Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.
Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe
This classic London pub has a surprising history behind it.
John Snow
The beef, Guinness, and oyster pie sports a rich, flaky crust.
The Guinea
Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.
Tamesis Dock
This may be the oldest pie in the world.
St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
10 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
13 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
20 days ago
“There may be a collective sense of a dark loneliness,” Dahl says, referring to Norway’s natural landscape.
In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
20 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Kumamoto Kumamoto Castle

Kumamoto Castle

The iconic castle that withstood a magnitude 6.2 earthquake has become a symbol of resilience.

Kumamoto, Japan

Added By
KoinuSensei
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
One of the collapsed turrets (Aug 2017).   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
One of the collapsed turrets (Aug 2017).   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
March 2020   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
Macha served with sweet at the tea shop   eliauw / Atlas Obscura User
Castle view with samurai docents   eliauw / Atlas Obscura User
Castle room   eliauw / Atlas Obscura User
The road to Kato Shrine, covered with plastic sheets   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
Numbered wall stones   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
Stones that fell from the stone walls   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
A board explaining the process of stone walls reconstruction   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
A doll of Kato Kiyomasa   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
Lego version of Kumamoto castle displayed in Wakuwakuza Museum   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
Lego version of Kumamoto castle displayed in Wakuwakuza Museum   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
Shachihoko ornament (to be put back to the top in March 2018)   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
Macha served at castle tea house.   eliauw / Atlas Obscura User
Wall and roof construction   eliauw / Atlas Obscura User
Entrance / Court side view   eliauw / Atlas Obscura User
One of the collapsed turrets (Aug 2017).   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
A collapsed stone wall (Aug 2017).   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
The castle under reconstruction (Aug 2017).   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
A completely collapsed turret (Aug 2017).   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
The castle (Oct 2017).   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
One of the collapsed turrets (Aug 2017).   KoinuSensei / Atlas Obscura User
Main structure   eliauw / Atlas Obscura User
Side view of castle   eliauw / Atlas Obscura User
View of Kumamoto from the top floor of the castle   eliauw / Atlas Obscura User
View of castle base   eliauw / Atlas Obscura User
Main castle building   eliauw / Atlas Obscura User
Interior 1   eliauw / Atlas Obscura User
View from the courtyard   eliauw / Atlas Obscura User
View from the highest room of the castle   eliauw / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Kumamoto Castle was built in 1607 by a warlord named Kato Kiyomasa. The castle, along with its first chatelaine, has been loved by local people ever since. Then in April, 2016, Kumamoto was struck by a massive M6.2 earthquake.

Thousands of buildings were damaged in the disaster, including Kumamoto Castle. Stone walls and turrets collapsed, roof tiles and shachihoko (fish-shaped) ornaments dropped from the roofs, and countless walls and roofs were severely damaged.

Despite these extensive damages, the castle itself remained upright. The sight gave devastated locals hopes and courage for recovery.

As of December 2017, the castle is under reconstruction works. Since it is a historic site, it requires painstaking and careful works. For instance, they have to put the fallen stones back to the walls in the exact order as they used to be. These stones were firstly removed from the site, then numbered and arranged in the order.

The Kumamoto mayor said in July, 2016 that they aimed to finish repairing the castle keep in three years, and the full reconstruction of the entire castle in 20 years.

Related Tags

History Castles Towers Walls Earthquakes

Know Before You Go

There's a bus service available from JR Kumamoto Station, called "Kumamoto Castle Loop Bus" (Shiromegurin しろめぐりん). Since the construction work is ongoing, off-limits areas might change. Please check the official website before visiting. The castle and the surrounding area are currently closed off due to the damages, but there is a walking route to observe it and an observation point with a view of one of the collapsed turrets. The nearby Kato Shrine is a good place to watch the construction.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

KoinuSensei

Edited By

eliauw, lesleay

  • eliauw
  • lesleay

Published

December 13, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%86%8A%E6%9C%AC%E5%9F%8E
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumamoto_Castle
  • http://kumamoto-guide.jp/kumamoto-castle/en/admission/
Kumamoto Castle
Kumamoto
Japan
32.806186, 130.705834
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Musashizuka Park

Kumamoto, Japan

miles away

Tonkararin

Tamana, Japan

miles away

Memorial Park of Houses Destroyed by Debris Flows

Minamishimabara, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kumamoto

Kumamoto

Japan

Places 2

Nearby Places

Musashizuka Park

Kumamoto, Japan

miles away

Tonkararin

Tamana, Japan

miles away

Memorial Park of Houses Destroyed by Debris Flows

Minamishimabara, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kumamoto

Kumamoto

Japan

Places 2

Related Places

  • Fortress of Bač

    Bač, Serbia

    Bač Fortress

    A well preserved medieval fortress in Vojvodina.

  • The Tower of Joan of Arc rising over Rouen.

    Rouen, France

    Tower of Joan of Arc

    This medieval tower is all that remains of the castle where Joan of Arc was held before being burned at the stake.

  • The Clock Tower.

    Sighișoara, Romania

    Towers of Sighișoara

    Nine centuries-old fortresses guard the walls of this medieval Romanian city.

  • A room built into north wall serves as an extra  kitchen for dining al fresco.

    Coreglia Antelminelli, Italy

    La Rocca

    An 11th-century mountaintop fortress that played a crucial role in Italy's papal wars is now a vacation rental.

  • Two Princes Staircase in the White Tower.

    London, England

    Two Princes Staircase

    Richard III supposedly disposed of his nephews' bodies here in an effort to seal his claim to the throne.

  • Part of an medieval aqueduct

    Nice, France

    La Crypte Archéologique de Nice

    The construction of a tram line unveiled hidden remnants of the old medieval city.

  • Oakland, New Jersey

    Van Slyke Castle Ruins

    The remains of a century-old mansion that met a fiery demise years after it was deserted.

  • The courtyard in the main complex.

    Tatev, Armenia

    Gavazan Column at Tatev Monastery

    Centuries before the modern seismograph, Armenian monks measured quakes with this tilting pillar.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.