Prefecture/City:	Kumamoto Prefecture
Capital/Prefecture:	Kumamoto City
Governor/Mayor:	Ikuo Kabashima
Area:	7,405 square km (2,859 square miles)
Population:	1.80 million as of October 2013
Flower:	Gentian
Tree:	Camphor tree
Bird:	Skylark

Business & Industry:

Kumamoto Prefecture is Japan’s largest producer of watermelons and tomatoes, also the country’s second-largest producer of hinoki cypress, and third largest of cedar trees. Many semiconductor and precision component makers using a vast amount of water are located in the prefecture because of the affluent natural water supply.

Tourism & Culture:

The dynamic spectacle of Mount Aso, Japan’s largest active volcano, and its surrounding caldera are the symbol of the prefecture, attracting more than 18 million tourists a year. The Aso Caldera is exceptionally unique because towns, agricultural lands and even railways have been developed on the caldera land.

Famous for:

Kumamoto Castle, constructed in 1607, is regarded as one of Japan’s prominent castles built by samurai. The prefecture is also famous for producing rush used for Japanese straw mats.