Kumamoto Jo (Kumamoto Castle)

I love this castle and it has gone under some major reconstruction. It is a nice place to visit all year long. You can walk through almost every inch of the castle. When you enter, you must take your shoes off; they give you slippers and a plastic bag to carry your shoes, so I would recommend wearing socks that day. It is one of the most famous castles in all of Japan. It dates back to about 1520, but in the late 1800's it was burned to the ground. The castle now is a reconstruction which dates from the 1960. The Donjon rise up six stories high as the main keep of this structure. You will notice that the castle has a black facade; this was to make it harder to invade. This place was built in a complex was also for security. The stone walls of the castle survived the fire and remain the strongest and longest castle walls in all of Japan.

There is an impressive castle museum within the structure that gives a lot of history including a model of the original wooden castle.

While at the castle try and visit the lida-Maru Gokai Turret, it is a reconstruction, but it was reconstructed with traditional methods. There are some panels there, in English and Japanese. They do have electricity in this area, but it is still quite dim, so be careful. There is a craft museum near the castle, take a moment to visit there as well.