{"id":591,"date":"2026-09-20T22:39:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T22:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/?p=591"},"modified":"2026-09-20T22:39:04","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T22:39:04","slug":"kumamoto-travel-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/zh\/kumamoto-travel-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Kumamoto Travel in 2026: What&#8217;s Open After the Earthquake"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Prices and hours verified September 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Status, 14 September 2026.<\/strong> On 28 July 2026 a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto region, registering the maximum intensity 7 on Japan\u2019s seismic scale. Seven weeks on, the picture for Kumamoto travel is uneven and worth stating plainly before anything else:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Kumamoto City is open and reachable.<\/strong> The Kyushu Shinkansen is running.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Kumamoto Castle reopened on 13 August<\/strong>, including access to the keep.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rail south of the city is still disrupted.<\/strong> The JR Kagoshima Line is suspended between Uto and Yatsushiro, with replacement buses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Aftershocks continue<\/strong> at above-normal levels, though gradually decreasing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tourism collapsed over the summer<\/strong>, and that is now its own problem for the region.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So the honest answer to &#8220;should I go?&#8221; is yes, to the city, with your eyes open. And the honest answer to &#8220;is everything back to normal?&#8221; is no. Here is what is actually open, what is not, and what to see when you get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Situation, Honestly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2026 earthquake hit a prefecture still finishing its recovery from the 2016 one. Kumamoto Castle had spent a decade being rebuilt; it took damage again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The damage is not uniform<\/strong>, and that is the single most useful thing to understand. Kumamoto City has reopened its major sites. The corridor south of the city, Yatsushiro and beyond, is where the transport disruption remains, and several onsen towns in the affected areas are still dealing with damage. Treating &#8220;Kumamoto&#8221; as one condition will either put you off unnecessarily or send you somewhere you should not be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Japan Meteorological Agency continues to advise against entering dangerous or unstable areas, and notes that seismic activity remains above normal while gradually declining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What is running and what is not<\/strong>, from the transport ministry\u2019s status report of 9 September:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Route<\/th><th>Status<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Kyushu Shinkansen<\/strong><\/td><td>Running, Kumamoto is reachable<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>JR Kagoshima Line, Uto to Yatsushiro<\/td><td><strong>Suspended<\/strong>; replacement buses morning and evening<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Kumamoto to Shin-Yatsushiro<\/td><td>Shinkansen substitute service <strong>from 18 September<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Hisatsu Orange Railway, Yatsushiro to Higo-Tanoura<\/td><td><strong>Suspended<\/strong>; replacement buses<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udca1 <strong>\u65e5\u672c\u63d0\u793a\uff1a<\/strong> On the Kumamoto to Shin-Yatsushiro substitute arrangement starting 18 September, ordinary tickets are honoured on the Shinkansen and <strong>no limited express supplement is required<\/strong>. If your route takes you south of Kumamoto, that is a meaningful saving and it is not obvious from the timetable. Check the current status the week you travel. This is changing month to month, not year to year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u718a\u672c\u57ce<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-22-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"The keep of Kumamoto Castle rising above its stone walls\" class=\"wp-image-593\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.4962593516209477;width:600px;height:auto\" title=\"The keep of Kumamoto Castle rising above its stone walls\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-22-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-22-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-22-767x511.jpeg 767w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-22-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-22-18x12.jpeg 18w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-22.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Japan\u2019s great black fortress, and the emotional centre of the city. It <strong>reopened on 13 August 2026<\/strong>, sixteen days after the earthquake, with the keep interior accessible again. The mayor framed the early reopening explicitly as accelerating recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u5730\u70b9\uff1a<\/strong> central Kumamoto, reachable by tram from Kumamoto Station<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Last entry:<\/strong> 16:00<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u95e8\u7968\uff1a<\/strong> buy online in advance, as recommended on the castle\u2019s own site<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u5b98\u65b9\u7f51\u7ad9\uff1a<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/castle.kumamoto-guide.jp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u718a\u672c\u57ce<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Ninomaru Plaza and Kat\u014d Shrine give you the exterior views without entering the paid area, and the special viewing walkway lets you see restoration work in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udca1 <strong>Japan Pro Tip: Last entry is 16:00<\/strong>, which is earlier than most visitors assume for a major castle and earlier than the site itself closes. Kumamoto\u2019s other big sight, Reigand\u014d, closes at 17:00 and is 30 minutes out of town, so you cannot do both in one afternoon. Castle in the morning, cave after lunch, or split them across two days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Go and look at the restoration honestly rather than just photographing the keep. Watching a castle being rebuilt twice in a decade is a more interesting thing to witness than a finished building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reigand\u014d Cave and the 500 Arhats<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-24-768x1024-1.jpeg\" alt=\"The stone marker and steps at the entrance to Reigando cave\" class=\"wp-image-595\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.4962593516209477;width:600px;height:auto\" title=\"The stone marker and steps at the entrance to Reigando cave\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-24-768x1024-1.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-24-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-24-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-24-9x12.jpeg 9w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-24.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the 1640s <strong>Miyamoto Musashi<\/strong>, Japan\u2019s most famous swordsman, withdrew to a cave in the hills west of Kumamoto and wrote <em>The Book of Five Rings<\/em>, the treatise on strategy still read by martial artists and, improbably, business schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cave, <strong>Reigand\u014d<\/strong>, sits on the grounds of <strong>Unganzenji<\/strong>, a Zen temple founded in the 1300s. The approach is the part nobody prepares you for: a mossy stone path lined with <strong>hundreds of stone arhats<\/strong>, disciples of the Buddha, each with a different posture and expression, carved into the rock face. They were donated by a merchant over <strong>24 years<\/strong>, roughly two centuries ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-25-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"Hundreds of small stone arhat figures across a mossy hillside at Unganzenji\" class=\"wp-image-596\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.4962593516209477;width:600px;height:auto\" title=\"Hundreds of small stone arhat figures across a mossy hillside at Unganzenji\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-25-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-25-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-25-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-25-16x12.jpeg 16w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-25-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-25.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-23-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"A moss covered stone arhat figure on the approach to Reigando\" class=\"wp-image-594\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.4962593516209477;width:600px;height:auto\" title=\"A moss covered stone arhat figure on the approach to Reigando\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-23-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-23-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-23-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-23-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-23-16x12.jpeg 16w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-23.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u5730\u70b9\uff1a<\/strong> 589 Hirayama, Matsuo-machi, Nishi-ku, Kumamoto<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u65f6\u95f4\uff1a<\/strong> 08:00 to 17:00<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u4ef7\u683c\uff1a<\/strong> \u00a5300 adults, \u00a5200 high school, \u00a5100 middle school and under<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u5982\u4f55\u5230\u8fbe\uff1a<\/strong> about 30 minutes by car from Kumamoto Station. By public transport, a Sank\u014d bus from Sakuramachi Bus Terminal takes around 30 minutes to the Iwato Kannon Iriguchi stop, then it is about a 20-minute walk<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u5b98\u65b9\u7f51\u7ad9\uff1a<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/kumamoto-guide.jp\/spots\/detail\/109\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kumamoto City tourism guide, Reigand\u014d<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udca1 <strong>\u65e5\u672c\u63d0\u793a\uff1a<\/strong> That 20-minute walk is the detail that catches people, and it is uphill on uneven ground. Nothing about &#8220;meditative cave, \u00a5300&#8221; suggests an hour of travel each way on a rural bus plus a climb. Budget half a day, wear real shoes, and check the return bus time before you set off. Services out here are not frequent. If there are two or more of you, a taxi from the city may cost less than you would think and saves the walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Training with Musashi\u2019s 18th-Generation Successor<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-21-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"Statues of Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro at the Ganryujima duel site\" class=\"wp-image-592\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.4962593516209477;width:600px;height:auto\" title=\"Statues of Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro at the Ganryujima duel site\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-21-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-21-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-21-767x511.jpeg 767w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-21-18x12.jpeg 18w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-21-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-21.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The experience that makes Kumamoto different from other castle towns: you can train with <strong>Akinori Matsunaga<\/strong>, the <strong>18th-generation successor of Niten Ichi-ry\u016b<\/strong>, the two-sword school Musashi himself founded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is an unbroken line of transmission from the man who wrote the book, in the city where he wrote it. Most samurai experiences in Japan are costumed photo sessions. This is a lineage school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udca1 <strong>\u65e5\u672c\u63d0\u793a\uff1a<\/strong> Confirm booking arrangements directly before building a day around it. Sessions with a traditional school are not a walk-up attraction and availability is limited. The pairing is the point: read <em>The Book of Five Rings<\/em>, visit the cave where it was written, then hold the two swords it describes. Done in that order it is one of the better days available to a visitor in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Kumamoto Travel Basics: The Tram Pass and the Luggage Trick<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"813\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-26-1024x813.jpeg\" alt=\"Two Kumamoto city trams, the backbone of Kumamoto travel within the city\" class=\"wp-image-597\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.4962593516209477;width:600px;height:auto\" title=\"Two Kumamoto city trams, the backbone of Kumamoto travel within the city\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-26-1024x813.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-26-300x238.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-26-768x609.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-26-15x12.jpeg 15w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-26-1536x1219.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-26.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kumamoto runs a tram network, and a <strong>one-day tram pass<\/strong> is available at Kumamoto Station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is also a combined option worth knowing about: a set sold online pairing <strong>luggage delivery with a 24-hour tram pass<\/strong>. Drop your bags at Kumamoto Station on arrival and have them forwarded to your hotel while you spend the day unencumbered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udca1 <strong>\u65e5\u672c\u63d0\u793a\uff1a<\/strong> That luggage and tram combination is the single most useful thing in this article for anyone arriving by Shinkansen with a suitcase. Kumamoto Castle is not a place you want to be dragging a case around, and the walk at Reigand\u014d makes it impossible. Confirm current pricing and the booking page before you travel, as these bundled services change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Should You Go?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, to Kumamoto City, with realistic expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The case for going:<\/strong> tourism collapsed after the earthquake, with visitor numbers over the summer falling far below normal. For a region whose economy depends partly on visitors, that is a second wave of damage after the first. The castle reopened quickly and deliberately because the city wanted people back. Visitors who come, spend money and treat the place respectfully are helping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The case for care:<\/strong> aftershocks continue. Transport south of the city is disrupted. Some facilities have changed hours or remain closed, and published information goes out of date fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What that means practically:<\/strong> check each place\u2019s own website in the week you travel rather than relying on any article, including this one. Do not go looking for damage to photograph. And do not cancel a Kumamoto City trip on the assumption that the whole prefecture is closed, because it is not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u5e38\u89c1\u95ee\u9898<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list\">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1789943758076\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\"><strong>Is it safe to travel to Kumamoto in 2026?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Kumamoto City has reopened its major sites and is reachable by Shinkansen. Seismic activity remains above normal levels while gradually declining, and the JMA advises avoiding unstable or dangerous areas. Transport south of the city towards Yatsushiro is still disrupted. Check official sources close to your travel date.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1789943762965\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\"><strong>Is Kumamoto Castle open?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Yes. It reopened on 13 August 2026 following safety checks after the July earthquake, with access to the keep. Last entry is 16:00 and advance online tickets are recommended.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1789943769313\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\"><strong>When was the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>28 July 2026 at 16:27, magnitude 7.1, registering the maximum intensity 7 on the Japanese seismic scale, with its epicentre in the Kumamoto region.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1789943780463\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\"><strong>Can I get to Kumamoto by train?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Yes, the Kyushu Shinkansen is running. The JR Kagoshima Line is suspended between Uto and Yatsushiro with replacement buses, and from 18 September the Shinkansen provides substitute transport between Kumamoto and Shin-Yatsushiro with ordinary tickets honoured.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1789943789065\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\"><strong>How do you get to Reigand\u014d Cave?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>About 30 minutes by car from Kumamoto Station, or a roughly 30-minute bus from Sakuramachi Bus Terminal to Iwato Kannon Iriguchi followed by a 20-minute walk. Open 08:00 to 17:00, \u00a5300 for adults.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1789943797996\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\"><strong>Where did Miyamoto Musashi write The Book of Five Rings?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>In Reigand\u014d, a cave on the grounds of Unganzenji temple in the hills west of Kumamoto, in the 1640s. The temple dates from the 1300s and the approach is lined with hundreds of stone arhats carved over 24 years about two centuries ago.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1789943806548\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\"><strong>Can you do Kumamoto Castle and Reigand\u014d in one day?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Not comfortably. The castle\u2019s last entry is 16:00 and Reigand\u014d closes at 17:00 with an hour of travel each way. Do one in the morning and the other after lunch, or split them across two days.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1789943816365\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\"><strong>Should I cancel my Kumamoto travel plans?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Not for the city, if your dates are after now and you check current conditions. If your itinerary runs south of Kumamoto towards Yatsushiro or into affected onsen areas, re-plan that section and confirm each facility directly.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Go, and Check Before You Go<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kumamoto is a city with a black castle, a cave where a swordsman wrote a book people still read four centuries later, and a living school that teaches what he taught. It has also just been through a major earthquake, and it would like visitors back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both of those things are true. Check the official sites the week you travel, then go. If Kyushu is one leg of a longer route, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/zh\/best-time-to-visit-japan\/\">\u65e5\u672c\u6700\u4f73\u65c5\u6e38\u5b63\u8282<\/a> covers the year month by month, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/zh\/japan-autumn-foliage-forecast-2026\/\">autumn foliage forecast<\/a> has the 2026 dates by city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Last verified:<\/strong> 14 September 2026, against JMA, the transport ministry\u2019s 9 September status report, and each site\u2019s official information.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Seven weeks after the July earthquake, the picture is uneven. The castle is open, the Shinkansen is running, and the line south of the city is not. What to see, and what to check before you go.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":598,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jpj_city":"","jpj_station":"","jpj_label":"","jpj_top_pick":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[98,87,99,100],"class_list":["post-591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kyushu","tag-castles","tag-japan","tag-kyushu","tag-travel-advice"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=591"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/591\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":599,"href":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/591\/revisions\/599"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}