Buzen Kaido

This historic road once ran from Kumamoto Castle all the way north to the port of Kokura. In Yamaga, it follows the Kikuchi River through the center of town, passing the Sakura-yu bathhouse, the Yamaga Lantern Folk Art Museum, and the Yachiyoza Theater. During the Edo period, rice carried along this route fueled sake breweries and rice cracker shops, some of which still operate today from buildings that look much as they did back then. In August, the Yamaga Lantern Festival fills the street with paper-lantern dancers, and the old storefronts take on a different kind of glow.