Kumamoto castle renovation and reopen

When Kumamoto castle gonne be reopened after earthquake?
How long does it take for renovation ?

Thank u

Aftershocks continue to add damage to the castle. It is impossible right now to say when it will reopen.

I guess many parts of the castle will reopen relatively soon, that quite a few sections will be closed off and wrapped up for many months to come.

It just happened. Show some damn respect for the dead and injured. They must have more important things on their minds right now.

It will be week if not months before minimal access is allowed. And months if not years for the insides of the buildings to be accessed again. The walls supporting the main castle and wall defenses have all slipped away.

I'd probably take of off the tourist destination location for a few years. In the immediate time frame, please think of the people injured and homeless, and please give a helping hand if you can.

Repairing and reopening the castle is in the interest of everybody. I think it is wonderful that people already inquire about its state and reopening. That is very encouraging and more useful than empty words of concern.

The castle is a symbol of the region (physically and psychologically) for locals and visitors and very important for tourism which again is very important to the region. Taking the castle off the tourist map would be as damaging to the region as the earthquake itself.

Many structures in the castle grounds have not suffered damage, and I would be surprised if some parts of the castle would not be reopened within a short time frame. Other parts of the grounds will obviously stay off-limit for an extended time. I remember it took 3-4 years for Sendai's castle walls to be made secure again after the 2011 earthquake.

earthquakes are now "ongoing".
it is not the time to discuss the visit.
wait until the frequencies become low.

Whilst I'm hopeful that at least a partial reopening can be attempted soon, unfortunately some of the damage may take months, likely even years to repair fully. The main tower still stands, but parts of the base have fallen and a cascade of roof tiles (including both of the iconic shachihoko) has spilled onto the ground. The Iida-maru Turret's stone base was also considerably damaged, and - perhaps worst of all - NHK reported that the Higashi Jūhachi-ken Turret (one of Kumamoto Castle's last remaining original structures and an Important Cultural Property) has completely collapsed.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20160416/k10010483501000.html?utm_int=...

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20160415/k10010481881000.html?utm_int=...

As to rescue, repair, and reconstruction: I fully agree that the welfare of those affected by the quake should be the top priority, and even the loss of historic treasures (like those at Kumamoto Castle and Aso Shrine) cannot overshadow that.

At the same time, I also agree with Uji's assertion that Kumamoto Castle and other key landmarks are powerful symbols of the region and - once the needs of survivors have been attended to - their restoration deserves the complete support of locals and visitors alike. I remember reading an NHK report where an elderly resident of Kumamoto lamented the damage caused to the castle, which speaks volumes about its importance to the city and her people. One can well imagine that, when the time is right, the raising and reinstallation of the castle's shachihoko will be an inspiring message of hope and recovery to the city and the nation.

Uji, what you said is completely valid overall, however the OP said nothing in sympathy for the people of Kumamoto and their question was very much a case of "are they going to fix it soon so I'm not inconvenienced?". I think they should wake up to themselves and realise there are bigger issues at play and frankly it's not all about them and their trip planning.

While it always sounds insensitive to post travel questions after a disaster, it DOES have to be dealt with by those with trips booked. People do want to and yes, NEED to know if their trip is even possible. I'm sure it's of quite high relevance to a lot of people and certainly a lot of domestic travelers will be following the news leading up to Golden Week, as Kyushu trips are quite popular at that time. Getting your plans in order or changing plans must happen, and doing so does not make someone heartless.

The OP did not address the people, but it also reads as if the OP is not a native English speaker, so maybe they just asked their question in the shortest way possible. I hate to assume that asking the question means they don't care.

I came here many times to prepare my different trips to Japan (thank you !), and 3 out of 5 of my trips were in Kyushu... Kyushu is a formidable destination under many aspects, and Kumamoto's castle is certainly the most emblematic stop (been there 3 times !)

Of course I had a thought for the people there, I recognized a lot of places as well on the news, but my concern immediately went to the castle as well (as it did for many local people who suffered directly for the quake !!). This is the symbol of Kumamoto, their history, it took a lot of ressources and time to rebuild the main tower and the turrets were some of the few original wooden structures remaining in Japan !

I could not find any info on that one, but I really hope that the Uto Yagura turret (5 stories wooden structure !!) survived this... with all my heart.

Uji, what you said is completely valid overall, however the OP said nothing in sympathy for the people of Kumamoto and their question was very much a case of "are they going to fix it soon so I'm not inconvenienced?". I think they should wake up to themselves and realise there are bigger issues at play and frankly it's not all about them and their trip planning.

I think you are reading too much into what was otherwise a straightforward question.

Repairing and reopening the castle is in the interest of everybody.

Not if it is done at the expense of restoring people's livelihoods, but that's very probably what will happen, and it's outrageous.

but that's very probably what will happen, and it's outrageous.

I think your pessimism is misplaced. Local industries were disrupted, but nowhere near the scale of 2011, and are well positioned for recovery. Tourism contributes quite a bit to the prefecture, so recovery yen spent on the castle will almost undoubtedly pay off.

@Pascal

The Uto yagura is still standing, and from the drone flyby it didn't look damaged. The interior might be a different story. The old entrance turret and wall that had the old wooden model of the castle took a major hit though.
http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASJ4Q2C6MJ4QULBJ001.html

Not if it is done at the expense of restoring people's livelihoods, but that's very probably what will happen, and it's outrageous.

Unfortunately all the heavy earth moving equipment has been out fixing infrastructure. So nil work has been done on the castle in the past 10 days.

The only thing outrageous is you uneducated statement.

IF you care to check the Kumamoto-jo association website. You'll find the updated information you need to educate yourself on the subject.

Another shot of the Uto Turret. It seems OK but the yagura leading to it (where you took off your shoes) is a bit worse.
http://bit.ly/1VAyqbn

Just to add, the news said 30% of all travelers to Kumamoto cancelled during Golden Week, which is a huge loss of business as it's the busiest travel time - hotels etc can almost count on full occupancy normally. Many castle fans planned trips to and including Kumamoto specifically to visit the castle, so all of those tourists will avoid the area until the castle is reopened. Dare I say for most travelers to Kumamoto, Kumamoto Castle IS Kumamoto City. It is the main draw of the city, so the castle is in fact an important and even crucial part of the recovery of the city. The citizens themselves have begun raising money to rebuild it already, so they would be quite gracious rather than offended to receive donations to repair the castle.

The sensational media outlets bear a lot of the responsibility for a general misunderstanding of complex situations. The world is a much more complex place than these outlets convey with their emotional, simplistic coverage of disasters.

For example, after the 2011 earthquake, it would have been utterly counter-productive to prioritize the rebuilding of residences, because people are not going to stay in the area if there are no jobs. Consequently, rebuilding commercial infrastructure (fishing ports, factories, etc.) was given a higher priority. Short-sighted people were complaining.

The issue of Kumamoto Castle is somewhat similar. Rebuilding the castle is part of restoring people's livelihoods. Not only as a symbol but also for the local economy. I hope that the castle renovation won't have to rely on donations alone. Ten thousands of people directly and indirectly make a living through it.

In the first few weeks following the disaster, however, it is only natural that efforts are fully centered on the essentials for the victims. Afterwards, pragmatism rather than emotions are needed.

I am in Kumamoto. My japanese friend told me that the castle need 10 years of restoration so.. as of now I think this should be more than 3-5 mths till some part may be open. The damage is big. Even the castle didnt fall down. The wall and foundation fell. It is need to be restore by original material inorder to keep national heritage status. My guess as I saw it,, 1 year at least.