Spring Kumamoto Castle Festival

Spring Kumamoto Castle Festival

Event Overview

It is held annually for the purpose of transmitting information on Kumamoto Castle, a special historic site, and the recovery situation from the Kumamoto earthquake. It is held around the Ninomaru stage, such as the "Taiko Kōkai" and the "Kōbudo Enbu-kai", where warlords from all over the country gather, and the "Kyūshū Gaku-kai", where the festivals of Kyushu gather. Food events with the main ingredients of Kumamoto, which are well received every year, are also popular. Image courtesy: Kumamoto Castle General Office

Info

  • Event Location:   
  • Kumamoto Castle Ninomaru Square and others
  • Address:   
  • 2-1 Ninomaru, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Kumamoto
  • Public Transportation:   
JR Kumamoto Station → Kumamoto Castle Shuyū Bus ShiroMeguri 30 minutes, bus stop: Kumamoto Castle/Ninomaru car park, 5 minutes walk. Or 2-minute walk to Kumamoto City Electric Railway Kumamoto Ekimae Stop → 17 minutes to Kumamoto City Electric Kento-cho, Kumamoto Castle/City Hall front stop, 10 minutes on foot. Or 10 minutes by Kumamoto city bus, bus stop: get off the Sakuramachi bus terminal, 10 minutes walk
  • Car Access:   
10km 30 minutes from Kumamoto IC on Kyushu Road via National Route 57
  • Phone Number:   
  • 096-352-5900 (Castle Festival Management Committee/(Kumamoto Castle General Office))
  • Parking Number:   
663 vehicles / Ninomaru Parking Lot 210 vehicles, Sannomaru No. 1 Parking Lot 123 vehicles, Sannomaru No. 2 Parking Lot 231 vehicles, Kyuin Parking Lot 41 vehicles, Sakura no Baba Tourism Exchange Facility Parking Lot 58 vehicles, regular cars 200 yen for up to 2 hours (100 yen for each additional hour), motorcycles and large buses require confirmation on the official site *From April 1, 2026, regular cars will be 400 yen for up to 2 hours (200 yen for each additional hour)

Event Period

  • From March 7 (Saturday) to March 22 (Sunday), 2026, on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays for 7 days

Price

Free

Event Category

Seasonal Festivals & Annual Events

The information provided reflects the details available at the time of the survey.
Please note that facility details may change due to the facility’s circumstances, so please check for the latest information before visiting. This content has been translated using machine translation.

Information provided by: JTB Publishing

This content uses automatic translation services. Automatic translations may not always be accurate.
Please note that the translated content may differ from the original meaning. We ask for your understanding when using this content.

Related Events

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Local residents and the university cooperated, and the festival of night cherry blossoms and lights that began in 2002. On the approach to the road, about 3000 pieces of handmade washi lanterns and on the branches of cherry blossoms, about 800 hanging lanterns will be hung up, and about 500 stone lanterns from the chest-faced gangi will be lit up. In addition, about 8000 candles are lit every year with the lights of objects that change designs, and the fantastic world spreads. And various tones such as flute, koto, pipa, and synthesizer played at concerts held at temples on the approach, including the main shrine of Honmyoji, create a world of yugen along with the night cherry blossoms.

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Kumamoto Castle Autumn Festival

Starting with bamboo lighting, there are plenty of photogenic spots featuring light displays using lasers and searchlights inspired by Kumamoto's abundant water, interactive experiences, and one of Japan's largest artificial mist seas utilizing well water from Kumamoto Castle. You can see Kumamoto Castle in a way that is not usually possible. *During the event period, Kumamoto Castle and its surroundings will be crowded, so advance purchase of web admission tickets and the use of public transportation are recommended. Photo provided by Kumamoto Castle General Office.

Yasaku Festival

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Iris flowers bloom beautifully over approximately 700 meters. During the festival period, the area is illuminated for enjoyment at night. On May 30 (Saturday), as the main event, there will be an iris concert on a special stage in the park, along with outdoor tea ceremonies and Takase City events. *Please note that the content may change or be canceled depending on the situation. *The character "taka" in Takase Urakawa is officially written as "hashigodaka."

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