Over the past 400 years, Kumamoto Castle has been an ever-present landmark in Kumamoto City and has gained the reputation of being one of the best castles in Japan and a masterpiece of samurai warfare architecture.
The castle was built to withstand the attacks of armies with stone walls and a complicated design that could not be easily attacked.
However, throughout this time, the castle has had to withstand much more than battles: earthquakes.
The devastating 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes left the centuries-old landmark badly damaged, triggering one of Japan's largest cultural restoration projects.
A decade later, another powerful earthquake struck the region in July 2026, once again damaging the historic fortress and highlighting the constant challenge of preserving cultural heritage in one of the world's most seismically active countries.
