Although the castle tower is still in the process of restoration, it was one of the first to be restored as a symbol of reconstruction, and the interior is now open to the public. I was impressed by how well it has been restored from such a tragic situation. You can see the damage and Kumamoto Castle from various angles by walking through a special observation corridor that is 350 meters long and about 6 meters above ground, which is precisely because the restoration work is currently in progress. There are also many other things to see, such as the impressive curved stone wall known as "Musha-gaeshi" that prevents enemy invasions, the "Niyo-no-Ishigaki" stone wall that allows you to appreciate the beauty of the stone walls, and the underground passage made of stone called the "Kuragari Passage" under the floor of the Honmaru Palace, which is rare nationwide. Incidentally, the "Iidamaru Five-story Turret," which narrowly avoided collapse thanks to the "miraculous single stone wall," has been dismantled and is currently being stored for reconstruction. There is still a long way to go, but we pray for a full recovery as soon as possible.

Castle was teeming with visitors on a weekday. But the grounds were spacious and everything was well organised so the place did not feel overcrowded. There was some queuing for tickets but we were impressed by how fast the staff and volunteers cleared the queue. Castle looked majestic against the sunny blue skies, it has just reopened following extension restoration. Museum exhibits in the castle were extensive and educational although there was limited English. Thoroughly enjoyed the visit and will highly recommended everyone to stop by.

The restoration of this castle is amazing. Looks very impressive and the grounds are excellent to see the massive defensive walls. Some areas still off limits and damaged by the 2016 Earthquake but still a very interesting and enjoyable place to visit.

The castle itself is open again after the big earthquake of 2016 and is very interesting to visit. Most of the explanations in the castle are in Japanese, but there are QR codes everywhere that allow you to consult the English explanations (very useful). The thorough renovation of the castle also meant that the inside of the castle has been modernized with, among other things, air conditioning (handy in the sweltering summer heat where I was present) and windows that provide a good view of the surroundings (compared to the older barred windows of Himeji Castle). However, there is still a lot of reconstruction work in the area surrounding the castle. Priority was given to the castle, which means that side towers still require a lot of work.

Last year, the explanation by the volunteer guide was very good, so I asked him to guide my friend who was climbing the castle for the first time, even in the rain. It was nice to be able to see the stone walls of Iidamaru, which had just been renovated. The castle is surrounded by a walkway, so you can see it from a high place. The guide from last time was particular about the best photo spots, but this time he was a history buff and put a lot of effort into explaining the relationships between the warlords at the Battle of Sekigahara. He was unique and interesting. We went around while receiving a thorough explanation of the two stone walls and the differences in the stonework seen in the castle tower stone walls. The castle tower is an exhibition hall with an elevator, but only a limited number of people can use it, so we walked up the stairs. It took quite a while to read the explanation carefully. I remember that nearly 40 years ago, it was a castle that was difficult to reach because we had to take many turns. I hope that the day will come soon when I will be able to walk up the path to the castle.

The castle is the highlight of the city: as with all other Japanese castles - excluding Himeji - it has undergone restoration, the last one due to the 2016 earthquake if I'm not mistaken. But a small part of the structure is original, largely restored in 1960 and renovated after the earthquake. The merit is the organization of the visit, English translations, dioramas, reconstructions, original pieces, a journey that interested us. In Osaka none of this, and very little in Himeji too, even if the structure there is original. It surprised me, well deserved visit.

This was my first visit since the castle was restored. The interior is air-conditioned and looks quite modern. There were also many exhibits inside. However, there are still buildings and stone walls around the castle that have not been restored. It gave us a glimpse of the extent of the damage caused by the earthquake.

Kumamoto Castle is one of the three most famous castles in Japan. When I first visited, I was surprised by the steeply curved stone walls called Musha-gaeshi. When I saw the collapsed stone walls and buildings in the Kumamoto earthquake on the news, I was really shocked and wondered if that sturdy castle would ever be restored. This time, I went to the castle tower while looking at the buildings under restoration from the boardwalk corridor of the southern route, which was specially opened to the public. You can see how terrible the earthquake was. From the basement, where you can see the stone stairs and stone walls, to the observation deck on the 6th floor, there were exhibits showing the history of the castle from the time of Kato Kiyomasa, when it was built, to the time of the Hosokawa feudal lord, and the Meiji Seinan War, as well as the restoration work after the earthquake. I hope that one day this sturdy Kumamoto Castle will be completely restored as a symbol of Kumamoto. By the way, if you buy a Kumamon-shaped plastic bottle, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the restoration of Kumamoto Castle.

I visited on Saturday, June 8th. Unfortunately, it was rainy, but I was able to enjoy Kumamoto Castle for the first time in several years. The gardens are very large, and it was impressive to see the scars from the earthquake that occurred in 2016 still visible everywhere. The castle was built by the military commander Kato Kiyomasa in 1601, and since then, it has been over 400 years, but its imposing jet-black appearance still exudes an overwhelming sense of dignity and presence. From the castle tower, you can see the rapidly developing cityscape of Kumamoto and the Aso mountains beyond, and the contrast between the town and the mountains was very beautiful.

The fact that the castle tower has recovered from the Kumamoto Earthquake, but the restoration of each of the yagura and stone walls will continue until around 2050, shows the scale of the sogamae, the length of the route to the castle tower, and looking at the castle interior from the castle tower, you can feel it. Quarterly instructions for reconstruction, such as dismantling the yagura and restoring the stone walls, are distributed, showing the careful work. In an exhibition renewed by the restoration of the castle tower, the explanation that proved the castle to be impregnable along with its name and reality during the Seinan War was real and fascinating.