Kumamoto Castle towers over tourists that flock to see its size, beauty, and history. (Photo: Justin Velgus)

English Tours at Kumamoto Castle

Japan's great southern fortress

Justin Velgus   - 1 min read

Notice

Kumamoto Castle sustained heavy damage during the 2016 earthquake. During the summer of 2021, the inner keep reopened after a 5-year reconstruction period. However, sitewide renovations are expected to continue until around 2038.

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Kumamoto Castle is a magnificent castle located in Kumamoto Prefecture, inside the Kyushu region. It is the symbol of the city and has been for nearly 400 years. Although the main structures of the castle are concrete reconstructions, there are several areas where original buildings still stand.

Easily accessed by train then bus, or use of the inexpensive parking lot, the city has made enjoying the castle incredible easy. In addition to being near several other tourist attractions such as museums, the castle site has made sure most tourists can properly learn about the castle's history with pamphlets in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. To learn the castle's secrets however, I highly recommend signing up for a free tour (in Japanese or English only). The tours can be signed up for on the spot without advance reservations. Tours are held throughout the day with a few every hour. And again, they are free!!

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Justin Velgus

Justin Velgus @justin.velgus

Justin Velgus (ジャスティン ベルガス) is the Miyagi Prefecture expert for Japan Travel and a long-term contributor since 2012 with a focus on the Tohoku region.  Justin has written extensively for JT, and other publications such as VisitMiyagi and Sake Today, amassing over 350 published articles...