My hometown is called Kumenan. In 1954, Yuge Town, Tanjyoji Village, Tatsuyama Village and Koume Village merged and Kumenan Town was formed. It is located in approximately the center of Okayama Prefecture. The town is small with a population of 5376 but has abundant nature and is surrounded by mountains.
Kumenan has a place called utsukushi mori or beautiful forest in English. These retreats are quite common in rural Japan.You can camp there and enjoy life surrounded by nature. Besides trees and mountains, Kumenan Town has large rice fields. Looking out at these fields is beautiful and heart-warming.
Kumenan is famous for being the place where Honen was born. Honen was a priest from the Heian era to the Kamakura era as he lived from 1133-1212. He is considered the founder of the Jodo sect of Buddhism in Japan. The temple where he was born stands in Kumenan Town and is called Tanjoji. The temple has a massive and stunning ginkgo tree which is a symbol for the town.
Kumenan has a reputation for senryu or haiku about the human condition. There are many such poems carved on stone monuments in Senryu Park. It is a good place to get a wide view of the town as well.
“Kappy” is the town mascot. It looks like a Kappa or amphibious creature from Japanese folklore.You can see this character in many places around town. In fact, Kappy appears on the cookies which are sold in town.
There are several convenient facilities in Kumenan.There is an exercise park where people can play tennis, golf, table tennis and basketball for free. You can also borrow sports equipment.You can play all day for nothing! Orchestral music, chorus recitals and art exhibitions are held at the cultural center. It has a full-sized library where you can borrow books and DVDs for two weeks at no charge.
Kumenan Town has glorious nature and many places to see. I like my hometown and recommend visitors to come and enjoy it. By train you can take the Tsuyama line from Okayama Station.The three stations in Kumenan are Yuge, Tanjoji and Koume.They are between 40 and 45 kilometers from Okayama Station so plan for the journey to take an hour.
