It is said that gardening is like second marriages: The triumph of hope over experience. Spring in Kumamoto sees two agricultural festivals which offer entertainment eclipsing the fantasy that you’ll actually, finally, create a successful garden: food, entertainment, shopping, along with the sacrificial saplings which will succumb to Kumamoto’s brutal summers by July.
The first has already begun at the Agricultural Park in Koshi. It is aimed more at ambitious horticulturalists but is a great place for kids: there is a large playground. Be proactive and bring a kite to fly in the wide, grassy expanse (or maybe a badminton set from Daiso) and a tarp to sit on while you sample the local delicacies on offer - make sure the kids know where you’re camped, give them a few hundred yen, and set them free. Car access is best, but you can also take the Kumamoto Dentetsu from Fujisaki Hachimangu-mae to it’s terminus at Miyoshi and either walk a long way or ride a bike (you can bring bikes on the train). https://www.kumamotodentetsu.co.jp/train/
The second runs from 2/1 along the banks of Shirakawa adjacent to Kumamoto Station. It is much more easily accessible, though quite smaller than the above-mentioned, and is geared more towards the gardener. Rows of greenhouses lined with shops keep you warm, and you can dine on horumon stew while watching the seagulls and ducks on the river. - William