Indoor Play in Kumamoto: Free Children’s Halls and Science Museum vs Paid Facilities, Prices Compared (2026)

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This page lists indoor places in Kumamoto where you can spend a rainy, hot or cold day with children. It covers places in Kumamoto City (the 15 children’s halls are covered as one group), Yumetown Hikarinomori in Kikuyo Town, and Aso Farmland in Minamiaso Village. The Kumamoto City Water Science Museum, the children’s halls and the station parenting plaza are free. Paid places charge by the hour, by a pass or by a single entry fee, and adults pay too. For 2 adults and 2 elementary school children playing 2 hours at the two timed parks, the regular price is ¥5,400–¥5,560 on weekdays and ¥5,800–¥7,800 on weekends and holidays. Little Planet also charges a one-time ¥600 annual membership fee on the first visit.

Kids Land US Kumamoto Uto, in Uto City Mall, has been closed since July 28, 2026 with no reopening date, so it is not listed.

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1. Prices and ages compared

Paid places are compared at regular weekday prices. Tap a name to jump to its section.

2. Family of four, 2 hours at the two timed play parks

Calculated for 2 adults and 2 elementary school children at regular counter prices, using the cheapest ticket for 2 hours (Asobi Park PLUS: weekday all-day pass and weekend 2-hour plan; Little Planet: all-day pass). Parking fees are not included because the conditions differ by place. The Genki Challenge Hall at Aso Farmland is not timed but a single entry fee, which is ¥4,900 for the same four people (the web ticket page gives about 1 hour as a guide to the time needed).

3. Asobi Park PLUS Sakuramachi Kumamoto (connected to the bus terminal)

An indoor play facility on the 3rd floor of SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto (3-10 Sakuramachi, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City). It has 6 zones, including a digital ball field, the “Imagination Hills” play structure, the “Car Build Ride City” ride area and a “Baby Terrace” for infants, plus an arcade. The ages are 6 months to 12 years, and 1 adult is needed for every 3 children. Children alone or adults alone cannot enter.

• Weekdays: ¥700 for a child’s first 30 minutes, then ¥230 per 10 minutes. Weekends and holidays: ¥800 for the first 30 minutes, then ¥260 per 10 minutes. Adults (20+) pay ¥700 on weekdays and ¥800 on weekends and holidays. Adults pay no extension fee.
• Tickets for longer stays: weekday all-day pass (child ¥2,080, adult ¥700); weekend/holiday 2-hour plan (child ¥2,100, adult ¥800). A child and an adult cannot choose different plans. Children under 6 months are free only when accompanied.
• Tickets are issued through the official LINE account; show the QR code at reception.
• Hours: 10:00–19:00 (last entry 18:30).
• Access: directly connected to the Kumamoto Sakuramachi Bus Terminal. 3 minutes on foot from Hanabatacho tram stop, 2 minutes from Karashimacho.
• Parking: the SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto car park. ¥400 for the first 60 minutes, then ¥200 per 30 minutes, maximum ¥1,200 per 24 hours. 2 hours free with ¥3,300 or more (tax included) of purchases in the building; 1 hour free for SAKURA MACHI card members (some shops excluded).

Phone: 096-245-6435. Prices and entry rules are on the official Asobi Park PLUS Sakuramachi page (Bandai Namco Amusement, Japanese). Parking rates are on the SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto parking page (Japanese).

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4. Asobi Park at Yumetown Sanpian (Higashi Ward, Kumamoto City)

An indoor play facility on the 3rd floor of Yumetown Sanpian (2-2 Kaminanbu 2-chome, Higashi Ward), next to the food court. It has a ball pool, EV ride cars and athletic equipment. Ages are 2 years to elementary school; ages 0–1 are free (only the parent pays). Children alone or parents alone cannot enter.

• Price: packs starting at ¥200 per 10 minutes. The official page does not list the price of each pack.
• Hours: the specialty shops at Yumetown Sanpian are open 10:00–20:00.
• Parking: the Yumetown Sanpian car park. The official page does not state the number of spaces or the rates.

Phone: 096-389-7375. Details are on the Asobi Park page of the Yumetown Sanpian website (Japanese).

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5. Little Planet Yumetown Hikarinomori (Kikuyo Town)

An indoor play facility with AR sand play and a digital ball pool, on the 2nd floor of Yumetown Hikarinomori (7-33-1 Hikarinomori, Kikuyo Town, Kikuchi District). It opened on April 24, 2026 as the first Little Planet in Kumamoto Prefecture (announcement by Litpla Inc., February 24, 2026 (Japanese)).

Photo source: Litpla Inc. press release, April 24, 2026 (Japanese)

• Ages: attractions are recommended for ages 3 and up, but anyone can enter regardless of age. Ages 1 and under are free (membership registration required).
• Accompaniment: elementary school children and younger enter with a guardian aged 18 or over. One adult can accompany up to 3 children. Junior high students and older can enter without an adult, but adults cannot enter alone.
• Children (4–12): ¥700 per 30 minutes or a ¥1,800 all-day pass on weekdays; ¥920 per 30 minutes or ¥2,600 on weekends and holidays. Adults (18+): weekdays ¥700 per 30 minutes or ¥900 for the pass; weekends and holidays ¥900 or ¥1,300. Ages 2–3 from ¥500 per 30 minutes on weekdays.
• Annual fee: one member registration per family. ¥600 in the first year and ¥300 for renewal.
• Tickets: on sale from the 1st of the month before the visit on the official website or app. Same-day tickets at the reception counter. The all-day pass may be suspended when it is crowded.
• Bringing food: drinks only. Food cannot be brought in. There is no toilet inside the park (ask at reception for temporary exit).
• Hours: 10:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30). Closed days follow Yumetown Hikarinomori.
• Parking: the Yumetown Hikarinomori car park (4,000 spaces).

Phone: 096-232-6232. The price list is on the official Little Planet Hikarinomori page (Japanese).

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6. Aso Farmland Genki Challenge Hall and Toddler Challenge Hall (Minamiaso Village)

Indoor exercise facilities with mazes and physical challenges, in the day-use area (Aso Genki no Mori) of Aso Farmland, a health theme park at 5579-3 Kawayo, Minamiaso Village, Aso District. The Genki Challenge Hall is for a wide range of ages, and children enter with a guardian. The Toddler Challenge Hall is for preschoolers aged 6 months to 6 years, with equipment for ages 6 months–2 and for ages 3–6.

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• Genki Challenge Hall: ¥1,350 for junior high and older, ¥1,100 for ages 4 to elementary school. Web tickets are ¥1,210 and ¥990 (membership registration required). Preschoolers cannot enter alone; someone aged 16 or over must accompany them.
• Toddler Challenge Hall: adults (18+) ¥900, toddlers (age 1+) ¥1,650.
• Re-entry: the price list at the counter says allowed, but the web ticket sales page says not allowed.
• Hours: 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30), open every day (hours may change by season or conditions). There is no toilet inside the Genki Challenge Hall.
• Parking: free (about 2,500 spaces for overnight and day visitors combined).
• Access: about 7 minutes by taxi from Akamizu Station on the JR Hohi Line. From Kumamoto Station and Sakuramachi Bus Terminal, about 100 minutes on the Kyushu Sanko Bus “Aso Sanjo Terminal Line” (fixed seats, reservation required, one round trip a day, suspended in winter).

Prices are on the Aso Farmland facility fees and hours page (Japanese). Other facilities in the park are covered in our Aso Farmland article (Japanese).

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7. Kumamoto City Water Science Museum (free, Kita Ward)

A science museum run by the Kumamoto City Waterworks and Sewerage Bureau at 1-11-1 Hachikenmizutani, Kita Ward. You can see and touch exhibits about groundwater, tap water and sewage.

• Entry is free and parking is free. There is no age limit. Groups of 10 or more and the “Water Laboratory” must be booked in advance by phone.
• Hours: 9:00–17:00.
• Closed: every Monday (the next weekday if Monday is a holiday), and December 29 to January 3.
• Parking: 4 large buses, 44 regular cars, 2 spaces for people with disabilities.
• Access: 15 minutes on foot from Hachikenmizutani on the Kumamoto Electric Railway or the Kumamoto Dentetsu Bus.

Phone: 096-346-1100. The official Instagram (@kumamoto.mizunokagakukan) and YouTube channel (Kumamoto City Water Science Museum) are linked from the museum’s official website (Japanese).

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8. Kumamoto City Museum and Planetarium (Chuo Ward)

A city museum with a planetarium at 3-2 Kokyomachi, Chuo Ward. It was temporarily closed after the July 2026 earthquake and has been open again since August 4.

• Entry: adults ¥400, high school and university students ¥300, elementary and junior high students ¥200. Preschoolers and elementary/junior high students who attend school in Kumamoto City (bring a name tag or student ID) are free. Elementary and junior high students living in Fukuoka City, Kitakyushu City and Kagoshima City are also free.
• Planetarium (separate from the entry fee): adults ¥200, high school and university students ¥150, junior high and younger ¥100. Free for ages 3 and under who do not need a seat. You cannot enter once a show has started.
• Hours: 9:00–17:00 (entry until 16:30).
• Closed: Mondays (the next day if Monday is a holiday), December 29 to January 3, and maintenance periods.
• Facilities: free coin lockers (the 100-yen coin is returned) and free stroller loans.
• Parking: there is no dedicated car park. The nearest is the Sannomaru car park (paid). Next to the north entrance there is a bicycle parking area (about 15 bicycles) and a bike-share port.
• Access: 5 minutes on foot from Sugitomo tram stop. 15 minutes on foot from Sakuramachi Bus Terminal or Shiyakusho-mae. For the Kumamoto Castle loop bus “Shiromegurin”, get off at “Hakubutsukan / Kyu Hosokawa Gyobu-tei mae”. The entrance is on the north side of the building.

Phone: 096-324-3500. Prices are on the museum’s visitor information page (Japanese).

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9. Kumamoto City children’s halls: 15 free places

Kumamoto City has 15 children’s halls and children’s rooms: 3 in Chuo Ward, 3 in Higashi, 2 in Nishi, 4 in Minami, 2 in Kita and 1 privately run. Anyone, in or outside the city, from infants to 6th graders can use them. Some halls were closed after the July 28, 2026 earthquake, but all 15 have been open since September 1.

• Use is free. Some events charge a participation or materials fee.
• Infants come with a guardian (an older brother or sister under 18 does not count as a guardian). Children are not looked after. You make a user card on your first visit (a new card each fiscal year).
• Hours: 9:00–17:00 as standard. Jonan Children’s Hall is 9:30–17:30 and Sakuragaoka Children’s Hall is 9:00–18:00.
• Closed: every Monday (the next non-holiday day if Monday is a holiday), December 29 to January 3. Jonan is also closed on the 4th Wednesday of each month and December 29 to January 4. Sakuragaoka is closed on Sundays, holidays and over the New Year.
• The privately run Sakuragaoka Children’s Hall can also be used by junior high and high school students.

Addresses and phone numbers of each hall are in the list on the Kumamoto City website (Japanese).

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10. Station Parenting Plaza at Kumamoto Morinomiyako Plaza (by JR Kumamoto Station, free)

A child-care support facility on the 3rd floor of Kumamoto Morinomiyako Plaza, a building next to JR Kumamoto Station (1-14-1 Kasuga, Nishi Ward, Kumamoto City). It is a plaza for preschoolers and their parents, with story-telling and child-care lectures.

• For preschoolers and their parents. Use is free.
• Hours: weekdays 10:00–15:00, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 10:00–17:00.
• Closed: the 3rd Wednesday of each month (the next weekday if it is a holiday), December 29 to January 4.
• Access: about 3 minutes on foot from the Shirakawa exit (east exit) of JR Kumamoto Station. For trams and buses, get off at “Kumamotoeki-mae”.
• If you want to leave your child, there is a nursery room on the 4th floor of the same building (ages 1 year to before elementary school, ¥500 per child per hour, up to 3 hours per visit, only while the parent is using Morinomiyako Plaza). Book by phone from the 1st of the previous month.

Plaza phone: 096-355-7409. Details are on the station parenting plaza page (Japanese) and the nursery room page (Japanese) of the Morinomiyako Plaza website.

Official information checked on October 18, 2026 (Japan time). These pages are in Japanese.

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Sources

13 pages we checkedShow

• official Asobi Park PLUS Sakuramachi page (Bandai Namco Amusement, Japanese)
• SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto parking page (Japanese)
• Asobi Park page of the Yumetown Sanpian website (Japanese)
• announcement by Litpla Inc., February 24, 2026 (Japanese)
• Litpla Inc. press release, April 24, 2026 (Japanese)
• official Little Planet Hikarinomori page (Japanese)
• Aso Farmland facility fees and hours page (Japanese)
• museum’s official website (Japanese)
• museum’s visitor information page (Japanese)
• Kumamoto City website (Japanese)
• station parenting plaza page (Japanese)
• nursery room page (Japanese)
• Japanese version of this page (日本語版)

Checked with official pages on October 18, 2026 (Japan time).