A Shinto shrine within the Kumamoto Castle precincts dedicated to Kato Kiyomasa, the daimyo who built the castle in the early seventeenth century. Modest in scale compared with the castle but quiet and shaded, with mossy stone steps and a small main hall reached through a wooded approach.
The shrine is included in the castle visit and adds context to the Kato story — his name is everywhere in this part of Kyushu. Visit at the start or end of your castle tour.