Japan’s 400-year-old Kumamoto Castle damaged by 7.1 magnitude earthquake

Kumamoto Castle, completed in 1607 and still under long-term restoration after the deadly 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, sustained new damage from a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Kyushu on 28 July. The quake reached intensity 7 on Japan’s seismic scale in the cities of Uki and Hikawa and had killed 36 people as of 31 July, prompting evacuations and widespread infrastructure damage in Kumamoto Prefecture. Castle officials reported collapsed sections of stone walls and minor building damage, and the site remains closed while engineers assess safety; restoration work from 2016 had been expected to continue until 2052, and officials said the completion date could be delayed. The quake also affected other heritage sites, including a collapsed gate at Yatsushiro Shrine, and led at least 16 museums and cultural facilities to temporarily close for inspections, though the Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto reported no major collection damage.

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