About Untapped Kumamoto Tours
Kumamoto is often called as “Country of Water”, “Country of Fire”, and “Capital of Forest”. Those were named after great nature in Kumamoto. You will find endless beauties and myths and legends that go with it. Untapped Kumamoto started in 2018 as a travel blog. We have explored the well-known sights to hidden gems of Kumamoto and been amazed by how Kumamoto is rich in nature, culture, people, food and so many more. We arrange private tours that immerse our guests in the local culture. You can enjoy historic remains and pristine nature to your heart’s content. Hope to see you in Kumamoto soon!
Meet Our Team
Kana Illig
Aso Area Licensed Guide Interpreter since 2021
Aso UNESCO global geopark official guide since 2022
Instagram @diveintoaso
Hello！My name is Kana Illig. I was born in 1979.
After graduating from university, I worked for a show business company as a translator and moved all over Japan for 10 years.
I settled in Aso 11 years ago to raise my kids in a better environment, and now I am enjoying my life inside of this huge caldera with my family, American husband and 3 children and one dog and two goats!
Aso has the great nature and unique culture and interesting geography and history. It shows different beauty and scenes in each season.
I spent my childhood in the country side of Japan, and I really like the life style here which gets deep into the local community. I would love to share the local treasures and our hidden gems.
Dive in to Aso with me!
Hello, our future guests! My name is Chieko. It would be my pleasure to be your guide. I’m from Oita prefecture and have lived in Kumamoto for over 15 years now.
Kumamoto is amazing in nature, food, people and so many more. I especially love culture and local history because it is like a time travel.
I started my blog Untapped Kumamoto in 2018 and the more I look into Kumamoto, the more I find something fascinating and interesting. This is my lifelong project to keep writing.
I enjoy outdoor activities, such as jogging, hiking, walking footpath and recently camping. I love learning traditional culture like tea ceremony.
I am interested in preserving local culture and have started to join a class making Higo-mari ball which is a rice husk ball embroidered with natural dyed thread. I am a curious person and love learning new things. I hope we will meet soon and share both of our cultures!
Chieko Noriyuki
Aso Area Licensed Guide Interpreter since 2020