Kumamoto Castle

Kumamoto Castle
熊本城
Chūō-ku, Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
Map
TypeAzuchi-Momoyama castle
Site information
Controlled byIdeta clan (1469–1496)
Kanokogi clan (1496–1550)
Jou clan (1550–1587)
Sassa clan (1587–1588)
Kato clan (1588–1632)
Hosokawa clan (1632–1871)
Japan (1871–present)
ConditionRestored in 1960 and 1998–2008.[1] Currently under repair following damage caused by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.
Site history
Built
  • 1467 (original fortifications) [1]
  • 1496 (expansion) [1]
  • 1601–1607 (expansion) [1]
  • 1610 (Honmaru Goten Palace) [1]
  • 1960 (reconstruction) [1]
  • 1998–2008 (reconstruction) [1]
  • 2016-present (repairs following Earthquake damage)
Built by
In use1467–1874 [1]-1945(as military base)
MaterialsWood, stone, plaster, tile
Demolished1877 (Satsuma Rebellion)[1]

Kumamoto Castle (熊本城, Kumamoto-jō) is a hilltop Japanese castle located in Chūō-ku, Kumamoto, in Kumamoto Prefecture.[1] It was a large and well-fortified castle. The castle keep (天守閣, tenshukaku) is a concrete reconstruction built in 1960,[1] but a number of ancillary wooden buildings remain of the original castle. Kumamoto Castle is considered one of the three premier castles in Japan, along with Himeji Castle and Matsumoto Castle.[2] Thirteen structures in the castle complex are designated Important Cultural Property.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p O'Grady, Daniel. "Kumamoto Castle – 熊本城". Japanese Castle Explorer. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  2. ^ "The Three Famous Castles of Japan". Kobayashi Travel Service. Archived from the original on 2018-05-01. Retrieved 2018-05-01.