Matsumoto Castle is a designated National Treasure, located on the plains of Matsumoto City in central Nagano Prefecture. As a hira-jiro, or castle built on the plains, it necessitated an extensive system of moats, stone and earthen walls, and gatehouses for defense.
Originally, the site was a fortress used by the Ogasawara clan around 1504. It was later taken by Takeda Shingen in 1550, and subsequently by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who awarded it to Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu reinstated the Ogasawara clan, placing Ogasawara Sadayoshi in command. Sadayoshi named the area Matsumoto before Tokugawa Ieyasu replaced him with the trusted general Ishikawa Kazumasa.
From 1590, Kazumasa began rebuilding and expanding the castle but died in 1592. His son, Yasunaga, also known as Gemba, completed the work in 1594, including the current five-story black lacquered wooden-clad tower.
The construction inside the smaller Ko-tenshu tower and the main Tenshu tower is particularly interesting. The upright pillars in the older Ko-tenshu are rounded, while those in the main Tenshu are square, indicating different construction periods. The main keep and sub-keep towers are linked by fortified watari-yagura corridors. Both the Tenshu and Ko-tenshu feature ishi-otoshi rock-dropping hatches at the corners, indicative of their wartime construction. The southeastern corner has an open-plan yagura called the Tsukimi Yagura, or Moon-Viewing yagura, built in 1634 for moon-viewing parties, alluding to its peacetime construction.
The Tsukimi Yagura was added by Matsudaira Naomasa, Tokugawa Ieyasu's grandson, for his cousin, the third Shogun Iemitsu's planned visit, which was ultimately canceled. It is said that during a moon-viewing party in the Tsukimi Yagura, the moon can be seen three times: in the sky, reflected in the moat, and in your sake cup.
Matsumoto Castle is a collection of five separate National Treasures: the main keep, the Ko-tenshu, the two adjoining corridors, and the Tsukimi Yagura. The outer walls of the tenshu complex are covered in black lacquered shitami-itabari cladding, protecting the mud walls within and giving the castle a somber appearance, especially against the backdrop of the winter snow-capped northern Alps.
In 1872, following the collapse of the feudal system and the start of the Meiji Restoration, Matsumoto Castle was slated for demolition and sold at auction. However, citizens formed a group to save the castle, successfully preserving it for future generations. In the mid-Meiji period, the castle developed a lean, prompting civic groups to repair the tower keep. Designated a National Treasure in 1952, recent improvements have included the reconstruction of several gates and walls.
At the corner of the Taiko Yagura Mon Gate and the current entrance to Matsumoto Castle stands a large, rectangular rock about 2.5 meters high and weighing an estimated 22.5 tons, known as the Genba Stone. Named after Ishikawa Genba, the samurai lord tasked with the castle's redevelopment in 1590, the stone symbolizes power and financial strength. The story goes that Ishikawa Genba, hearing laborers complain about moving the heavy rock, swiftly executed the main complainer and displayed his head as a warning, ensuring the rock was quickly and quietly moved into place.
Matsumoto Castle, also known as Karasu-Jo or Crow Castle due to its black-walled main tower and adjoining towers resembling a crow spreading its wings, is a stunning example of Sengoku period castle architecture. It is one of only five castles designated as a National Treasure and, though off the standard tourist path, remains a remarkable destination.
See also
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Shinpu Castle
Shinpu Castle was a Japanese hirayama-style fortress from the Sengoku period, situated in what is now Nirasaki, Yamanashi Prefecture. It served as the main stronghold of warlord Takeda Katsuyori. Designated as a National Historic Site in 1973, the castle occupies a strategic position on a mountain with steep cliffs, overlooking the Kamanashi River to the west of Kofu, where Takeda Shingen’s Tsutsujigasaki Castle once stood.
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Takato Castle
Takato Castle, located in the city of Ina in southern Nagano Prefecture, Japan, was a notable stronghold during the Sengoku period. By the end of the Edo period, it was the residence of a cadet branch of the Naito clan, the daimyo of the Takato Domain. Also known as Kabuto Castle, it was originally constructed in the 16th century and is now mostly in ruins.
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Takatenjin Castle
Takatenjin Castle was a yamashiro-style fortress from Japan's Sengoku period, situated in the Kamihijikata and Shimohijikata districts of Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture. Designated a National Historic Site in 1975, with an expanded protected area in 2007, its ruins remain a significant historical landmark.
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Yoshida Castle
Yoshida Castle is renowned worldwide, particularly through the intricate woodblock prints by Edo Period artist Hiroshige. His famous series, depicting the 53 stages of the Tokaido—the historic route between Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo)—includes the 34th print, which shows workmen repairing a castle overlooking a wooden bridge crossing a wide river. This scene captures the Toyokawa River at Toyohashi in southeast Aichi Prefecture, and the castle is Yoshida Castle.
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Yamato Koriyama Castle
The impressive ruins of Koriyama Castle sit atop a small hill, surrounded by two rivers. The strategic positioning and strong layout of the castle served it well through the final years of the Sengoku period and the peaceful days of the Edo period.
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Yamanaka Castle
Yamanaka Castle, established by Hojo Ujiyasu in the 1560s, is located in what is now eastern Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture. This castle served as the first line of western defense for the main Hojo Castle at Odawara. Carved into the side of a 586-meter-high mountain, Yamanaka Castle was strategically positioned along the Tokaido Highway, offering superb views of nearby Mt. Fuji, the ocean, and the road leading to Odawara.
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Uwajima Castle
Uwajima Castle, located in Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku, is one of the 12 remaining Japanese castles with an original keep. Known for its small size, Uwajima Castle is relatively difficult to access, which means it is less frequented by tourists.
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Ueda Castle
Ueda Castle in Nagano Prefecture once stood prominently on a cliff overlooking the Saigawa River. Also known as Amagafuchi-Jo, Isesaki-Jo, Matsuo-Jo, and Sanada-Jo, it was built around 1583 by its first master, Sanada Masayuki. This sturdy yet small fortress cleverly utilized the surrounding natural defenses, including the river, steep rocky cliffs, the layout of the town below, and the strategically designed waterways to hinder attackers. Ueda Castle was fortified with seven defensive yagura (watchtowers) atop robust stone walls and had two large gates with watchtowers above them.
