Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto

Exceeded all expectations! Really fun castle to explore! The myths that you can read in the castle museum are so interesting! And you can download the castle app and read all the captions in English. The app also has an audio feature, but the reader is so slow and robotic, it would take ages to actually listen to it drone on and on. They should add a 2x speed option or something. But it is nice to read the captions in English so I recommend it. Also the shopping area is really cool, and it feels like you are in the alley ways of the old castle town. There was even a samurai dance event that was cute.

Beautiful castle on par with Hemeji for size and grandeur. The interior is remade as a museum, but there are enough interactive exhibits and holdovers from the original construction that it still feels like a castle. Displays are in Japanese with limited or no English, but still enjoyable and understandable. The dark interior is refreshing on a hot day. While much of the castle is still under repair from earthquake damage, you can see some great views from the purpose-built viewing walkway.