Kumamoto Castle

Kumamoto Castle (熊本城; -jō) is a castle in Kumamoto, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan that has been opened to the public for tours. A large, and in its day, an extremely well fortified Japanese castle. The donjon (castle central keep) is a concrete reconstruction built in the 1970s, but several ancilliary wooden buildings remain of the original castle. The castle was besieged during the Satsuma Rebellion, and was sacked and burned after a 53-day siege. Within the outer walls of Kumamoto Castle is the Hosokawa Gyobu-tei, the former residence of the Higo daimyo. This traditional wooden mansion has a fine Japanese garden located in its grounds. In nearby San-no-Maru Park, the Hosokawa Gyobu-tei (Mansion) has also been restored and has guided tours.

Related Topics:
Castle - Kumamoto - Kumamoto prefecture - Japan - Satsuma Rebellion - Hosokawa

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The high stone walls and wooden overhangs were designed to keep out ninja. Rock falls were also used as deterrents.

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