Sakura-no-baba Josaien

This is a shopping area near Kumamoto Castle with a variety of restaurants and souvenir shops. One must-try specialty here is horse meat dishes, which are considered a local delicacy. It’s a nice place to stop by when visiting Kumamoto Castle.

A charming area with traditional-style buildings, local food, and souvenir shops. A nice place to take a break, try local specialties, and soak in the atmosphere near the castle.

A small, traditional style area near Kumamoto Castle. A nice little stop off before or after visiting the castle. There's a museum, and some shops and eateries. There is an emphasis on local, so there are some horse meat food products. It's not a large area, but it's not far from the castle so it's worth visiting. The food is on the pricey side since it's aimed at tourists.

The tofu was super tasty and so was the soy milk - it was nothing like what one would get from supermarket in the States. Freshly made soy products were so tasty. The package was great - the lady even wrapped an ice pack to my tofu as I wasn't eating it right away.

Sakura-no-baba Josaien, a lively castle town square at the foot of Kumamoto Castle, where visitors can enjoy local cuisine, traditional crafts, and cultural performances.

One of nice spots to visit when you are visiting Kumamoto Castle, it is near the castle, and close to bus stop that will take you back to the town. Here, there are lots of local shops and restaurants.

Not a big area. Mainly restaurants. One gift shop. Walking around here takes 10 mins unless you go for the VR or wearing costumes to walk around and take pictures. Enjoy the ancient feel with the architectural style.

Very picturesque and full with small food stops. There was live entertainment and all. However, it was too crowded for me personally. There was a store that rented kimono which I found cool. It's worth taking a walk there.