Kumamoto City's Tap Water is Japan's Best

Every drop of tap water used in Kumamoto City, with its population of approximately 730,000 people, is extracted from the region's rich groundwater aquifer. In this regard, it is the only city in Japan of over 500,000 city population. Not only does Kumamoto City have a large groundwater supply, the Tasty Water Research Committee commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (currently, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare) found it to be of extremely high

The Groundwater flow system of the Kumamoto City and surrounding Region

Rainwater falls on the western slope surface of outer fringe mountains of Mt. Aso, and infiltrate through the ground in the forests and grass fields there. Also , in nearby towns such as Ozu and Kikuyo, irrigation water drawn from the Shira River for the rice paddies, percolate and recharge groundwater. Those recharged groundwater flow down through the plain-regions of Kumamoto and toward , the Ariake Sea.

The Declining Groundwater Supply

The reduction of rice paddy areas and the rise in urban residential development has led to decrease groundwater recharge rate , coupled with the increasing of the amount of groundwater use, has led the local rich and high-quality groundwater to become an increasingly limited and precious natural resource.

The Kikuchi Fountainhead (Kikuchi City)

The Shirakawa Fountainhead (Minamiaso Village)

The Ikeyama Fountainhead (Ubuyama Village)

The Todoroki Fountainhead (Uto City)

The Suizenji-Ezuko Fountainheads
(Kumamoto City) Lake Ezuko

Mount Kinpo Springs
(Kumamoto City and Tamana City) Jodo-ji Temple

Minamiaso Village Springs (Minamiaso)
Yoshida Castle Gokenjo Kumiba (Spring Water Uptake Site)

Rokka Springs/Ukishima
Ukishima spring lake (Kashima Town)