2026 Kashima Travel Guide: must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transport & travel experiences (updated in August)

I visited Kumamoto in October 2025! The weather was quite hot, which was a bit challenging, but overall, I had a satisfying trip! There weren’t many foreigners, so it felt like a truly local Japanese experience. <10/26, Day 1> · Items to pack · After work > Depart from Gimhae International Airport · [ ] Arrive at Aso Kumamoto Airport > Transfer to Sakuramachi Station ==> Take the bus from gates 3-4 outside the airport · [ ] Food court (sushi) on B1 floor of Sakuramachi Station · [ ] B1 floor of Sakuramachi Station: 1) Kaldi 2) Snacks · [ ] Maison Kayser (bakery) · [ ] Hotel check-in > Relax in the large public bath · [ ] Late dinner: Ebisumaru (yakitori) · [ ] Explore the arcade street: (1) Don Quijote (2) Nighttime photo of Kumamoto Castle from Sakuramachi Station (3) Take a photo with Kumamon on the 5th floor of Sakuramachi Station · [ ] Buy snacks at a convenience store and relax at the hotel <10/27 (Mon), Day 2> · Items to pack: · Wake up at 6 AM · [ ] Breakfast at 一汁三鉢 (opens at 6:30 AM) · [ ] Ninomaru Square (open 24 hours) > Kato Shrine (opens at 8 AM) > Take a photo with Kumamon at Josaien · [ ] Kumamoto Castle (opens at 9 AM) ==> Admission fee: 800 yen / Walk up from the 1st to the 6th floor and back down · [ ] Explore Sakuranobaba Josaien · [ ] Lunch at Yamamicyaya: Horse meat rice bowl (opens at 11 AM) ===> Add your name to the waiting list first ===> Options: Aka beef rice bowl / Aka beef and horse meat set meal · [ ] Visit Kumamon on the 5th floor of Sakuramachi Station · [ ] Relax at Starbucks in Sakuramachi Station · [ ] Kumamon Square next to Sakuramachi Station: Buy specialty souvenirs · [ ] COCOSA (3rd floor: Seria, Gacha shop shopping) · + B1 floor: Aeon ATM available for cash withdrawal · [ ] Carino shopping mall: 1st floor Cando, 2nd floor Gacha shop · [ ] Daiso shopping · [ ] Relax in the large public bath > Rest at the hotel · [ ] Sakuramachi Kaguyahime’s Illuminated Garden · [ ] Nighttime visit to the 5th floor of Sakuramachi Station · [ ] もんじゃ焼きかめのや (opens at 7 PM) · [ ] Buy gift snacks and jelly at the Sakuramachi Station basement food market · [ ] Convenience store · [ ] Rest at the hotel <10/28 (Tue), Day 3> · Items to pack: · [ ] Morning: · [ ] Visit the Luffy statue · [ ] Suizenji Jojuen (8:30 AM–5 PM) ===> Kimono rental (reservation at 10 AM) · [ ] Matcha tea ceremony inside Suizenji Jojuen · [ ] Saryo Shohaku (dango café) (opens at 10 AM) · [ ] Stroll around Ninomaru Square · [ ] Rest at the hotel >> Return kimono · [ ] Nagasaki Jiro Café (beautiful view of trams) (11:26 AM–6 PM) · [ ] Dinner: ふるまち酒場いで田 (opens at 5 PM) · [ ] Izakaya Sakasou (5 PM–midnight) ===> Order yakitori · Items to pack: Bring a towel · [ ] Coffee Gallery (opens at 10 AM) · [ ] Imamura (soba noodles, opens at 11:30 AM) ==> Go early to wait in line · [ ] Kumamoto Station > Explore Amu Plaza Kumamoto ===> Buy a parasol for mom · [ ] Visit the Chopper statue · [ ] Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens (opens at 9 AM, admission fee: 500 yen) · [ ] Kashima Yumoto Suishun Suishuntei Onsen => Admission fee: 750 yen, shampoo and body wash provided · [ ] Aeon Mall shopping · [ ] Tenjin Hormone Aeon Mall Kumamoto branch · [ ] Kumamoto City Hall 14th-floor free observatory (8:30 AM–10 PM) · [ ] Monjayaki Kamenoya (7 PM–3 AM) · Items to pack: · [ ] CHEz Le Pain (bakery, opens at 9:30 AM) · [ ] Karashima Bakery (opens at 10 AM) ===> Buy salted bread · [ ] Take the bus departing at 12 PM to the airport

📍 Location: Kumamoto Suntory Brewery 🍺 Discover the secrets behind the freshness of Suntory draft beer 🚩 Tour Highlights · Experience the aroma of hops and barley firsthand, and marvel at how beer is born 🌱 · Enjoy the sight of grand brewing equipment and gleaming fermentation tanks, all leading to the creation of golden beer 👀✨ · The highlight is the tasting session — savor three freshly poured Suntory beers, each sip bursting with freshness 🍺💛 · Convenient transportation with free shuttle buses between Sakuramachi Bus Terminal in the city center and the brewery 🚍 📷 Photo Spots · Capture your visit at the Suntory logo photo zone 📸 · Take the ultimate beer enthusiast shot with the massive brewing machines and fermentation tanks as your backdrop ⚙️ · Snap a memorable photo of beer glasses filled with golden foam in the tasting area 🥂 🍴 Additional Enjoyments · Exclusive Suntory merchandise available only here 🎁 · After the tour, pair your beer with local Kumamoto snacks for a perfect finish 😋 💡 Tips · Advance reservations are required, and tours fill up quickly 🎫 · Tasting is for adults only, so don’t forget your ID 🪪 · Check the free shuttle bus schedule in advance for a smoother itinerary ⏰ ⸻ ✨ A great indoor date spot, whether on a rainy day or a sunny afternoon. Witness, touch, and taste every step of the beer-making process — it’s not just a ‘tour,’ but a true ‘memory.’

#HawaiiFlightEvent It was a great experience to be able to touch and taste the ingredients used to make Suntory beer🩷 ⭐️Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory 📍Location: Japan 〒861-3104 Kumamoto, Kamimashiki District, Kashima, Kitaamagi, 字八幡水478 ⏰Operating hours: Daily 09:30-17:00

#HawaiiFlightEvent Malt, an important ingredient for making beer! Malt is the term for the dried state after fermenting barley in water ⭐️Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory 📍Location: Japan 〒861-3104 Kumamoto, Kamimashiki District, Kashima, Kitaamagi, 字八幡水478 ⏰Operating hours: Every day 09:30-17:00

#HawaiiFlightEvent I actually saw and smelled hops, an ingredient in Suntory beer! ⭐️Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory 📍Location: Japan 〒861-3104 Kumamoto, Kamimashiki District, Kashima, Kitaamagi, 字八幡水478 ⏰Operating hours: Daily 09:30-17:00

#HawaiiFlightEvent It was great to be able to see the entire process of making Suntory beer, and it was great that there was a guide in Korean as well ⭐️Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory 📍Location: Japan 〒861-3104 Kumamoto, Kamimashiki District, Kashima, Kitaamagi, 字八幡水478 ⏰Operating hours: Every day 09:30-17:00

#HawaiiFlightEvent If you want to know more about beer, visit the Suntory Beer Factory in Kumamoto, Japan! It was really fun ⭐️Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory 📍Location: Japan 〒861-3104 Kumamoto, Kamimashiki District, Kashima, Kitaamagi, 字八幡水478 ⏰Operating hours: Daily 09:30-17:00

#HawaiiAirlineEvent The Suntory Beer Factory Experience Program was really great because everything from the shuttle bus was free👍🏻 You should definitely go there too ⭐️Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory 📍Location: Japan 〒861-3104 Kumamoto, Kamimashiki District, Kashima, Kitaamagi, 字八幡水478 ⏰Operating Hours: Everyday 09:30-17:00

#MarchTravelSupportEvent If you install the app, the explanation is also supported in Korean, so it's easy to understand It was so good that it was conducted well ⭐️Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory 📍Location: Japan 〒861-3104 Kumamoto, Kamimashiki District, Kashima, Kitaamagi, 字八幡水478 ⏰Operating hours: Every day 09:30-17:00

#MarchTravelSupportEvent It would be really great if there were more beer factory tours in Korea! I hope there are more because there are so many different types of alcohol. Like this one ⭐️Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory 📍Location: Japan 〒861-3104 Kumamoto, Kamimashiki District, Kashima, Kitaamagi, 字八幡水478 ⏰Operating Hours: Everyday 09:30-17:00

#MarchTravelSupportEvent It was really great that the docent was free! Everything is free, so make a reservation in advance and visit! ⭐️Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory 📍Location: Japan 〒861-3104 Kumamoto, Kamimashiki District, Kashima, Kitaamagi, 字八幡水478 ⏰Operating Hours: Every day 09:30-17:00

#MarchTravelSupportEvent I visited the Suntory Beer Factory, which you must visit when you go to Kumamoto! It was even better because it was free ⭐️Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory 📍Location: Japan 〒861-3104 Kumamoto, Kamimashiki District, Kashima, Kitaamagi, 字八幡水478 ⏰Operating Hours: Everyday 09:30-17:00

#MarchTravelSupportEvent A tasting room where you can take a picture in the photo zone! It was great that you could also sample three draft beers for free. ⭐️Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory 📍Location: 861-3104 Kumamoto, Kamimashiki District, Kashima, Kitaamagi, 字八幡水478, Japan ⏰Hours: Daily 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM

#MarchTravelSupportEvent If you are traveling to Kumamoto, be sure to visit this place! It was a really great place! It was even better because it was free ⭐️Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory 📍Location: Japan 〒861-3104 Kumamoto, Kamimashiki District, Kashima, Kitaamagi, 字八幡水478 ⏰Operating Hours: Daily 09:30-17:00

#MarchTravelSupportEvent It was a really great place because everything from the shuttle bus to the factory tour was free! You should definitely go and experience it ⭐️Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory 📍Location: Japan 〒861-3104 Kumamoto, Kamimashiki District, Kashima, Kitaamagi, 字八幡水478 ⏰Operating Hours: Everyday 09:30-17:00

#MarchTravelSupportEvent Suntory only builds factories in places with good water! I visited during my recent trip to Kumamoto! There were plenty of souvenirs. ⭐️Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory 📍Location: 861-3104 Kumamoto, Kamimashiki District, Kashima, Kitaamagi, 字八幡水478, Japan ⏰Hours: Daily 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM