Honmyo-ji Temple — Samurai Cemetery on the Hill
Honmyo-ji is a Buddhist temple on a forested hill northeast of Kumamoto Castle, established in 1585 by Kato Kiyomasa. The temple complex includes a five-story pagoda, several halls, and the cemetery where generations of the Hosokawa clan (rulers of Kumamoto 1632–1871) are buried. The stone path climbing to the temple passes under 300-year-old cedar trees and 176 stone steps.
The temple's historical significance is as the Hosokawa family temple — their patronage over 240 years created the architecture and landscape visible today.
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