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Kumamoto Castle
Kumamoto Castle, top landmark and city emblem, is set on a hill overlooking the area.
Originally built by Kato Kiyomasa in 1607 after seven years of construction, the Kumamoto Castle today is one of the three most famous fortress-castles in the country. Kiyomasa’s hilltop castle is a brilliant architectural statement, exhibiting highly advanced engineering, superb masonry, and a mastery of flood control and defense. The un-scalable J-shaped stone walls and wooden overhangs, designed to repel the ninja (secret assassins of feudal Japan), made the castle virtually impregnable.
During Japan’s last civil war in 1877, however, when an army of former samurai unsuccessfully rose up against the new Meiji government, large parts of the castle were destroyed. Today, most of the castle’s buildings, including the towers, were reconstructed in the 1960’s,although several of the amazing smaller wooden buildings are original.
Today, the castle houses a museum displaying elaborate palanquins (covered seats that were carried on poles), models of the castle during the Edo Period, armor and a variety of fascinating weapons.
A traditional wooden mansion and a lovely Japanese formal garden are located within the outer walls. Miyukizaka, the sloping path that leads up to the castle, is framed by magnificent cherry trees.
***The internationally renowned Japanese film director, Akira Kurosawa, was granted permission to use the castle at Kumamoto for one of the three castles in his 1985 epic film “Ran.”
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