Marc BoutinHello from Marc, the Canadian guy in Eboni. Been twice to Kumamoto. I am now on Cycle Blaze. My journal is la Terre de Feu. I hope it’s not too cold Reply to this comment 5 months ago
Parking with the big boys! Like our like our previous night at Hotel Wing, the staff here were confounded by our trikes. Barry had done due diligence earlier and a member of staff showed Barry that we could park our trikes with the staff…no charge. When, we checked in, the senior staff overruled her and said we must park with the cars…1000¥. C’est la vie.
Kumamoto Castle is regarded as one of the top 3 in the country along with Himeji and Matsumoto, and that is saying something in a country filled with extraordinary castles. So, it is a must see. It dates back to 1467. Being in an area of active earthquakes and surviving multiple rebellions , this castle has had a history fraught with destruction and restorations. The Castle was besieged in 1877 during the Matsuno Rebellion when the Castle Keep and other areas were burned down. In 1960 the Castle Keep was rebuilt using concrete. We can see from our window, the recent destruction from an earthquake on April 24, 2016, and also from a larger earthquake the following day, destroying major areas of the castle. Repairs began immediately. We can see a field of large rocks…each tagged and labelled as the meticulous work of replacing rock walls with exacting measurements to replace damaged areas.
Charmaine RuppoltWow, they are going to replace the boulders in the same place where they were before the earthquake? Reply to this comment 5 months ago
The reconstruction project is expected to take 20 years. It is mind boggling to grasp the scope of this undertaking and hope that no further damaged occurs before they are finished.
The huge field is covered with a number school groups who have come for a tour.
Extensive walkways have been constructed to allow tourists access to the Keep. Elevators have also been installed to help all visitors have unrestricted access to all floors of the keep. This level of access for those with mobility issues is the best we have seen. Mary Ellen’s knees really appreciated the elevators.
The importance of this Castle to locals is clear to see. We see couples, like the one below, dressed for the day in traditional dress. Also, families with very young children come attired in traditional dress giving respect. Most moving, was a family who brought their newborn child to the Shrine at the Castle for its first visit.
The beautiful ginkgo tree is so glorious with its golden fall foliage. This tree has significance as it is thought to have been planted by the original builder of the Castle, Kato Kiyomasa in 1607. For this reason, Kumamoto Castle has earned the other name as the Ginkgo Castle. In 1877 during the Satsumo Rebellion, the tree burned down and a seedling from the tree was replanted after the fire.
Due to the restoration, we only have access to the Castle Keep and this alone, offers a significant tour. We imagine that if the Castle was fully open, that it would take more than a day.
From afar, our lack of understanding, led us to the thinking that they were building a modern structure here. Of course, they aren’t…the protective structure surrounds the part of the castle that is being rebuilt.
Christmas decorations are up and it isn’t quite December yet. Japan loves to celebrate holidays and special days. It is big business to order special cakes for Christmas and Convenience Stores, like this Lawson’s have catologues of cakes and sweets you can pre-order.
We spent the day at the castle and realized we should stay in Kumamoto for the third night. Each night in a different hotel and on the third night, we got it right. We loved this hotel and unlike the other two, they ushered us into the lobby with our trikes and welcomed us unreservedly. Incredible hospitality and service.
5 months ago