{"id":2823,"date":"2020-01-08T17:37:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-08T08:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/localhost:10443\/en\/?p=2823"},"modified":"2022-05-01T18:23:31","modified_gmt":"2022-05-01T09:23:31","slug":"kumamoto-castle-an-impregnable-fortress-now-a-symbol-for-hope-and-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tsumugu.yomiuri.co.jp\/en\/feature\/kumamoto-castle-an-impregnable-fortress-now-a-symbol-for-hope-and-recovery\/","title":{"rendered":"Kumamoto Castle: An impregnable fortress, now a symbol for hope and recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
By Anna Seitz \/ CIR for Kumamoto city<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

I can still remember coming to Kumamoto for\nthe first time more than a year ago. On my way to city hall, I could make out a\ntall silhouette towering above the main street from the hill. I couldn\u2019t help\nbut feel moved by the sheer presence of the castle tower (tenshukaku<\/em>),\nits black and white tiles beautifully contrasting with the lush green trees on\nthe castle grounds. Even now, whenever I catch a glimpse of the castle walking\nthrough the city, my heart skips a beat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Built in 1607 by Kato Kiyomasa, Kumamoto\nCastle is said to be one of the three most important castles in Japan. This is\nevident not only from the size of its grounds and buildings, but also from its\narchitecture and artistic design. Known for being an impregnable fortress, many\nsecrets and legends surround each and every aspect of the castle complex. For\nexample, the famous curved stone walls, called mushagaeshi<\/em>, were\ndesigned to be insurmountable for intruders, hidden passages and rooms were\nused to ensure a safe evacuation route, and dozens of wells and even edible\ntatami-mats were included in strategies to survive long sieges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Saigo Takamori was unable to take\nKumamoto Castle after days of battle during the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877, he\nwas quoted: \u201cI did not lose to the imperial troops, but to Kato Kiyomasa.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kumamoto Castle main keep before the 2016 earthquake (Photo courtesy of Kumamoto Prefectural Government Tourism Division)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While the undeniable historic significance\nand incredible architecture draws in tourists from all over the world, there\nare many more reasons why Kumamoto citizens are proud of their castle. They\ncome here for cherry-blossom viewing parties in spring and to make their first\nshrine visit on New Year\u2019s Day. They feel at home and secure in their everyday\nlife as if they are being watched over by the elevated towers. What\u2019s more, for\nthe last three years, the castle has also become a symbol for hope and\nrecovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As cynical as it sounds, it\u2019s easy for a\ntourist to forget about the dreadful earthquakes that struck the city in 2016.\nEven though more than five-thousand residents throughout Kumamoto Prefecture\nstill live in temporary housing after losing their homes, it\u2019s difficult to\nimagine the damage from numbers alone. I moved to Kumamoto two years after the\ndisaster, and the first time I was confronted with the aftermath was when I\npaid the castle-park a visit. Right next to the entrance, under a smaller\nturret, a big hole was gaping in the wall. Stones and pebbles had cascaded out\nfrom behind the main blocks, forming a pile of rubble on the ground. Na\u00efve as I\nwas, I wondered why the reconstruction workers would leave this castle wound untouched.\nHowever, walking around the sprawling castle grounds made me realize just how\nmuch damage the earthquakes had caused. If the \u2018impregnable castle\u2019 had\nsuffered this much, how horrible had the disaster been to the residents of the\ncity? It is both incredibly sad and fascinating to observe the toppled towers\nand decimated stone walls, as well as the reconstruction efforts underway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Damage of the castle walls right after the 2016 earthquake (Photo courtesy of Kumamoto Castle Head Office)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The restoration committee has chosen to\nreconstruct the castle by measuring, cataloguing, and replacing every fallen stone\nin a project that will take over 20 years to complete. Despite the time, this\ndeliberate decision is an expression of the utmost respect and adoration the\ncitizens have for the centerpiece of their city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Many damaged areas around the castle are still left untouched in 2019 (Photo courtesy of Kumamoto Castle Head Office)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For now, the restoration work is focused on the main keep, but while we all wait for the public re-opening in spring 2021, visitors can see the castle up close thanks to the new special walkway that opened last September. Personally, I can\u2019t wait to finally walk through the main castle tower and breathe in the rich history within the fortress that has symbolized strength and durability throughout the ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n (Cooperation: Council of Local Authorities for International Relations<\/a>) \n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Profile<\/p>\n

Anna Seitz<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

Anna is a second-year German Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) living and working in Kumamoto city. She was born in Mannheim, a city close to the sister city of Kumamoto, Heidelberg. In university she majored in East-Asian studies and education. In her free time, she enjoys singing in a choir and playing boardgames.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Related site:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n