Text / MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team compiled and reported

From April 19, the Kumamoto streetcar has gradually resumed service, and from the 20th, parts of the Kyushu Shinkansen also started partial operation (from Shin-Mizuma to Kagoshima-Chuo). Full restoration is expected to take at least one month, and up to around two months. Daily aftershocks continue, with around 600 tremors of intensity one occurring each day. At 17:52 Japan time on April 19, an intensity five felt earthquake struck. The badly damaged Kumamoto Castle, an important tourist attraction in urgent need of repair, has received a 3 billion yen support donation from the Nippon Foundation. A total of 13 important cultural properties of Kumamoto Castle have been damaged. Depending on the extent of the damage, repairs are estimated to take between 5 to 10 years, with more severely affected sections possibly requiring up to 20 years. The castle remains closed to the public for now.