Apr 4, 2017 - 1 min read

Cherry Blossoms at Kumamoto Castle

Pink petals conquering grey skies

By Steve Morton

Community writer

A castle tower covered in a colorful blanket of cherry blossoms

Fallen petals; the first of many colorful sights!

Countless Cherry trees lining the main road leading up to Kumamoto Castle

A lantern contrasting against the pink leaves

Several colorfully dressed entertainers making their way up to the castle entrance

Whatever the weather, the cherry blossoms provide a colorful sight

Some colorful cherry blossom covering the outer castle walls

Notice

Kumamoto Castle sustained heavy damage during the 2016 earthquake. During the summer of 2021, the inner keep reopened after a 5-year reconstruction period. However, sitewide renovations are expected to continue until around 2038.

Latest on Kumamoto Castle

For anyone who follows the news you will most probably remember hearing about a series of large earthquakes which shook Kyushu Island last year on 14 April 2016. Tragically among this earthquake’s many victims was the splendid Kumamoto Castle. Despite sustaining considerable damage, we can now embrace the Japanese spirit of hope in learning that restoration work has already began on restoring this castle to its former glory.

Presently, the castle’s interior is closed to the public but visitors are still able to see many of Kumamoto’s wonderful sights by walking along its outer perimeter.

By sheer luck, I was able to visit this castle a few days before this tragic incident during the colorful cherry blossom season. Although impressive anytime of the year, the pink petals add an extra element of beauty to the landscape.This became an important factor during my visit, as the sight of these colorful flowers was more than enough to lift my spirits as it rained nonstop throughout the whole day.

Thanks to the sight of these colorful flowers, not even the bad weather and rain soaked streets could dampen my spirits!