Kumamoto Oguni SDG Discovery Tour
Oguni, Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture is located in the Kyushu Mountains in central Kyushu at the northern tip of Kumamoto Prefecture. The town has many famous natural hot springs, including Tsuetate Onsen and Waita Onsen. Forestry (Oguni cedar) has long been the main industry supporting Oguni. Daikon radishes and Jersey cattle are also thriving sectors.
On this tour, you will learn about hot springs, reuse of lumber scraps, and renewable energy. You will also visit Nabegataki Falls, which serves as a model for environmental protection, and a museum for Shibasaburo Kitazato, known as the "Father of Japanese Bacteriology." At Chinetsu Coffee in the steamy Waita Onsen village, you will hear from the roaster about their coffee and life in a hot spring village. At Mokkonkan, participants can try making different crafts from leftover lumber scraps. This tour immerses you in nature and its bounty to change how you think about the future.
Nabegataki Falls
Nabegataki Falls is a place that won third place worldwide in 2022 in the Building Governance Systems for Tourist Destinations and Destination Regeneration category at the Green Destination Story Awards, and is protected as a natural tourism resource.
Shibasaburo Kitazato Museum
Shibasaburo Kitazato, who appears on the recently released new banknotes, is from Oguni and is famous for succeeding in the isolation of tetanus and other feats, and went on to train many bacteriologists. At the museum, visitors learn about Dr. Kitazato, who worked to eradicate a wide range of diseases.
Shibasaburo Kitazato Museum
The museum is a modern building designed to resemble Mt. Waita, and the site also features part of the home where Dr. Kitazato was born, a hall built to entertain distinguished guests, and the Kitazato Library donated by the doctor for children.
Lunch cooked with hot spring steam
At Tenku no Mamebatake in Yukemuri Chaya, a spot in the steamy Waita Hot Spring Village, participants can enjoy a lunch of local produce cooked using hot spring steam.
Waita Onsen Village townscape
Locals live in a place where hot springs gush forth all throughout the village. The townscape is full of rustic charm.
Chinetsu Coffee
A short walk from the lunch restaurant is Chinetsu Coffee. Here, you can enjoy high-quality coffee made from carefully washed green beans roasted using geothermal energy.
Special commentary by Chinetsu Coffee roaster
Learn about the charm of Oguni Waita Onsen Village by hearing stories from a local resident, including about life in Waita Onsen Village.
Lumber scraps steamed with geothermal energy
The thriving forestry industry famous for its Oguni cedar produces a large volume of lumber scraps that are not effectively utilized. Aso-Oguni Yamakawa Factory uses these scraps to create new crafts.
Lumber scrap craft workshop
Learn about lumber scraps from the head of Aso-Oguni Yamakawa factory and try your hand at making a simple craft. You will learn about Oguni's efforts toward a waste-free, sustainable future.
- Tour Capacity:
- 15-20 Participants
- Meals Included:
- Includes lunch (0 nights, 1 day)
- Meeting Place:
- Example: Kumamoto Sakuramachi Bus Terminal Group Bus Stop
3-10 Sakuramachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture 860-0805 - Note:
- ・This tour is a custom-designed tour. After receiving your application for the tour, we will discuss the itinerary and other details with you to create the tour content. (This is not a regularly scheduled tour)
・In cases of severe weather or unavailable experience dates, the course content may be altered.
・Tour stops can be changed. Please consult with us for more details.
- Related Links:
- Oguni
- Shibasaburo Kitazato Museum
- Aso Oguni Tourism Association
- Chinetsu Coffee
- Aso-Oguni Yamakawa Factory
- Mokkonkan
- Contact:
- Kumamoto International Convention & Tourism Bureau
Phone: 096-359-1788
E-mail: mice★kumamoto-icb.or.jp (Please change the ★ to an @ when emailing us)
Around 8AM
1. Nabegataki Falls
2. Shibasaburo Kitazato Museum
3. Yukemuri Chaya Tenku no Mamebatake (Lunch)
4. Chinetsu Coffee, Commentary by Roaster
5. Mokkonkan, Oguni lumber scrap craft making workshop
Arrival: Example - Sakuramachi Bus Terminal
Around 6:30PM