Matsue Castle : A Study of Japanese Bibliography

This is all about Matsue Castle you want to know.
Every information you get on this site will be from a credible source based on Japanese history (books for reference).

"Kojō ezu( picture in Edo Period)" from 国立国会図書館

Collected by the Inagaki family, the Toba Daimyō from the mid-Edo period to the Meiji Restoration, as materials for military studies. There are about 350 illustrations, but there is no uniformity because only illustrations of castles, illustrations including castle towns, and old battlefield illustrations are mixed.

Another typical example of a castle picture in the Edo period is "The Shōhō Shiroezu", picture of the castle and castle town that the Edo Shogunate ordered the daimyō to create and submit,aggregating military information such as the buildings inside the castle, the height of the stone wall, the width of the moat and the water depth, etc., it also details the location and shape of the castle town and the mountain river.

Profile : Matsue Castle

Location	Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture
Also known as	Chidori Castle（Originating from the appearance of a beautiful roof with spread staggered feathers)
Type of castle	Hilltop
Mountain's name	Mt.Kameda near Lake Shinji
Elevation	29m
Condition	Original main keep
Designation	National Treasure (2015) National Hisotoric Sites
Year built	1607
Abolished	1871
Castle lord	Horio Yoshiharu
Refurbishment lord	ー

Portrait of Horio Yoshiharu from **Wikipedia**

Portrait of Matsudaira Fumai-kō from **Wikipedia**

Mr. Matsudaira, 7th generation, another called 【Fumai‐kō】 is known as a famous man who restructured his finances by doing business in indusutrial prompotion and developing of new rice field . He was also known as a tea man Daimyo and built a tea culture in Matsue as a Sekishu style founder.

Family Crest of Matsudaira Clan from "Bukan Complete Works" (produced by CODH) adapted from "Classical Japanese National Data Set" (Kokubunken Collection)

The family crest was originally created from the pattern that the emperor and the royal family put on the kimono, and the pattern was made into a fixed pattern, and the one attached to his own oxcart is said to be the beginning of the family crest. The warlords drew large crests on the flag-fingers, used to distinguish enemy views on the battlefield, and used by the generals to determine which warlords were active and how much.

Matsue Castle admission

admission fee : 680yen (Above high school students)
admission time :
(April 1-September 30) : am8:30-pm6
(October 1-March 31) : am8:30-pm5:30
reference official site (japanese)

Matsue Castle Google Map

Matsue Castle Images　

Main keep, designated as a national treasure in 2015, is a "Bōrō" type with a double tower on a double tower ,with a gabled roof in the form of an irimoya house on the first or second floor. A great typical tower with a large keep and good preservation. It's unique architectural features such as a construction method with through pillars and is extremely valuable as a representative of the peak of the early modern castle.

Main building "Honmaru" is located on the summit of Mt. Kameda, and the surrounding area is called "Jōzan" by locals and is familiar.

Contrary to the elegant appearance, it has the characteristic of a battle-like castle, There are more than 90 gun slots, stone droppings and wells inside.

In addition to the castle tower, the site is large and many stone walls and moats remain.

The Matsue Castle Marathon, which started in commemoration of the designation of a national treasure, is held every December. The course runs on the shore of Lake Shinji with a circumference of 40 km, and the moat water is drawn from there. It is also popular to enjoy sightseeing on a houseboat. Just outside the moat on the north side of the castle,there is the residence of Lafcadio hearn(小泉八雲) and the old samurai house, It is a recommended sightseeing spot where you can enjoy the old atmosphere.

Statue of Matsudaira Naomasa, the first lord of the Matsue clan, Izumo.

He is a grandson of Ieyasu Tokugawa, was praised by Ieyasu for his fight against Osaka Castle's Sanadamaru. In addition, in this attack on SanadaMaru, an enemy general Sanada Yukimura gave a military fan in honor of the young warrior. The military fan remains as a treasure of the Izumo-Matsue clan, where Naomasa became the first feudal lord, and is still displayed at one corner of the Matsue Castle tower.

Link-1 : Japanese five castle of National Treasure

【west japan】Himeji Castle 【west japan】Hikone Castle 【central japan】Matsumoto castle 【central japan】Inuyama Castle 【west japan】Matsue Castle

Link-2 : Original Main Keep

【west japan】Marugame Castle 【west japan】Bicchūmatsuyama Castle 【west japan】Himeji Castle 【west japan】Hikone Castle 【central japan】Inuyama Castle 【central japan】Matsumoto Castle 【central japan】Maruoka Castle 【north japan】Hirosaki Castle 【west japan】Kōchi Castle 【west japan】Uwajima Castle 【west japan】Matsuyama Castle 【west japan】Matsue Castle

Link-3 : Amazing Castle Town

【north japan】Kanazawa Castle 【east japan】Kawagoe Castle 【west japan】Tsuwano Castle 【west japan】Hagi Castle 【south japan】Obi Castle 【west japan】Matsue Castle