On our last day off, we visited the Kumamoto Castle. This landmark is what Kumamoto is best known for, and it’s a popular tourist spot for both Japanese and foreign visitors. Anyone who visits Kumamoto heads straight for the castle – it’s a large attraction and we can even see it from our kitchen window. With our ‘Welcome to Kumamoto’ pack when we registered as residents here, there was a booklet of local sites with free or discounted rates, so we didn’t need to pay the 500 Yen entrance fee (less than £3 so a bargain at any rate.)
In 1467 the Ideta clan established fortifications in the area, and by 1588 what stood on the grounds was the earliest incarnation of Kumamoto Castle. In the early 1600’s the castle was greatly expanded, and was transformed to include 49 turrets, 18 turret gates and 29 smaller gates. Six different clans have controlled the castle since 1467. The castle is well known for its signature curved stone walls, known as musha-gaeshi, as well as wooden overhangs, which were designed to prevent attackers from penetrating the castle. The rocks are dark in colour which adds to the overall environment of the place - Kumamoto castle is big, black and imposing.
During the Seinan Rebellion of 1877, the main tower and main part of the castle were destroyed in a fire, the cause of which remains unknown. The main tower was rebuilt in 1960, and in 1998 there were extensive restoration works done on the castle, reinforcing the keep with concrete. The Iidamaru Five-Storied Tower was rebuilt in 2005, and in 2008 the Honmaru Goten Palace O-Hiroma Main Hall was rebuilt too.
We entered through the Akazuno Gate, which faces north-east. It’s believed in Japan that evil spirts come from the north-east, and so traditionally this door was kept shut to stop the evil spirits getting in (but we got in anyway, haha!) First impression inside the castle grounds was of the wide pathways and edges of green space everywhere. It’s certainly not a cramped abode! The entrance was up a small hill, and on a grassy patch there were some trees overlooking the city below. Many of the trees were thick with moss and grass which was growing out of the branches, and the grass on the ground was paved with moss too, giving a very ethereal and magical feel to the place.
There are 13 of the original buildings in the castle grounds that survived the fire, and the first we saw was the Hira Turret of the castle. In the turrets is where they would store weapons and military supplies, and they were used as stations for soldiers during time of unrest. We walked through the cherry blossom garden where the blossoms are just coming into flower. It’s still a few weeks until the traditional time for cherry blossoms, but the few that were scattered around the castle added some colour to the stony fort.
The original castle had six turrets that were five stories tall, and the replica of the Iidamaru turret was an interesting part of our visit. We had to remove our shoes inside the structure, and everywhere there were signs not to touch the walls. It looked like they had been made using traditional methods – the wooden beams were hand carved, and the walls looked ready to crumble at your touch. The turret windows opened out over the castle moat, with slanted walls as each floor shrunk in size. It was beautifully constructed and a highlight of the visit.
At the foot of the castle we sat for a while and watched the people in traditional dress pose for photographs with tourists. The men were dressed as samurai and had weapons to go with their armour. Later there was a short display in front of the castle – more of a dance routine than an example of sword-play, but the Japanese visitors seemed to like it.
Inside the main keep of Kumamoto Castle it was a six story climb to the top, but with several of the floors set out like a museum to display old artefacts, documents and photographs of the castle. From the top, even though it was a foggy day, we had a good view of Kumamoto city. It’s easy to forget that Kumamoto is a city rather than a town. The area we live in is so personal and quaint, and even in the centre of the city, you can find your way around quite easily. But Kumamoto spreads for miles, housing almost a million people. From the top of the castle, you can see the mist-covered hills on the horizon, and all the hundreds and thousands of buildings in-between.
So that’s our visit to Kumamoto Castle! When I have people come to visit, this will be the first place in my city I recommend they visit, and with my ‘Welcome to Kumamoto’ pass I’ll certainly be going again! I’d like to go when all the blossoms are out to see them flood the trees with colour, and with the castle being less than a 20 minute walk from my house, I could even squeeze in a visit before work one day! That’s all from me – sayonara. Oh, and to finish off – in tribute to pancake day – a pancake in the shape of Kumamoto Castle, with some shakily drawn Hiragana underneath spelling out Kumamoto: くまもと
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