From Kuma-i

Yatsushiro is located in South of Kumamoto prefecture. It is the second largest city of the prefecture. In 2005, Yatsushiro city merged with municipalities of Sakamoto, Senchou, Kagami, Toyo and Izumi. The population of the city is 133,678.(2008) Symbols are pomelo, Yatsushirosou (flower) and kingfisher.

Contents 1 Speciality goods 1.1 Tomatoes 1.1.1 Sio Tomato (Salty tomato) 1.1.2 Hachibe Tomato 1.2 Tatami (Rush grasses) 1.3 Banpeiyu 1.4 Ayu 2 Eating 2.1 sweets 3 Entertainment 3.1 Fire Works 3.2 Myouken Festival 3.3 Sports Park 3.4 Hot Springs 4 Geographies 4.1 Rivers 4.1.1 Kumagawa 4.2 Mountains 4.3 Plains 5 Places to stay 6 festival and event

Speciality goods

Yatsusiro has great speciality gods on foods and sundries.

Tomatoes

Yatsusiro is famous for the production of tomatoes so we can enjoy eating some kinds of tomatoes, for example, "Sio Tomato" (Salty tomato) and "Hachibe Tomato".

Sio Tomato (Salty tomato)

This tomato is a little smaller than a normal tomato and is divided to 2 types, "Taiyou-no-ko" (The san of sun)and "Asatsuyuhime" (the prince like morning dew) depending on the sugar contents. It tastes sweet like fruits.

Hachibe Tomato

Tomatoes harvested in winter are popularly called "Hachibe Tomato". we can cook with these tomatoes for added the tomatoes to rice, tomato stew, and etc.

Here are these and other dishes recipe.

Tatami (Rush grasses)

"Rush" is used for raw material of tatami. Yatsushiro is the main area where tatami was made. Rush would also be used as aroma therapy for relaxation because it has peculiarly Japanese smell. In addition, it would be used in foods, for example, ice cream and ramen.

More information about tatami is here.

Banpeiyu

"Banpeiyu" is one of citrus fruits and is the biggest citrus in Japan.

Ayu

We can enjoy fishing and eating Ayu in Kumagawa. Also Yatsusiro is famous for train lunch, "Ayuya-sandai", which won the first place in the ranking of train lunch in JR Kyusyu for 3 years. We can buy it in Yatsusiro station.

Eating

sweets

Rush ice cream is very nice in Yatsushiro. Rush is a special product of Yatsushiro. The color of the ice-cream is light green, and it's with a little flavor of tatami. You can eat it at product shop in Sencho. There is a rush and green tea ice-cream cone, too. You can eat it at the way station in Ryuhoku.

Entertainment

Fire Works

Myouken Festival

Sports Park

Hot Springs

Geographies

Rivers

Kumagawa

Kumagawa is one of rivers which are the 3 fastest flowing in Japan. It is famous for Ayu (sweetfish), so the fish is also one of specialty foods. In addition, we can enjoy fishing in the river

Mountains

Plains

Places to stay

Hinagu onsen

festival and event

Yatsushiro Myoken Festival

Myoken Festival is held at Yatsushiro Shrine every year in November, and the parade of mikoshi with hourses which is decorated and the show of Game which looks like the union of a turtle and a dragon are famous events. Many street stalls are opened every year.