Kumamoto Castle visitor numbers halve after quake reopening

Kumamoto Castle reopened about two weeks after a powerful earthquake, but visitors have not returned in the numbers local businesses expected.

The castle received 32,400 visitors between Aug. 13 and Aug. 27, according to the Kumamoto city government. That was roughly half the total recorded during the same period in 2025.

The July 28 magnitude-7.1 earthquake caused stone walls to collapse at 40 locations inside the castle compound. The damage came while restoration work from the 2016 earthquakes was still continuing, with the broader project scheduled to run until fiscal 2052. Repairs to the castle keep after the 2016 quake took about five years.

The downturn is affecting businesses near the landmark. Tetsuya Taniguchi, a manager at a shop selling products including ice cream, said sales had fallen to about 20% of their pre-quake level. “We had just recovered from the impact of the quake 10 years ago,” he said.

Yui Takaoka, who works at a souvenir shop, said she was worried about cancellations during the period when school trips would normally support tourism. Tourism plays a major role in the economy of Kyushu, the region that includes Kumamoto.

Some local people hope a government subsidy programme planned for October will reduce travel costs and encourage visitors to return to Kyushu. A similar programme helped revive tourism after the 2016 earthquakes.

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We had just recovered from the impact of the quake 10 years ago.