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Kumamoto Castle left illuminated all night long as symbol of hope for earthquake victims

Casey Baseel Jul 30, 2026
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The castle itself is still undergoing repairs from an earthquake from 10 years ago.

Kumamoto is still reeling from a massive earthquake that struck the prefecture on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu on the afternoon of July 28. Recovering from the magnitude-7.1 quake will not be a quick or easy process, and there are many, many difficult days ahead. In dark times, though, any symbol of hope becomes vital, and Kazufumi Onishi, mayor of Kumamoto Prefecture’s Capital of Kumamoto City, shared one the day following the disaster.

今夜は熊本城を夜通しライトアップします🏯✨
苦しい状況が続きますが、熊本のシンボル・天守閣を見上げて、また明日へ向かって頑張りましょう。 pic.twitter.com/yHYwBRu9Xf

— 熊本市長大西一史 (@K_Onishi) July 29, 2026

“Tonight, Kumamoto Castle will be illuminated throughout the night,” Onishi announced via his official Twitter account. “We are still dealing with a harsh, difficult situation, but let’s look towards the castle’s tower, the symbol of Kumamoto, and then turn towards doing our best again tomorrow to get through this.”

Kumamoto Castle itself was severely damaged 10 years ago when a previous earthquake struck the region. It took five years for the main keep to be repaired to a state where it could again start welcoming visitors, and restoration work is still ongoing for some parts of the castle. All of that, though, arguably makes it an even more appropriate symbol of resilience, and the decision to keep the castle lit up as a beacon of hope was met with high praise from commenters to Onishi’s announcement.

“In times like this, people really do need a symbol to rally around.”
“The beautiful light of hope.”
“This is a reminder that aside from just food, clothing, and shelter, things like this can have a huge positive effect by providing psychological support. I believe that seeing the castle shining against the night sky will give people the strength to get through this and keep moving forward.”
“Things will get better! Hang in there!”
“I hope the glow of Kumamoto Castle will provide even a little comfort to everyone who’s suffering.”
“No matter how bad things may seem, having something like this that lights up the town is a source of emotional strength. One step at a time, let’s keep doing what we can.”

Usually, on nights when Kumamoto Castle is illuminated, the lights go off sometime between 10 p.m. and midnight. It’s unclear whether the all-night light-up was a one-time only event or whether it’ll be happening periodically as Kumamoto continues to pick up the pieces. Either way, though, it’s nice for people to have a shared symbol of the community to remind them that they’re not alone in these trying times.

Source: Twitter/@K_Onishi via Jin
Top image: Wikipedia/Suicasmo
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