Japan - Kumamoto castle 01

Kumamoto castle is one of the top 3 fortress castles in Japan dating back to 1607. The grounds cover 98 hectares and have a circumference of nine kilometers. The outer castle walls feature 49 turrets and 29 gates. Inside stand more walls with 120 wells, dug to provide defenders with water. The castle walls were constructed of enormous stone blocks. One wall continues in a straight line for 250 meters, making it the largest such castle structure in Japan. In addition, all walls were designed to have the top stones curve outward. This structure prevented the walls from being scaled and - as samurai attackers in the Seinan Rebellion discovered - rendered the castle virtually impregnable.