A historic city on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands, Kumamoto is renowned for its imposing castle, rich regional food culture and friendly, welcoming inhabitants.

The city of Kumamoto is steeped in the spirit of its samurai past, which many of its citizens point to as a major influence on their hometown to this day. In addition to its famed castle ...

The 2016 earthquake damaged Kumamoto Castle, leaving its stone walls crumbling. We meet the stonemasons carefully restoring each stone to its original place and discover what they do for lunch.

iconic Kumamoto Castle is rising from the ashes. The temblors caused serious damage to the structures that make up one of Japan’s most traditional fortresses, in addition to the succession of ...