Kumamoto is the main city of Kumamoto Prefecture, about 900 kilometers west of Tokyo. It has been developed as the capital of Higo Province since the 8th century. The population now stands at 740,000, the third largest on Kyushu Island.
It's true that Kumamoto is a big city, but there’s more. For example, Mt. Kinbo is a beautiful spot in the western part of the city. We can see Mt. Unzen and Shimabara Peninsula from the summit. What was even more special was a large unkai (a sea of clouds), which covered Kumamoto City and Shimabara Bay (see the photo below). I was very lucky.
I can't afford to stop writing yet, as this is a rail-fan's blog. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce the Kumamoto City Tram. The tramline in the city was opened in 1924, and has been operated by the Transportation Bureau of Kumamoto City. The current total operating length is 12.1 kilometers. The electrical system is 600V DC. The gauge size is 1,435 millimeters. The electric car 1090 series (see photo above) is the main fleet on the line. It was commissioned in 1955, and a total of 7 units were built by Toyo Koki. The technical specifications are rather old, but all units are still in active service. One of the design features of this electric car is its tail lamps. It’s so-called “Basu-kyo tails (standard tail lamps for busses)”. Parts commonality between trams and busses led to a cost reduction.
