kumamoto City
• Renamed from Gion Mountain to Mount Hanaoka in 1869
• Opened as a public park in 1972 on a site with deep historical significance
• Site of artillery batteries used by Satsuma forces during the Satsuma Rebellion

What to see

• A white Buddhist stupa completed on the summit in 1953
• The Kumamoto Band Memorial Monument erected in 1965
• A historic rock used by the feudal lord Kato Kiyomasa
• A military cemetery dedicated to the Shinpuren Rebellion
• The Hosokawa clan family graves designated as a national historic site
• Panoramic views of the Kumamoto city area from the summit

Getting there

• Located northwest of JR Kumamoto Station
• Accessible by taxi from JR Kumamoto Station

Notes written by Japan Gems from facts in Japanese Wikipedia.