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Kumamoto Castle suffered severe damage in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. Its symbol, the main tower, was fully restored after five years of restoration work.
With the latest seismic technology, barrier-free design, and interactive exhibit content, Kumamoto Castle’s main tower has not merely been “restored” but has “evolved” through its recovery from the disaster.
This article provides a complete guide to the interior of the reborn Kumamoto Castle main tower, from the basement floor to the observation deck on the top floor.
Kumamoto Castle is located in Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Designated as a Special National Historic Site, it is counted among Japan’s three greatest castles. Built by the master castle builder Kato Kiyomasa, it is known for its tall stone walls reaching 20 meters in height and its robust structure dubbed “impregnable.”
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Opening Hours | 9:00 am–5:00 pm (Last admission 4:00 pm, Tower entry until 4:30 pm) |
| Closed | December 29–December 31 |
| Admission | High school students and above: 800 yen / Elementary and junior high school students: 300 yen / Preschool children: Free |
| Address | 1 - 1 Honmaru, Chuo - ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto 860 - 0002 |
| Official Website | https://castle.kumamoto-guide.jp/ |
Though Kumamoto Castle’s main tower suffered severe damage in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, it was fully restored in 2021 with “state-of-the-art seismic reinforcement” and “barrier-free accessibility.”
The exhibits and interior of the tower have also been completely renewed. Taking an experiential, hands-on approach, the tower’s exhibits offer learning about history as entertainment, not just ordinary displays, through modern technology.
This article introduces the interior of Kumamoto Castle’s main tower.
The exhibits in Kumamoto Castle’s main tower are not ordinary displays. They extensively use video and models, taking an approach that strongly captures visitors’ interest and curiosity.
Representative are the video contents. With explanations included, they are easy to understand and quite captivating.
A massive model of Kumamoto Castle’s main tower.
These models are larger than a person’s height. Looking closely, you’ll be amazed at the models’ precision, but more than anything, it’s fun to feel like a giant.
Video content accompanies these models, providing opportunities to learn more deeply about the tower’s structure.
Furthermore, with large panel displays, even those unfamiliar with history can easily engage, and there are simply “enjoyable to look at” elements incorporated.
Then, incredibly detailed miniature Kumamoto Castles appear.
The highlight is the enormous Gojyodan Model (upper chamber model), which appears almost life-sized.
The “Gojyodan” (upper chamber) was a room on the top floor (6th floor) of the main tower. The model was reconstructed based on period floor plans and historical documents.
Looking at it up close, the impact is incredible. With its high fidelity, peering in makes you feel as if you’re really there.
Pine trees are depicted on the south side, and autumn flowers on the north.
There are also many other contents designed to be intuitively understandable and engaging, such as video content “Tower Theater” in a theater room and explanations using projection mapping.
This is just a portion. There are many such contents throughout the main tower, so even those who aren’t history or castle enthusiasts can enjoy it.
Before entering the tower, I’d like to touch on the barrier-free accessibility of Kumamoto Castle’s main tower.
Japanese castles were originally designed with measures to prevent enemy intrusion. One such measure is the steep staircases, which can be difficult to climb even for able-bodied people.
Kumamoto Castle has 6 floors (effectively 7 floors), all accessed by climbing stairs.
However, wheelchair users (including attendants), those with visual impairments, and those who have difficulty using stairs can use the elevator.
If you wish to use the elevator, please speak to Kumamoto Castle staff. They will guide you.
By the way, since the tower has been fully renovated, the staircases have also been renewed. Rest assured that there are no steep staircases like those commonly found in traditional castles.
The entrance to the tower is also fully barrier-free, allowing wheelchair access into the tower.
The entrance is at the sub-tower beside the main tower. As it corresponds to the stone wall portion of the tower structure, it is counted as “Basement Floor 1.” This place called the Anagura (basement) originally had foundation stones arranged on the earthen floor, with wooden foundations placed on top to support the building’s pillars.
For this reason, it features a spacious, atrium-like structure.
The sub-tower’s basement is called the “Omizuya” (water room), which served as a kitchen with a well and stove, equipped with functions to withstand a siege.
We head up the stairs to the 1st floor.
“The Kato era” refers to Kato Kiyomasa, who built Kumamoto Castle. The 1st floor mainly introduces legends of Kumamoto Castle, the history of its construction, and the character of Kato Kiyomasa.
One reason Kumamoto Castle is excellent is its “robust structure,” and the stone walls that contribute to this are also explained.
There are also explanations of the defensive features (walls, windows, spikes, loopholes, stone-dropping openings) installed throughout Kumamoto Castle.
Precious old photos of Kumamoto Castle are displayed, including photos of the tower before it was destroyed in the Seinan War during the Meiji era.
This is the Shachigawara (shachi roof tile) that once decorated Kumamoto Castle.
The Shachi is an imaginary creature with a dragon’s head and fish’s body. Because it spouts water from its mouth, it was placed on castle roofs as a fire charm and used as a ridge ornament to protect the tower.
The 2nd floor exhibits the Hosokawa family era, the second period of Kumamoto Castle’s history.
In the Edo period, when Kato Tadahiro, son of Kiyomasa, was stripped of his rank in 1632 (Kan’ei 9), Hosokawa Tadatoshi entered Kumamoto Castle as the new lord, beginning the Hosokawa era.
Under Hosokawa rule, the castle town of Kumamoto expanded further. The only floor plan depicting the entire main enclosure is displayed on large panels.
Here too, colorful projection mapping is used for exhibits and explanations.
The tower was the last place to hold out during wartime and was originally stocked with weapons and provisions. Kumamoto Castle’s tower also stored large quantities of Hosokawa family armor along with weapons from the Kato era.
When the abolition of feudal domains occurred in 1871 (Meiji 4), the storage of the large quantity of weapons in the tower became an issue. However, at that time, the Hosokawa family entrusted the successive lords’ weapons to more than 200 former retainers, saving them from disposal or sale, and many have been passed down to the present.
The Hosokawa family armor displayed on this floor is among these.
The 3rd floor exhibits modern history including the Seinan War, Meiji Restoration, the Meiji 22 Kumamoto earthquake, and the reconstruction of the tower.
In the Meiji era, Kumamoto Castle was once seen as a “relic of the feudal age” and “useless extravagance,” nearly facing demolition. However, due to political circumstances, Kumamoto Castle was spared and opened to the public.
In 1877 (Meiji 10), the Seinan War, Japan’s last civil war, began.
Kumamoto Castle became the first battleground where the Satsuma forces led by Saigo Takamori fought against the government forces led by Tani Tateki.
Kumamoto Castle endured a siege lasting 50 days, proving its “impregnable” reputation in this first and last battle.
Twelve years after the Seinan War, late on the night of July 28, 1889 (Meiji 22), a major earthquake struck the city of Kumamoto. Estimated at magnitude 6.3, this direct-hit earthquake caused significant damage to Kumamoto Castle, with stone walls collapsing in various places.
Photos of the collapsed stone walls from that time can be seen on giant panels. The impact is impressive, and it’s admirable that such records have been properly preserved.
In 1960 (Showa 35), 83 years after the tower’s destruction, its reconstruction was finally realized.
The 4th floor is the contemporary exhibition floor. It displays the recovery from the still-fresh 2016 (Heisei 28) Kumamoto earthquake.
The Reconstruction Castle Lord Digital Honor Board is where you can see the names of those who donated to the restoration and reconstruction of Kumamoto Castle as “Reconstruction Castle Lords.”
The 5th floor has no historical exhibits. Instead, it has celebrity autographs who visited Kumamoto Castle and benches, serving as a rest area.
From here, climb the stairs to finally reach the observation floor.
The 6th floor is the top floor, the observation floor. You can enjoy a panoramic view of Kumamoto city.
The robust stone walls built by Kato Kiyomasa, the impregnable castle proven in the Seinan War, and the tower restored with the latest technology after overcoming the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. Kumamoto Castle contains over 400 years of history.
The exhibits inside the tower consist of interactive content utilizing video, projection mapping, and detailed models. Even without knowledge of history, you’ll find the experience “interesting” and “easy to understand” throughout, providing an opportunity to engage with history as entertainment.
Kumamoto Castle’s main tower, now barrier-free and accessible by wheelchair to the top floor. The “Special Viewing Corridor” where you can see ongoing restoration work up close is also a valuable experience available only now. (Full restoration is scheduled for fiscal year 2052)
As a symbol of recovery from the Kumamoto earthquake and as one of Japan’s three greatest castles, Kumamoto Castle continues to welcome visitors today.
