Kumamoto city [Part 1/2]

Kumamoto is a prefecture in the central part of the island of Kyūshū, in southwestern Japan. It has, among other natural elements, many active volcanoes, rivers with rapids and thermal baths fed by hot springs. Kumamoto, the capital, has a castle of the same name, built in the 17th century. Other sites from the same period are the traditional Japanese garden Suizen-ji Jōju-en and Hosakawa Mansion, a former samurai residence.