Kumamoto is the name of both a prefecture and its capital city — home of the discoverer — on the Japanese island of Kyushu. With Mt. Aso, it is home to the biggest crater of an active volcano in the world. The observatory was built in 1982 by raising funds from the citizens of Kumamoto. (M 39653) _ _.
Discovered on 6-11-1997 in Kumamoto by Kobayashi, J.