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| Kumamoto City is the center of politics, business, and culture of Kumamoto Prefecture and is called the "city of forests and water." The Shira River, Tsuboi River, and Iseri River flow through the city as if they are cleansing it. The city has a population of almost 650 thousand and serves as the core of central Kyushu. Uedori and Shitadori shopping streets have many specialty stores and are always crowded during the day and at night. As you pass by in a streetcar, look up and catch a glimpse of the black castle tower of Kumamoto Castle, the city´s symbol. This famous castle with its magnificent stone wall was built over a period of seven years by Kiyomasa Kato, who fought bravely at the Battle of Sekigahara. It is still as imposing as ever. After Kato, Hosokawa became the lord of Kumamoto. There are many historical spots related to this family, such as Suizenji Garden (Jojuen), a Momoyama-style Japanese garden built by Tadatoshi Hosokawa and the two following generations that represents the 53 stations of the Tokaido Road; the splendid Hosokawa Mansion (Hosokawa Gyobu-tei) built by Tadatoshi´s younger brother; and Tatsuta Nature Park with many trees and the grave of Gratia Hosokawa. Kumamoto is a city filled with culture. There are memorial halls and the residences of Yakumo Koizumi (Lafcadio Hearn) and Soseki Natsume, who lived in Kumamoto as a teacher, and the brothers Soho and Roka Tokutomi, originally from Kumamoto, who played active roles in the press and literary world during the Meiji Era. |
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