Local News

Kumamoto Prefecture announced that an agreement has been reached with famed architect Tadao Ando to design the new building at the JR Kumamoto Station in conjunction with the opening of the Kyushu Shinkansen Line in 2011. The construction costs were originally estimated at 3 billion yen, but these were reduced to 2 billion yen after Ando, the prefecture, the city, and JR agreed. The railroad will sign a formal agreement with Ando shortly, and the building is expected to be completed in 2016.