Kumamoto is situated in the center of Kyushu at the western end of Japan. Mt. Aso-san, one of the largest volcano caldera in the world stands in the east and the Chikuhi Mountains lie to the north.
Shira-kawa River, the Kuma-gawa River, and other rivers flow from the mountains to the western part of the lower current area, forming the Kumamoto Plain and Yashiro Plain giving pure water not only to the tea growers but also for other prefectures.
The climate is moderate to mild but ther region has a very high rainfall, especially in summer. Kumamoto city has been severely hit bit by a series of major earthquakes in 2016 damaging their most famous landmark the castle of Kumamoto.
Kumamoto is also the birthplace of the Higo Koryu, a traditional style of tea ceremony that has been passed down for centuries and is said to be the same style practiced by the originator of Japanese tea ceremony : Sen no Rikyu.
Higo Koryu is also known as Bushi no cha, or the “tea of the warrior,” the idea of which is reflected in the fact that in most other tea ceremony styles, the fukusa, a cloth for wiping the tea utensils, is normally held on the belt of the kimono on the left side; in Higo Koryu, the fukusa is not attached on the left, as the left side is where a warrior would traditionally have his katana.
Higo Koryu is characterized by the beauty of its movements and the uniqueness of its form.