Kumamoto Castle Reopens After Safety Inspections

Kumamoto Castle reopened to visitors on Thursday after the city government conducted a series of safety inspections on the building following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck the southwestern region of Japan. The city government stated that the results of the inspections, carried out until Tuesday (11/8), found no structural safety issues that would disrupt tourist visits to the historic site. However, the earthquake that occurred on 28 July reportedly caused some unevenness in the main tower’s floor and collapsed stone walls at 40 points within the castle complex. Kumamoto Castle previously suffered severe damage from a series of powerful earthquakes in 2016 and remains under restoration. The local government is targeting the completion of the restoration efforts by fiscal year 2052.