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Kumamoto Castle

Kumamoto Castle
熊本城
Chūō-ku, Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
Kumamoto Castle 05n3200.jpg
Type Azuchi-Momoyama castle
Site information
Controlled by Ideta 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)
Condition Restored in 1960 and 1998–2008. Currently moderately damaged as a result of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.
Site history
Built
  • 1467 (original fortifications)
  • 1496 (expansion)
  • 1601–1607 (expansion)
  • 1610 (Honmaru Goten Palace)
  • 1960 (reconstruction)
  • 1998–2008 (reconstruction)
  • 2016-Present (repairs following Earthquake damage)
Built by
  • Ideta Hidenobu (1467)
  • Kanokogi Chikakazu (1496)
  • Katō Kiyomasa (1601–1607)
  • Katō Kiyomasa (1610)
In use 1467–1874
Materials Wood, stone, plaster, tile
Demolished 1877 (Satsuma Rebellion)

Kumamoto Castle (熊本城 Kumamoto-jō?) is a hilltop Japanese castle located in Chūō-ku, Kumamoto in Kumamoto Prefecture. It was a large and well fortified castle. The castle keep (天守閣 tenshukaku?) is a concrete reconstruction built in 1960, but several 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. Thirteen structures in the castle complex are designated Important Cultural Property.

Kumamoto Castle's history dates to 1467, when fortifications were established by Ideta Hidenobu. In 1496, these fortifications were expanded by Kanokogi Chikakazu. In 1588, Katō Kiyomasa was transferred to the early incarnation of Kumamoto Castle. From 1601 to 1607, Kiyomasa greatly expanded the castle, transforming it into a castle complex with 49 turrets, 18 turret gates, and 29 smaller gates. The smaller castle tower, built sometime after the keep, had several facilities including a well and kitchen. In 1610, the Honmaru Goten Palace was completed. The castle complex measures roughly 1.6 km (0.99 mi) from east to west, and measures 1.2 km (0.75 mi) from north to south. The castle keep is 30.3 m (99.4 ft) tall.

The castle was besieged in 1877 during the Satsuma Rebellion, and the castle keep and other parts were burned down. 13 of the buildings in the castle complex were undamaged, and have been designated Important Cultural Properties. In 1960, the castle keep was reconstructed using concrete. From 1998 to 2008, the castle complex underwent restoration work, during which most of the 17th century structures were rebuilt.


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Wikipedia

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