About the place
Kumamoto Castle (熊本城?, Kumamoto-jō) is a hilltop Japanese castle located in Chūō-ku, Kumamoto in Kumamoto Prefecture.[1] It was a large and well fortified castle. The castle keep (天守閣?, tenshukaku) is a concrete reconstruction built in 1960,[1] but several ancillary wooden buildings remain of the original castle. Kumamoto Castle is considered one of the three premier castles in Japan, along with Himeji Castle and Matsumoto Castle.[2] Thirteen structures in the castle complex are designated Important Cultural Property.[1]