The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun
Restored towers of Kumamoto Castle shown
KUMAMOTO — The towers of Kumamoto Castle were shown to the press on Tuesday, having been restored from the damage they suffered in the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake.
The towers will open to the general public on April 26 for the first time in five years, with an exhibition area detailing how they were reconstructed.
Located in Chuo Ward, Kumamoto, the castle has two towers. There is the daitenshu main tower with six stories above ground and one below, and the shotenshu small tower with four stories above ground and one below.
Most of the main tower’s roof tiles came down in the 2016 earthquake. Part of the stone foundation collapsed and internal walls were cracked.
Kumamoto City designated the towers as a “symbol of the earthquake recovery effort” and put the highest priority on their reconstruction. The top floors were dismantled and rebuilt, with lightweight roof tiles used to improve the towers’ earthquake resistance.
Most of the stones from the collapsed foundation were used to rebuild it, with reconstruction ultimately completed on March 24. The entire castle is scheduled to be restored by fiscal 2037.
The exhibition area contains models of Kumamoto Castle before and after the earthquake, as well as panels relating the entire history of the castle. (April 7)