Japan S3E5: Kumamoto
Kon’nichiwa and welcome back to our Japan Adventure. Today we will venture further afield to Kumamoto Initially it was supposed to be a Fukuoka day, parks and beaches. The Ohori park was very close to our hotel, so here it is. It was cloudy and windy and cold. Clearly going to the beach is out of the question; it will be way to exposed to the ocean cold breeze. Fortunately in Japan we have infinite mobility; a Shinkansen is always available toward a new destination The rain caught to us in Kumamoto and the path to the castle is deserted. Just cherry flower petals blanketing the sidewalk. Kumamoto Castle is considered one of the three premier castles in Japan, along with Himeji Castle and Matsumoto Castle. Built in 1467, for the next 400 years the Castle expanded and improved on its defence capabilities. But in 1877, during the Satsuma Rebellion, the disaffected samurai burned the main keep and other buildings.😡🎎🔥🏯 But this was not the end. In 1960 the main keep was reconstructed using concrete. Again, between 1998 and 2008, the castle complex underwent even more restoration work, during which most of the 17th-century structures were rebuilt. But the castle seems to be cursed. Eight years later, on April 14th, 2016, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake strikes and many of the roof tiles and some other ornaments failed and smashed into the ground. In fact, in the eventuality of an earthquake, the roof tiles are designed to detach, in order to avoid the roof collapse. Unfortunately this is not the end of it. The very next day, on April 15th, a following… 7.3 magnitude earthquake shatters the foundation. The main keep sustained no additional damage, but now it hangs loose over the cliff. The beloved Kumamoto castle was resurrected once again. Every dislocated rock was 3D scanned and reassembled as in the original design This castle is also a modern museum. No more walking through empty rooms with your shoes in a plastic bag . The stairs are less steep and there is even an elevator! Also they have a fantastic companion app, that tells you interesting stories, in multiple languages, either text or voice, at each QR code point.
00:00 Map
00:10 Opening Titles
00:31 Ohori Park
02:15 Kumamoto Castle
#jjaway, #japan, #kumamoto
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