One of the three great castles: Kumamoto Castle
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Kumamoto Castle~"The wide moat and towering towers remind me of the warriors of the Warring States Period who rode their horses and wielded swords"
Kumamoto Castle is listed as one of the "100 Famous Castles" and is also one of the "Three Great Ancient Castles" in Japan🇯🇵. It carries the historical changes and cultural transmission, and explains to future generations the life music interwoven by the samurai! ! This is also a good place to enjoy cherry blossoms and ginkgo trees~
📚History introduction:
The introduction of Kumamoto Castle can be roughly divided into two aspects: "people" and "war"~ Let me tell you~
"People":
➡️Kato Kiyomasa: He was the "castle builder". After he entered Hefei and became a daimyo, he began to devote himself to the "mountain and water control project" and implemented the "Southern Barbarian Trade" policy, which promoted the development of the local economy. Later generations honored him as "Kiyomasa-kun"
➡️Hosokawa Tadatoshi: After the "Kiyomasa family" left Hefei, the Hosokawa family took over and became the lord of Kumamoto Castle. Hosokawa Tadatoshi was a versatile person who was both civil and military!
➡️Miyamoto Musashi: He was a great swordsman. Hosokawa Tadatoshi admired Musashi's talent, so he invited him to Hefei in his later years, and he lived out his old age in Kumamoto. Musashi's famous "two-sword style" was created in Kumamoto.
"War"
➡️Southwest War:
In the Southwest War that took place in February of the 10th year of the Meiji era (1877), Kumamoto Castle became the stage for a 50-day siege. The castle was besieged by 3,500 garrison troops led by Kumamoto Garrison Commander Tani Kanjo and fought against 13,000 Satsuma troops, making Kumamoto Castle a castle that had experienced modern warfare and also proved to be an impregnable fortress. However, on the eve of the war, the castle tower and Honmaru Palace were surrounded by fire.
📖Special highlights:
"Ginkgo Castle": This is another name for Kumamoto Castle. When Lord Kiyomasa built the castle, he thought of the possibility of a "siege", so he planted "Ginkgo" around it to avoid a situation where there would be no food to eat when the castle was besieged!
"Zhojun no Ma": In 2008, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the construction of Kumamoto Castle, the "Honmaru Goten Ohiroma" was rebuilt. The building is based on paintings, literature, photos taken in the early Meiji period, and data from excavation surveys during the Edo period. It restores the charm of the Honmaru Palace Ohiroma during the Edo period. There are murals depicting the sad story of "Wang Zhaojun". It is said that the Zhaojun room is a metaphor for the "Shogun room". It is said that Kato Kiyomasa prepared it to welcome Toyotomi Hideyoshi's son Hideyori to Kumamoto Castle.
"Musha-return": It is one of the characteristics of Kumamoto Castle. It is built with several "stone walls". At that time, it was designed to be curved to prevent the possibility of sneak attacks and assassinations. It was named because neither samurai nor ninjas could climb it! !
"Kikita": It is a puppet mask with black hair and a red face👺. It is said that it was a lower-ranking samurai when "Kiyomasa" was building the castle. Because of his funny appearance🤪, he often amused everyone, so he took this opportunity to create a puppet toy~
🍜Special snacks:
You can try "Sakura meat🍖"! It’s actually horse meat! ! The texture is quite chewy, and it can be made into fried cakes or sushi🍣. Travelers who want to try it should remember to line up early, as there are so many people!
📍Address: 14F, 1-1, Tetori-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City
🕰️Business hours:
Weekdays 8:30-22:00
Holidays 10:00-22:00
🏖️Atmosphere/Facilities:
There are "Sakura-no-Baba Josaien" and "Wakawa-za" nearby, which you can visit together! !
🗓️Itinerary:
Sakura no Baba Josaien-Wakyu-za-Kumamoto Museum-Kumamoto Castle
(Two-museum and three-museum common tickets are available for purchase. It is recommended to buy the three-museum common ticket at one time. After experiencing the Wakyu-za and the museum, it will be very different to visit Kumamoto Castle!!)
🚴Transportation:
Kumamoto City Tram "Kumamoto Castle・Shiyakusho-mae" station is about 1 minute walk
(You can buy the Kumamoto One-Day Pass, which is more cost-effective~)
💞Recommendation reasons:
1. One hundred famous castles
2. Japan's three famous and ancient castles
3. If you are a history lover, especially those who are interested in Japanese culture
#Kumamoto Travel
#Kumamoto Castle
#One hundred famous castles
#Three famous castles
#Kato Kiyomasa
#Hosokawa Tadatoshi
#Miyamoto Musashi
#Solo Travel