Historic Japan Inn Vows Comeback After Earthquake Damage

When a major earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28, Misao Matsumoto thought her family's century-old dream was over. The 72-year-old manager watched helplessly as Kinparo's iconic main gate collapsed and plaster walls that had stood since 1910 cracked apart.

This wasn't the inn's first earthquake. In 2016, similarly powerful tremors forced the family to take on 30 million yen in loans for repairs. They reopened a year later and have worked tirelessly since then to rebuild their guest list while still paying off that debt.

Now the damage is even worse. Corridors heaved, glass doors shattered, and decorations in the great hall lie in ruins. The main gate, which Matsumoto calls the "symbol of our ryokan," is destroyed. Aftershocks keep widening the cracks, making even basic cleanup impossible.

The stakes are painfully high. Kinparo isn't just a business for Matsumoto. It's where she raised her children and cared for her grandchildren. The main building and gate are nationally registered cultural properties, irreplaceable pieces of Japan's heritage.

The weight of another rebuild falls on her son, who will inherit both the inn and the new debt. Matsumoto struggles with asking him to take on that burden. "It's difficult to strongly urge him to rebuild it," she admits.

Sunny's Take

But something remarkable happened after the earthquake. Former guests started reaching out with messages like "I will stay again." These weren't just polite wishes. They were commitments from people who had experienced Kinparo's hospitality and refused to let it vanish.

Those messages changed everything. "If possible, I want to host guests again," Matsumoto now says. The guests who once stayed at her inn are now the ones keeping hope alive.

The path forward remains uncertain and difficult. But in a building that has survived 114 years, two major earthquakes, and countless smaller challenges, there's a growing belief that Kinparo's story isn't finished yet.