Kumamoto Castle
熊本城32°48′ N 130°42′ ECastleCompleted 1607 by Kato Kiyomasa; keep…
Kumamoto Castle suits anyone who wants to see a great castle being rebuilt stone by stone, and the repair works keep visitors to a set viewing route.
Road closure
Kumamoto is rebuilding after the 28 July 2026 earthquake, and most roads and lines are open
An M7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto region on 28 July 2026, and Uki and Yatsushiro took the worst of it. The Kyushu Shinkansen fully reopened on 18 September and JR's Kagoshima line between Uto and Yatsushiro on 10 October. The Minami-Kyushu Expressway stays closed between Yatsushiro JCT and Yatsushiro-minami IC while its bridges are repaired, and aftershocks continue. Aso and Amakusa are open to visitors, and their towns ask travellers to come.
Checked 2026-10-11 · bousai.go.jp
Photo Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Where things stand
Open as usual since 13 August 2026; Wakuwakuza closed and the road toward Kato Shrine restricted.
Visiting with care · Partly open
The castle has reopened as usual after the earthquake of 28 July 2026. The Wakuwakuza museum at Sakuranobaba Josaien stays closed for now, and the road toward Kato Shrine is still restricted.
- Visitors follow the special viewing route, which keeps clear of the repair works
- The north gate opens on weekends and holidays only, and works can close it
- Keep off the fallen and roped-off stone walls, which are numbered for rebuilding
Kato Kiyomasa finished the castle on the Chausuyama plateau in 1607, using the best building methods of his day, and the Hosokawa lords ruled from it after 1632. In 1877 a fire just before the Satsuma Rebellion burned the keep and the main palace. The city rebuilt the large and small keeps in steel-framed concrete in 1960.
The earthquakes of April 2016 brought down whole stretches of stone wall and toppled turrets. In 2019 the city opened the castle again as a special public viewing, so visitors could see the damage and the repairs as they went on, and that set route is still how you see the castle today. The keep is open to climb.
The earthquake of 28 July 2026 shook Kumamoto again. The castle grounds reopened on 13 August after checks, and this autumn the city lights the castle at night for the Shiro Akari event, held for the recovery from the 2026 earthquake.
Worth knowing
- Buy the web ticket ahead in festival season, when queues at the gates run long.
- The Sakuranobaba Josaien food and souvenir lanes below the castle are open as usual.
Quick answers about Kumamoto Castleよくある質問
Is Kumamoto Castle open after the July 2026 earthquake?
Yes. The castle grounds reopened on 13 August 2026 and run as usual, with the keep open to climb. The Wakuwakuza museum below the castle remains closed for now.
How much does Kumamoto Castle cost?
Entry costs ¥800 from high school age and ¥300 for primary and junior high school students in 2026, and children under school age go in free.
Can you visit Kumamoto Castle?
Partly open. Visitors follow the special viewing route, which keeps clear of the repair works. The north gate opens on weekends and holidays only, and works can close it.
How should you behave at Kumamoto Castle?
At Kumamoto Castle: Keep off the fallen and roped-off stone walls, which are numbered for rebuilding.
Within 12 km
