Call me Princess Yaso!

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Yaso, from the Omotenashi (“hospitality”) warrior squad of Kumamoto Castle. Call me Yaso-hime (Princess Yaso)!

Four centuries ago, Kato Kiyomasa, fierce general of the Sengoku (Warring States) period, completed construction of the “impregnable fortress”, Kumamoto Castle, in just seven years. To this day, it is a beloved presence for local people.

Now, as then, my father is the symbol of Kumamoto.

Actually, I am the youngest daughter of Kato Kiyomasa. Kumamoto Castle is my home! I do hope that you enjoy visiting Kumamoto Castle, my nursery and childhood domain. The rebuild after the earthquakes is well underway, so let’s not dilly-dally.

Our official website says, “All the most prominent generals and princesses of Kyushu during this war-torn era have returned to the modern world, ready to rev up the Land of the Rising Sun – and they have come together here at Kumamoto Castle.” Now, let’s briefly meet the troupe.

This is General Kato Kiyomasa. The General entertains our guests with his rich knowledge and love of Kumamoto (center).

Hosokawa Tadaoki, a prominent warrior and cultural influencer of the Sengoku period, is today our master of general knowledge (second from the right at back).

Shimazu Yoshihiro, a general feared even by the Edo Shogunate who was also known as “the Shimazu demon”, is today the oldest and most gentlemanly of our squad (second from the left at rear).

Kuroda Kanbei, the smartest military strategist of the Sengoku period, is incredibly attentive to the needs of visitors (right rear).

Omura Yoshiaki, scion of a famous Nagasaki clan and ally of Kiyomasa; now a specialist in catching goldfish (left rear).

Nanjo Motokiyo, who 400 years ago was the retainer to the two daimyo of Higo Province (present-day Kumamoto Prefecture), Kato and Konishi, is today a soft-serve sommelier (front left).

This is me, Princess Yaso (front right). We bring the castle to life, performing the Opening of the Gate, the Omotenashi Dance and more.

We also use social media to promote Kumamoto Castle. Please come and see us!

In 2022, we were voted the strongest castle of all.

Do you know the three top castles of Japan? Most would say Nagoya Castle, Osaka Castle and our very own Kumamoto Castle.

Some would add World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle and Edo Castle, seat of the Emperor, but isn’t it amazing that our castle sitting here in faraway Kyushu counts among these names?

At the moment, post-earthquake rebuilding is taking place all around the castle. You can learn more about it along the Special Viewing Path. This walkway was built after the earthquakes with a barrier-free design, complete with elevators and sloping walkways instead of stairs.

The first building we see along the Special Viewing Path is this one, the Sukiyamaru Nikai Onhiroma (Sukiyamaru Two-Story Hall ). Four centuries ago, it was used as a venue to entertain guests.

Parts of the stone walls of the hall collapsed during the earthquake, therefore it is off-limits to visitors. However, the gaps in the walls do provide a glimpse of their structure, so you should definitely stop for a look while you still can.

The scars of the earthquake are on vivid display.

Sukiyamaru Two-Story Hall was also a space for parades. These were held to prepare for enemy invasion of this impregnable fortress.

Take, for example, the small rectangular openings around the base of the hall. These are called sama (“narrow gap”) through which arrows or cannonballs could be shot. In the case of an emergency, the many sama would be used to target enemy soldiers.

Another way to repel enemies climbing up the corners of the walls was a structure called the ishi-otoshi or “stone drop window”. These were designed to stop incursions by providing a place from which to drop rocks, sand, hot water or hot oil on the enemy.

Sama and ishi-otoshi, being relatively common defenses, are also found in other castles, but Kumamoto Castle has plenty of other defense mechanisms as well.

A little further along, the grand tenshukaku (castle keep) comes into view.

The view of Kumamoto Castle from here is outstanding.

In the foreground is the Niyo-no-Ishigaki (“stone walls of the castle”), Honmaru-goten Palace rises above and the large tower sits behind, making this a fine spot to take a picture.

As an aside, when the castle was constructed, Kato Kiyomasa was very wary of the Shimazu clan whose territory extended to the south, so the large castle keep was built facing south. Which means that this is actually the front view of the tower! (Although various theories exist.)

Unusually for anywhere in Japan, the castle walls are made of different bricks from different periods of history. This unique structure arises because an original section of stone wall has later been extended for construction of the Honmaru-goten Palace.

The sumi-ishi (cornerstones) are laid differently from the rest, so take a closer look if you wish!

Looking down the other side of the wall, we spy a mysterious, zig-zagging passage. This is a defensive feature called renzoku-masugata.

This is quite the design. The passage, surrounded by stone walls, zigzags six times. This would slow down the speed of any enemy incursion and once inside the maze-like passageway, invading troops could be assaulted with a barrage of arrows, gunfire or other projectiles.

This is the kind of sight you can now see from the 6 meter-high Special Viewing Path. Nobody was able to see this before the earthquake.

The damage caused by the earthquake across the region was dreadful, but the views from the Special Viewing Path are something special, giving visitors a close-up insight into the Kumamoto Castle rebuild. As the reconstruction continues, the look of castle itself is constantly changing, so take in the unique views while you can!

The Honmaru-goten Palace, which stands above the passageway, was rebuilt in 2008 based on documents stored for generations by the Hosokawa clan. Its roof tiles bear the nine-planet crest of the Hosokawa clan.

Up the stairs, take in views of Kumamoto city and the Aso mountains to the right and the hills that produced the stone for the castle walls to the left. Next, we move through to a prime attraction of Kumamoto Castle, the “Kuragari-Tsuro” underground passageway.

In the past, all entrances connected to the Kuragari-Tsuro passageway were gated and the space was extremely tightly secured. This was an exceptional passageway designed to allow safe access to Honmaru-goten Palace by the daimyo and his guests.

Evidence of this is that only the walls of the passage were plastered. The white building material is found in the cracks between the stones.

Plaster is an excellent fire retardant and has preservative qualities, but it was very expensive and took a long time to apply. The use of such material shows just how prestigious the passageway was.

And now, what can we see beyond the Kuragari-Tsuro? Large gingko trees and the castle keep!

This is the perfect spot for a photograph.

The castle keeps of Kumamoto Castle have a rare structure in that larger and smaller towers are linked. The earthquake did tremendous damage to roof tiles and shachihoko (roof ornaments in the form of mystical creatures). The pitiful sight of the castle in the aftermath of the quake broke the hearts of Kumamoto residents.

However, in March 2021, just five short years on, the castle keep was fully restored, thanks to the warm support of many people. The internal displays are also renewed, so you can enjoy a walk through the history of Kumamoto Castle from the days of Kato Kiyomasa to modern times.

From the observation deck on the 6th floor, take in the panoramic view of beautiful Kumamoto. I will not post any pictures here, you will have to come and see it for yourself!

Finally, I would like to introduce the Uto Yagura (Uto turret), a Nationally Designated Important Cultural Property currently being demolished and rebuilt.

Nicknamed “the third keep”, the Uto Yagura has a height similar to that of a castle keep. In addition, it stands on beautifully curved high stone walls – what a sight!

The Uto Yagura is so named because it was maintained by the retainers of Konishi Yukinaga, lord of Uto Castle (in a nearby town). For the current demolition work, a large steel turret　called suyane has been installed as a temporary roof.

Before the earthquake, the Uto Yagura was a rare attraction, called “the only multi-story turret to last 400 years”. Unfortunately, it suffered terrible damage in the quake and is now being demolished and rebuilt. The structural demolition has been completed, and at the next step, the reconstruction is planned to be shown on YouTube or other channel. The aim is complete restoration in FY2032. I hope you will keep your eye on the unstoppable progress of this project.

Well, thanks for sticking with me all this time. I think my home is the most amazing one in Japan. How about you?

Initially, full completion of the Kumamoto Castle restoration works was planned for 2037, but the plan has been revised and the end date pushed back to 2052. Together with other challenges such as fixing the stone walls, Kumamoto Castle is on an even longer road to recovery.

I hope our castle will gain plenty more fans and supporters in the future.

As the rebuild continues, Kumamoto Castle will look different at every visit. The best way you can help is by coming to the castle and seeing it for yourself. My Lord, if you read this article and now feel like visiting Kumamoto Castle, we are waiting for you!

Photos & text by Yaso-hime (Kumamoto-jo Omotenashi Bushotai)

At castles in other regions, samurai with ties to the area serve as guides!

https://san-tatsu.jp/