If you’re in the Kumamoto area and interested in Japanese history and philosophy or if you just want to get outside of the city for an afternoon, I always recommend visiting Reigando (霊巌洞), a cave where the famous Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi is purported to have written The Book of Five Rings in the mid 1600s. The Book of Five Rings became an important philosophical and strategical work and is still much read and studied today. Translators have circled back to it many times in an attempt to wring out the simple beauty and careful precision of the text, a task that is much more difficult than it might sound.

Musashi spent the last few years of his life in and around Kumamoto and was associated with the Hosokawa clan residing in Kumamoto Castle at the time. His gravesite is also in Kumamoto and is now located within a park that bears his name - Musashizuka Park (武蔵塚公園).

Even for those not familiar with Musashi, Reigando is a beautiful place, and it’s easy to understand how someone might go there and be inspired. The cave is nestled in the hills overlooking the ocean to the northwest of Kumamoto and sits beside an ancient Buddhist temple called Unganzenji. To get to the cave you must walk through the temple and past a rock face covered in hundreds of time- and weather-worn statues. When I was living in Kumamoto I went several times, including with visiting friends and family, and it was always an incredible experience.

Reigando can be reached by car or by bus, though it’s important to note that some walking, including up quite a steep hill, is required from the nearest bus stop. A decent amount of information is available in English and I’ve provided some links here.

To get to Reigando by bus, take the 新6 from the central bus station and get off at the 岩戸観音入口 (Iwato Kannon entrance) stop. It usually takes between 30 and 45 minutes to get there depending on the traffic. From the bus stop the cave is a 15-20 minute walk up the hill to the left, and there are also some nice views and stopping points along the way.

  • Grace

https://kumamoto-guide.jp/en/spots/detail/109 http://www.explore-kumamoto.com/reigando-cave-and-unganzenji-temple/ https://en.japantravel.com/kumamoto/reigando-cave/3496