Kumamoto, Japan – The highly anticipated April 23 opening of JR Kumamoto Station Building was a spectacle for visitors, as it debuted a large indoor multi-floor biophilic design garden of water and greenery. The seven-floor indoor garden extended from the ground is filled with dozens of plants native to Japan, arranged and optimised via digital simulation. The visual spectacle is highlighted by an artificial 10 metres x 10 metres waterfall, partially illuminated by penetrating natural light. All of the features are designed to reflect the region’s natural beauty and symbolise its recovery from the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.

As the core unit of railway company JR Kyushu's aim to create “a city where people want to live, work, and visit”, the 12-storey facility was designed to bring vitality to the area around Kumamoto Station, where fresh urban development is underway. The building also features “Amu Plaza Kumamoto,” a visitor-friendly complex of shops, restaurants, theatres, a wedding hall, and recreation areas, as well as the hotel “THE BLOSSOM KUMAMOTO.” Kumamoto City is located approximately 1,200 kilometres southwest of Tokyo on the island of Kyushu.

The JR Kumamoto Station Building has been designed by Nikken Sekkei Ltd., a leading architectural, planning and engineering firm in Japan.