Kirk here. Waita is a cool (well, geologically speaking, hot) place in the Oguni area. Now they have a new geothermal plant.

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Waita No. 2 Geothermal Plant Begins Commercial Operations in Kumamoto

Baseload Capital and Furusato Netsuden have brought online the 4.995MW Waita No. 2 Geothermal Power Plant in Kumamoto Prefecture, a milestone for advancing geothermal energy in Japan. The facility entered commercial service in March 2026, and the firms present it as a template for scaling such projects through strong ties with local residents. Although Japan holds one of the globe's largest geothermal reserves, it currently produces under 1% of its electricity from this source. The companies contend that Waita No. 2 illustrates how community-oriented development can tackle persistent hurdles around regulation, land use, and public approval.
Source: https://www.indexbox.io/blog/waita-no-2-geothermal-plant-begins-commercial-operations-in-kumamoto/
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Picture of town from:
https://www.visit-kyushu.com/en/blogs/waita-onsen-kumamotos-hot-spring-paradise/
This a good page for tourists.

Image of thermal plant from here:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001414.000021766.html
This is an article on the same topic in Japanese.