This article was produced with support from Kumamoto Prefecture.
A trial tour held in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, on December 26, 2024, combining local resources with SL Hitoyoshi as a tourism attraction.
Experiencing Japan's Showa era: the restored SL Hitoyoshi in Hitoyoshi and premium dining beside the old station identified elsewhere in the source as Okoba.
The day introduced Hitoyoshi and Kuma tea, its history and brewing, followed by a small serving of the area's eel during a Kuma River boat trip. A guide who had devoted his life to steam locomotives led a visit to historic Hitoyoshi Station's engine shed and the landmark SL Hitoyoshi. The final stop was LOOP, opened for this day only beside the old station, for a terroir-focused course using regional ingredients paired with Kuma shochu.
Meeting Hitoyoshi: nature, culture and dining in a small Japanese city.
Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture (熊本県・人吉), is around 2½ hours by car from Fukuoka Airport in the account.
The journey began at Kumamoto Airport. Hitoyoshi, at the prefecture's southern end, lies in a basin surrounded by the Kyushu mountains, with nature, historic buildings and hot springs. The source describes it as a pleasant place to live, known for the Kuma River—one of Japan's 3 rapid rivers in its telling—Hitoyoshi Onsen and Kuma shochu. The Hitoyoshi/Kuma center prospered as the castle town of the Sagara clan. Old streets remain, earning the 'Little Kyoto' description and attracting domestic visitors. Central Aoi Aso Shrine is described as Kumamoto's only National Treasure. On April 24, 2015, Hitoyoshi and nearby Kuma towns received Japan Heritage recognition under the theme of 700 years of Sagara culture, balancing continuity and enterprise in the hidden Hitoyoshi Kuma region.
Sagara tea (相良茶) at HASSENBA, a new Kuma River landmark in Hitoyoshi, with tea sweets.
The tour began with tea. On HASSENBA's second floor, Mr. Miyazaki of tea producer Miyazaki Seicha (宮崎製茶) introduced Kuma tea (球磨茶). Freshly brewed tea welcomed us on arrival. Tasting warm tea, cold tea and desserts using the leaves accompanied stories of tea history and farmers' work.
The account describes these features of Hitoyoshi/Kuma's Sagara tea (球磨茶):
• Minimize chemical fertilizers and pesticides, using organic fertilizers derived from natural materials.
• Leaves grow in the morning mist of the Kawabe River, whose water the account praises as Japan's best.
• Old documents reportedly record tea paid to the local lord as tax 1,000 years ago.
The account cites awards including Japan's Treasures Grand Prix and JAPANESE TEA AWARD as signs of recognition for Sagara tea.
The mountain-ringed basin's tea fields are described as having an ideal cultivation climate.
The source calls Sagara tea a premium green tea using the Saemidori variety, praising it as a particularly fine cultivar. Its flavor stands out when infused in water: leaves steeped for just 3 minutes produce a distinctive tea in this account.
After tea, we went downstairs for the Kuma River boat trip, completed the formalities and received lifejackets before boarding. HASSENBA also offered what the account calls Kumamoto's first Kyushu Pancake Café, HITO × KUMA STORE selling southern Kumamoto specialties and a Hitoyoshi discovery cycling tour using e-bikes. Upstairs were a terrace bar overlooking the river and castle ruins and a meeting room designed by Eiji Mitooka, associated with JR Kyushu's luxury Nanatsuboshi in Kyushu train. It served as a base for exploring Hitoyoshi Kuma.
Waiting for the boat also offered a chance to discover and taste local specialties.
HASSENBA, Hitoyoshi: Kuma River boating and traditional eel rice
On the Kuma River boat trip, we paired a bite-sized eel bowl from a well-known Hitoyoshi restaurant with local Kuma tea. The relaxed journey through nature is one of Hitoyoshi's characteristic experiences in the account.
The seasonal setting looked like an ink painting. A kotatsu on the boat brought a feeling of Japanese winter while we tasted the local eel.
This limited winter boat experience was offered from December 2024 to mid-March 2025. Sitting under a kotatsu on the wooden boat, with a meal and Kuma shochu, was an escape into winter scenery. That day, we paired a small eel bowl from Shirai Unagiya with warm Sagara tea.
Slowly charcoal-grilled eel, warm premium Sagara tea, the clear river and a kotatsu warming our feet made the time feel almost like an old aristocratic outing.
Hitoyoshi Station, Kumamoto (熊本人吉駅): a guided steam-locomotive visit
Alongside the Kuma River, nature and historic streets, railways are another important part of Hitoyoshi's story.
Visiting SL Hitoyoshi and its engine shed connected the region's railway past with the present.
A Hitoyoshi railway guide introduced the retired SL Hitoyoshi and the shed described in the source as Japan's only active stone-built engine shed.
Our guide was over 90 and still working. Much of his life had been spent alongside steam engines, witnessing Kyushu's development and Japan's railways. He knew the locomotive deeply and was close in age to SL Hitoyoshi itself.
SL Hitoyoshi (SL人吉)
Formerly a popular JR Kyushu sightseeing train between Kumamoto and Hitoyoshi, SL Hitoyoshi had an imposing presence. The source describes it as Japan's oldest steam locomotive, with more than 100 years in Kyushu. Built in 1922, it went through withdrawal, stoppages and restoration and remained much loved.
The retro Hachiroku locomotive, associated with the Taisho era, pulling carriages and steaming through nature could feel like time travel. Its strength and elegance particularly appealed to rail enthusiasts. It retired in March 2024; the source describes it as Japan's oldest steam locomotive and Kyushu's only steam engine at retirement.
Hitoyoshi stone engine shed (人吉機関庫)
At Hitoyoshi Station on the Hisatsu Line, the shed restores the original form of the building constructed in 1911.
Local stonemasons used stone from Kuma to build the railway facility, about 16 m wide and 51 m deep.
The source calls it Japan's only remaining stone-built engine shed. Its background text describes work such as watering SL Hitoyoshi, cleaning ash, oiling, inspection and washing; this is retained as the account's operating description, not a new check following the engine's retirement.
The account says restoration removed the west-side steel truss and east-side rail structure. It records recognition by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as industrial-modernization heritage under the Hitoyoshi locomotive-depot garage name, and by the Kyushu Transport Bureau as Kyushu modern/contemporary heritage for the JR Kyushu Hitoyoshi engine shed.
A turntable for reversing locomotives stands behind the shed, with a viewing area nearby. It was a distinctive scene worth seeing even without being a dedicated railway enthusiast.
After the engine, shed and turntable, we moved to a room displaying material on SL Hitoyoshi and the station for a detailed explanation of steam-engine principles and the period.
Learning about the labor behind rail and transport, changing energy sources and the foundations of present infrastructure made me appreciate earlier generations' work. Sharing that lesson with a guide who had devoted so much time to it was a valuable small-city experience.
A special course meal for this day at Okoba Station, Hitoyoshi HITOYOSHI Terroir Dining at OKOBA Station
The final stop was Okoba Station in Onomachi, Hitoyoshi. With switchback and loop railway features, it appears in the anime Natsume Yujincho and on the 69th Hitoyoshi Fireworks Festival poster. The account describes it as drawing visitors from across Japan and anime fans from abroad.
Visitors had attached tickets and business cards to the old station's walls as mementos.
Inside, the walls were full of those records. The wooden building retained an older, vintage atmosphere. A story says leaving a business card brings career success, explaining the many cards. Bringing one could make a souvenir of the visit and a wish for the future, in the account's telling.
In a fully renovated space beside the station, wooden tables, interior details and an open kitchen set the stage for a lively dining experience.
A stylish restaurant in a converted storehouse beside Hisatsu Line's Okoba Station hosted the day's highlight. LOOP opened specially for that day for Hitoyoshi Terroir Dining at OKOBA Station, introducing the appeal of local ingredients through the meal.
The course was created by the chef rendered Shinkai MR in the source, using carefully selected ingredients. I remembered his artistic cooking at a Kumamoto Yamaga food event a year earlier, also exploring local ingredients, background and culture, and looked forward to the meal.
Appetizer
鱒（マス）のくねぶマリネ / Trout marinated with kunebu citrus
The first course was a chilled appetizer combining citrus and trout with yogurt, bringing ingredients of different textures and character together while highlighting each aroma. The tart Kuma yogurt sauce was particularly well balanced.
A gentle Kuma shochu was paired to bring out the vegetables, trout and yogurt sauce.
Warm dish
大塚牛ウチモモ肉のカルパッチョ/ Otsuka beef hind-leg carpaccio
The second course used moist, aged beef hindquarter, a substantial meat dish even before the main.
Black garlic, miso-pickled tofu, salt and olive oil.
The sauces did not overwhelm the beef's soft flavor and aroma. This paragraph calls it tenderloin, while the heading says hind leg—a source inconsistency retained here. Onion, mushrooms, parsley and lime added freshness.
Another Kuma shochu pairing brought out the depth of this relatively lean meat.
This high-strength spirit had a bright, refreshing finish. I thought its lively character would appeal to Korean guests.
Cold pasta
鮎の一夜干しとあさぎり豆乳の冷製パスタ/ Cold pasta with overnight-dried ayu and Asagiri soy milk
The source paragraph calls the fish overnight-dried trout, although the heading names ayu. Soft noodles, river fish and soy-milk sauce gave the pasta a Japanese character, with fish flavor and shiso flowers working together. A small chilled portion was refreshing.
Risotto
雉（キジ）とタモギ茸の玄米リゾット/ Brown-rice risotto with pheasant and tamogitake mushrooms
Pheasant flavor infused the dish and grew as I chewed. The meat was tender and juicy, with a simple salty savor.
Mushroom flavor also came through gently, and each ingredient kept its texture. The brown rice's distinct grains were especially good. Simple-looking, it developed flavor with every bite. Pasta followed by rice might feel heavy, but the chilled pasta and unusual risotto texture made
a combination that did not feel heavy at all.
Main course
球磨の黒豚/ Kuma black pork
The main was carefully charcoal-grilled black pork. Charcoal-grilled daikon also kept its texture and flavor and paired well with the meat.
The sauce is described in the source as Sagara hojicha with a bitter trout element, emphasizing the juicy pork. The gently grilled meat had a firm, pleasing bite. The open kitchen let us watch cooking and plating, making the chef's work on the plate an experience for all the senses.
Dessert
苺のスパイスコンポート/ Spiced strawberry compote
The final dessert was not served cold.
Soft panna cotta with a caramelized top brought sweetness and a smooth texture in each bite.
The fragrant spiced strawberry compote revealed more complex aromas and flavors as I paid attention.
The sweetness of Kumamoto strawberry jam led into premium Sagara tea to finish the course.
Sagara tea had appeared as a welcome drink, with tea desserts, paired with local eel and finally at the end of regional dining.
A day beginning and ending with tea, full of Hitoyoshi's local character.
For travelers wanting time away from a noisy city, Hitoyoshi combined food, nature, regional ingredients, tea and spirits in a restful small-city trip. If that appeals, it is a place to consider.
SL Hitoyoshi guided visit and Hitoyoshi terroir dining at Okoba Station — original day-tour program
https://ps-q.jp/ko/activity/3270/
Original itinerary
09:30 · Meet at JR Shin-Hachidare / Hachidare stations, as the station names are rendered in the source; exact official stations require confirmation.
10:15 · Special Kuma River downstream experience
11:45 · Guided SL Hitoyoshi visit
13:15 · Guided Okoba Station visit
13:35 · Hitoyoshi terroir dining at Okoba Station
16:00 · Finish at JR Shin-Hachidare / Hachidare, using the same uncertain source station names.
Planning and operating organization
Hitoyoshi Onsen Tourism Association, a general incorporated association
Postal code: 868-0008
326-1 Nakaaoimachi, Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, inside JR Hitoyoshi Station
Telephone / fax: 0966-22-1370
Email: info@hitoyoshionsen.net