Kumamoto Castle, Standing Again

Kumamoto Castle is black. Most Japanese castles you see in photographs are white, so the first sight of this one is a surprise. It was built in 1607 by Kato Kiyomasa, a general who was famous for building things that were very hard to attack.

The walls

The stone walls are the part people talk about most. They start almost gently at the bottom and then curve up until they are nearly vertical at the top. This shape is called musha-gaeshi, which means something like "sends the warrior back". The idea is that a person can begin to climb, but cannot finish.

Standing at the bottom and looking up, it is easy to believe.

The earthquake

In April 2016 two large earthquakes hit Kumamoto. Around 30 percent of the castle's stone walls collapsed. Roof tiles fell. One small turret survived standing on a single narrow line of stones, and the photograph of it was in newspapers all over Japan.

The repair work is still going on and will take until the 2050s. Every stone that fell is being numbered, cleaned and put back in the same place. When I visited, there were still rows of numbered stones lying on the ground in the park.

What you can see now

The main keep reopened in 2021 and you can go inside and up to the top floor. There is also a raised walkway that takes you over the construction area, so you can look down at the broken walls and the work happening below.

Honestly, that walkway was the most interesting part for me. A finished castle is a nice photograph. A castle being put back together, slowly, by hand, is a better story.

Food

Kumamoto is known for basashi, raw horse meat. I tried it. It is softer than I expected and does not taste strong. I am glad I tried it once. I am not sure I will order it again.