Skateboarding

Skateboarding has increased in popularity across Japan since the Tokyo Olympics a few years ago, with many purpose-built indoor and outdoor parks appearing in recent times. Kumamoto has a pretty good skateboarding community that predates the Olympics and is surprisingly big for the city and prefecture of its size. You can find several skate parks that are all accessible. Some also cater for BMX riders. Here is a pick of the crop. X-Land Skatepark One of the older and original skate parks in Kumamoto, X-Land has been around for a couple of decades or so. It’s an indoor warehouse facility close to some rice fields next to Matsubase Station. So, although it might not be the most central of locations, it’s easily accessible by train. The metal equipment is of good quality but there’s not too much here for beginners, so you might want to build up your skills elsewhere before heading out here. You can find a half pipe, quarter pipes, ramps, kickers, rails and vert walls. It’s a venue also suitable for BMXing. Fees are around 1,000 yen a day. Address: 3-2 Shiranuhimachi Kashiwabara, Uki-shi, Kumamoto 869-0551 Ukiuki Skatepark Located a little further out in Uki City, this…