Most visitors are awed by Kumamoto Castle¡¯s imposing walls; myself, I am more preoccupied with the stairs. According to the map board just inside the Hazekata Gate, there are many of them, tracing a convoluted path up to the raven-black donjon.
Normal people might not bat an eye, but invaders and stroller-toting mothers ... That¡¯s another story. I¡¯ve been the latter for almost two years, and though my stamina has grown I still cringe at the sight of a hilltop Japanese castle. Thankfully, I¡¯ve brought my own assistance ¡ª it¡¯s nowhere near the size of an attacking army, but even the one extra set of hands provided by my visiting mother is a great help.
This castle, which dominates the Kyushu city of Kumamoto, is consistently listed as one of the country¡¯s top three. Certainly, nothing rivals the original fortifications still standing proudly at Matsumoto and Himeji in Nagano and Hyogo prefectures, respectively; but despite its donjon being a ferro-concrete reconstruction, Kumamoto is not to be missed.
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