1607 年（慶長12 年）、加藤清正によって築城。13 の重要文化財建造物や武者返しと呼ばれる石垣など、往時の姿をよく残している。1960 年（昭和35 年）に外観復元された大小天守は、白い漆喰壁と黒い下見板の調和が美しい。先の震災で甚大な被害を受けたが、なおも威風堂々とした姿は、“難攻不落”の名に相応しい熊本のシンボルである。

Kumamoto Castle was built in 1607 by Kiyomasa Kato, feudal lord of Kumamoto. The castle has remained largely as it appeared in days of old, with 13 structures in the castle complex designated as Important Cultural Properties, and its distinctive stone walls (referred to as musha-gaeshi) that were designed to repel attackers. The castle keep, a reconstruction built in 1960, maintains a beautiful and harmonious balance of white plastered walls and black down-facing weatherboard siding. Although the castle sustained extensive damage as a result of the recent Kumamoto earthquake, it remains a symbol of Kumamoto with its imposing and majestic appearance, making it worthy of the name “impregnable fortress.”

元は朝鮮半島で「すけとうだら」のたらこを唐辛子などで調味して食べていたものがルーツ。後に日本人好みの味に加工され博多中洲で販売されたのが現在の辛子明太子のはじまりといわれる。「博多名物」として全国的に知られたのは1976年（昭和51年）の山陽新幹線の博多乗り入れがきっかけなのだとか。

Karashi mentaiko are spicy, salted sacks of pollock roe. They originated on the Korean Peninsula, where people would eat the roe of the suketodara (Alaska pollock) seasoned with red chili peppers and various other spices. Later the Japanese developed their own preferred style of flavoring, and it is said that mentaiko seasoned in this way and sold in the Nakasu district of Hakata (part of the city of Fukuoka) was the beginning of modern-day karashi mentaiko. It is also said that the catalyst for the dish becoming a nationally-renowned Hakata specialty came in 1976, with the arrival of the Sanyo Shinkansen high-speed rail line running through Hakata.

佐賀県神埼市と吉野ヶ里町にまたがる巨大な遺跡で、約700年にわたる弥生時代の変遷がわかる貴重な遺跡。また『邪馬台国』を彷彿とさせるということで大きな注目を集めた。現在は吉野ヶ里歴史公園として、物見櫓や竪穴住居など環壕集落が復元されており、古代人の暮らしを体感することができる。

The Yoshinogari site is a massive archeological site that straddles the town of Yoshinogari and the city of Kanzaki in Saga Prefecture. It is an import site because it offers valuable insight into the various changes that took place over a period of approximately 700 years, during Japan’s Yayoi Period. It has also gained major attention due to the fact that it is reminiscent of Yamatai-koku, a historically significant country in ancient Japan. Today, as Yoshinogari Historical Park, the site’s moated settlement has been reconstructed, complete with monomi yagura (watchtowers) and pit dwellings, enabling visitors to experience first-hand what life would have been like for the ancient people of Japan.

幅約160m、長さ約480m程の無人島。明治以降、海底炭鉱として栄え、最盛期にはこの小さな島に5000人以上が住んでいた。その当時の高層鉄筋住宅の遺構や島を取り囲んだ塀によって、島全体が軍艦に見えることからこの名で呼ばれている。2015年、世界文化遺産に登録され上陸ツアーが人気を集めている。

Gunkanjima (meaning “Battleship Island”) is an uninhabited island, approximately 160m wide and 480m long. From the Meiji Era onwards it enjoyed a period of prosperity as an undersea coalmining site. During its heyday, over 5,000 people lived on this small island. Gunkanjima earned its nickname due to the fact that the remains of the high-rise concrete apartment buildings of the time and the island’s surrounding sea wall give it the overall appearance of a battleship. The island was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2015, and is now gaining popularity for its sightseeing tours.

明治維新に大きな功績を残した「西郷どん」こと西郷隆盛。西南戦争で新政府軍と戦い敗北し、鹿児島市の城山で最期を迎えた。その城山を背景に立つこの像は、没後50年祭記念として制作された。制作者は鹿児島市出身の彫刻家・安藤照で渋谷の「忠犬ハチ公」の制作者でもある。

Saigo Takamori (also known in Japan as “Saigo Don”) was an influential samurai who achieved major accomplishments during the Meiji restoration. He suffered defeat fighting against the armies of the new government in the Seinan War, and met his end at Shiroyama, in the city of Kagoshima. His statue (which stands with Shiroyama in the background) was created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death. The statue was produced by Kagoshima-born sculptor Teru Ando, who also created the famous statue of the faithful dog Hachiko which sits in front of Shibuya Station.

別府や由布院をはじめ、県内になんと4000を超える源泉が湧き、湧出量とともに日本一を誇る「おんせん県」の大分県。そのPR動画「シンフロ」は、「お風呂（温泉）でシンクロ」というユニークな内容に加え、プロチームによる華麗な演技が話題に。今回はそのワンシーンをイメージした造形を制作。

Oita Prefecture is famous as Japan’s top Onsen-ken (literally meaning “hot spring prefecture”), boasting the greatest volume of hot springs in all of Japan. There are over 4,000 hot spring sources in the prefecture, including famous destinations as Beppu and Yufuin. The “Shinfuro” promotional video has drawn attention for both its unique concept (synchronized swimming in a hot spring bath) and the magnificent performance given by the professional synchronized swimming team. This model presents an artist’s impression of a scene from the video.

宮崎県を代表する特産物・マンゴー。その美味しさの秘密は「完熟」であること。熟して自然に落下するところをネットでキャッチするという独特の方法で収穫されている。「太陽のタマゴ」は、宮崎県産完熟マンゴーの中でも厳しい基準をクリアした最上級品にのみつけられるブランド名。

Mangos are a representative specialty product of Miyazaki Prefecture. The secret of their delicious taste lies in them being fully ripe. The mangos are harvested using a unique method, in which they are ripened until they fall naturally from the tree, and are caught using a net. Taiyo no Tamago (meaning “eggs of the sun”) is a brand name that is only given to the very finest fully ripened Miyazaki-produced mangos that have cleared the strictest standards of quality.

九州を代表する温泉リゾート地のひとつ、由布院と博多とを結ぶ特急列車。車両デザインはヨーロッパ調のクラシカルなデザイン。眺望の良いハイデッカー（高床式）タイプで、車窓からは緑の山々など美しい景色を楽しむことができる。今回制作したのは1999年（平成11年）3月に運転を開始したキハ72系。

Yufuin no Mori is an express train that connects Hakata with Yufuin, one of Kyushu’s most famous and representative hot spring resorts. The train adopts a European classical design. The high-decker type train cars offer excellent views, enabling passengers to enjoy the mountain greenery and other beautiful scenery from their windows. This model is a recreation of the KiHa 72 series train, which entered operation in March 1999.

日本の歴史を語る名所の数々
大地のパワー溢れる温泉地
豊かな風土と独特な食文化
人も大地も温かく力強い
九州７県の名物を集めました

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『九州フィギュアみやげ』特設サイトもOPEN！
http://www.jrkyu-ag.co.jp/kyushu-figure/

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A lot of sights that talk about Japanese history
The hot spring spot filled with the power of the earth
A rich climate and unique food culture
People and earth are warm and powerful
Kyushu collected the specialties of the 7 prefectures