Prefecture/City:	Kumamoto City
Capital/Prefecture:	Kumamoto Prefecture
Governor/Mayor:	Kazufumi Onishi
Area:	389.5 square km (150.4 square miles)
Population:	734,189 as of January 2014
Flower:	Ginkgo
Tree:	Higo camellia
Bird:	Great tit

Business & Industry:

Blessed with plenty of groundwater from Mt. Aso, agriculture and industries that require water, such as semiconductor and precision component manufacturing, are active. There are clusters of semiconductor and automotive factories around the city.

Tourism & Culture:

Kumamoto Castle is one of Japan’s three most-famous castles. A panoramic view of the city can be seen from the top of the castle’s main tower. Mt. Aso, Japan’s largest active volcano and home to one of the largest calderas in the world, is an hour from the city.

Famous for:

The city is famous for its high-quality groundwater, which is the city’s source of drinking water. It won the U.N.’s Best Practice Award in 2013 for its groundwater management.