When an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture this April, it caused a great deal of damage. Because of the quake, the stone walls of Kumamoto Castle – an edifice that is symbolic of the prefecture – collapsed. The stone walls of Japanese castles were constructed by putting together stones of various shapes like a jigsaw puzzle. Additionally, their height and angle are devised so as to prevent enemy invasions, and furthermore, artistic beauty is also sought. In the 16th century during the Warring States period when many castles were built all over Japan, there were engineering groups specializing in constructing stone walls, such as Anoushu in present-day Shiga Prefecture. Now, as a comprehensive repair job for Kumamoto Castle is underway, the issue of how to restore the wall has become paramount. The stone wall of Komine Castle (Fukushima Prefecture) was destroyed in the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and now the job of reconstructing it is being tackled. Approximately 7,000 stones fell from Komine Castle’s walls; each was assigned a number and matched to photos taken before the wall’s collapse. These stones are being put together again, but only around five stones can be restored a day. Kumamoto Castle is about ten times lager, and it is said it will take more than ten years for the restoration work to be completed. “The people are your castle, your stone wall and your moat,” a saying attributed to the great Warring States warrior TAKEDA Shingen, is used even today as an aphorism to demonstrate the importance of people. Japan has overcome many difficulties, including defeat in World War Two and the Great East Japan Earthquake. You may see stone walls that are built from single pieces of stone, each of which is assigned a particular role, as being similar to the ties that bind Japanese people together.