Until 1607, the character for "kuma" in this prefecture's name was an archaic character with several meanings. Warlord Kiyomasa Kato had the character changed to the present one, meaning "bear." It is likely that during the Period of Civil Strife (late 15th-late 16th C.) animal place names had special meaning. At least that is one theory.
Total Area
Kumamoto City: 266 km2
Kumamoto Pref.: 7,402 km2
Population
Kumamoto City: ~ 656,734
Kumamoto Pref.: ~ 1,864,712
Major Industries
High-Tech/Electronic
Automotive
Tourism
Major Products
ICs (SEE STORY 2)
Semiconductors
Software
Geography Kumamoto Prefecture is located south of Fukuoka in the center of Kyushu Island, with the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas in the west and Miyazaki Prefecture to the east. The Amakusa Islands make up the prefecture's westernmost arm.
Climate Annual average temperature of Kumamoto City is 16.5°C with an average annual rainfall of about 1,737mm.
