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Kumamoto Castle

(熊本城; -jō) is a castle in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan that has been opened to the public for tours. A large, and in its day, an extremely well fortified Japanese castle. The donjon (castle central keep) is a concrete reconstruction built in 1960, but several ancillary wooden buildings remain of the original castle. The castle was besieged during the Satsuma Rebellion, and was sacked and burned after a 53-day siege.

In nearby San-no-Maru Park is the Hosokawa Gyobu-tei, the former residence of Hosokawa clan, the Higo daimyo. This traditional wooden mansion has a fine Japanese garden located in its grounds.

The signature curved stone walls known as musha-gaeshi, as well as wooden overhangs were designed to prevent foes from penetrating the castle. Rock falls were also used as deterrents.

Kumamoto Castle recently celebrated its 400th anniversary. On Dec 7, 2007 a large scale renovation of the Lord`s Inner Palace was completed. A public ceremony for the restoration was held April 20, 2008.

Kumamoto Castle is considered one of the three premiere castles in Japan, along with Nagoya and Osaka.

How to get there
Kumamoto Castle is located in the center of Kumamoto City, a 10 minute, 150 yen tram ride from JR Kumamoto Station. Get off at Kumamotojo-mae tram stop. You can also walk from Kumamoto Station to the castle in about 30-45 minutes.

Click here for map

Detail Info
Type Azuchi-Momoyama castle
Built 1469-1487; major expansions 1591-1610
Built by Ideta clan (original); Kato clan (1591) Hosokawa clan (1632)
Construction materials Wood, stone, plaster, tile
In use 1469-1871
Current condition Largely intact, restoration work begun in 1960
Controlled by
Ideta clan (1469-1496),Kanokogi clan (1496-1550),Jou clan (1550-1587),Sassa clan (1587-1588),Kato clan (1588-1632),Hosokawa clan (1632-1871),Japan (1871-present)
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