- Shiki no Sato Park. Has its own natural hot springs and animal park.
- Kumamoto Prefectural Traditional Crafts Center (熊本県伝統工芸館 kumamoto-ken dentō kōgeikan). Exhibits the various traditional crafts for which Kumamoto is well-known. (Includes a gift shop)
- Hanaokayama (花岡山). Hanaokayama is a hill near Kumamoto Station. It looks over downtown and has a great night view. On a clear day you can see Mt. Aso towering behind the city. There is also a nice temple and a huge shrine gate (torii) on the top. You can go up by car, which most couples do, or hike about 15 minutes to the top.
- 7 Mt. Kinpō (金峰山, kinpō-zan). About 11 km from downtown but when you get to the top you`ll be rewarded with a beautiful view over Kumamoto and Nagasaki. The view of the city lights is great and you can also see the peaks of Mt. Aso in Kumamoto and Mt. Unzen in Nagasaki. You can take a bus to the area but then you have to hike for about an hour to the top. On top there is a temple and a famous fence full of locks that couples have locked to a fence on the observation deck. There is no ropeway so you gotta hike or take a car.
- Kumamoto City Hall (熊本市役所), Tetorihoncho 手取本町. In the heart of downtown. If you go to the fourteenth floor there is a free view of the castle and downtown area. free.
