Misato, Kumamoto

Misato (美里町) is a town located in Shimomashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. From Kumamoto City, Misato is about 30 minutes by car or an hour and a half by bus. While it is easily accessible by car or bus, there is currently no train service to the town.

The town was formed on November 1, 2004 from the merger of the towns of Chūō and Tomochi.

As of March 2017, the estimated population is 10,532. The total area is 144.03 km2.

Culture and Events
The town of Misato has many small town features and local festivals. Misato is known for having the "number one" stone stairway in Japan (日本一の石段), with a total of 3,333 steps stretching over 2 km. Every November there is a festival in which challengers attempt to climb the steps within a certain amount of time.