Misato, Kumamoto

Misato 美里町
—  Town  —
Location of Misato in Kumamoto
Misato
Coordinates: 32°37′N 130°50′E / 32.617°N 130.833°E / 32.617; 130.833Coordinates: 32°37′N 130°50′E / 32.617°N 130.833°E / 32.617; 130.833
Country	Japan
Region	Kyūshū
Prefecture	Kumamoto
District	Shimomashiki
Area
– Total	144.03 km2 (55.6 sq mi)
Population (2003)
– Total	12,529
– Density	87/km2 (225.3/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
Website	Town of Misato

Misato (美里町, Misato-machi^?) is a town located in Shimomashiki District, Kumamoto, Japan. From Kumamoto, Misato is about 30 minutes by car or an hour and a half by bus. While it is easily accessible by car or bus, there is currently no train service to the town.

The town was formed on November 1, 2004 from the merger of the towns of Chūō and Tomochi.

As of 2011, the estimated population is 11,164. The total area is 144.03 km².

Culture and Events

The town of Misato has many small town features and local festivals. Misato is known for having the "number one" stone stairway in Japan (日本一の石段^?), with a total of 3,333 steps stretching over 2 km. Every November there is a festival in which challengers attempt to climb the steps within a certain amount of time.

External links

Media related to Misato, Kumamoto at Wikimedia Commons

• Misato official website (Japanese)