Ishibashi Museum of Art (http://www.ishibashi-muse...) to museum a traditional Japanese koi garden which is open to the public. And there is the Kurume public library.
The largest feature in Kurume is by far the Jibo Kannon Statue, which lies within the grounds of Naritasan Temple. The concrete Kannon Statue is 62 meters tall, and visitors can pay a small fee to go inside the statue and climb stairs to the top for a good if cramped view. Be sure to head to the basement of the statue when you're done, where you can see an animatronic buddhist hell which is not to be missed.
For the best and free view of Kurume and the Chikugo plain, head to the top of the 20 story city hall. The tallest building for kilometers, Kurume city hall is a five minute walk from JR Kurume Station.
There are also a few temples to visit, as in any Japanese city. Bairinji Temple, near the Chikugo River, is home to a small orchard of plum trees which blossom in the early spring. The temple itself has a small zen garden, and is the largest training temple in Kyushu. Also check out Suitengu shrine. Located a mere half kilometer along the river from Bairinji, this is the main temple of all of the Suitengu shrines in Japan and is set in a small grove.
