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Matsumoto Castle : A Study of Japanese Bibliography

This is all about Matsumoto Castle Ruins 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 : Matsumoto Castle Ruins  

LocationMatsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture
Also known asFukashi Castle, Karasu Castle
Type of castleFlatland
Mountain's name
Elevation
ConditionOriginal main keep
ResignationNational Treasure
National Historic Sites
Year built1504
Abolished1871
Castle lordOgasawara Sadatomo
Refurbishment lordMatsudaira naomasa
Portrait of Ogasawara Tadazane from Wikipedia
Crest of Ogasawara Clan from "Bukan Complete Works" (produced by CODH)Adapted from "Classical Japanese National Data Set" (Kokubunken Collection) official site

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.

Matsumoto Castle admission

admission fee : 700yen (Adult) 300yen (Junior high and elementary school students)
admission time : am8:30-pm5
(April 27-May 6) : am8-pm6
(August 10-August 18) : am8-pm6
closed period : December 29-31 reference official site

Matsumoto Castle Google Map

Matsumoto Castle Images 

Matsumoto Castle has become a National Treasure as the oldest extant five structure-six story castle in Japan.
 The main keep and Inui keep are connected by Watari Yagura(Roofed Passage) , while Tatsumitsuke Yagura (Southern Wing) is connected to Tsukimi Yagura (Moon Viewing Tower). It is characterized by a low stone wall, at most 6.6 meters at the main keep.
Kuromon Gate

The main gate of Honmaru. outer box shape protruding outside toward the moat is located. This type is called "Sotomasu-gata".

Tatsumitsuke Yagaura(double-second floor) and Tsukimi Yagura(single-second floor)

The main keep uses pine and tsuga as main building materials, while they are mainly made by hinoki.
Tsukimi Yagura, its three sides are vulnerable and unguarded, for entertainment rather than for battle.
Ishi-otoshi (Stone dropping windows)

Ishi-otoshi is a device to protect the castle keep, through which enemies climbing up the stone walls were attacked by stones or boiling water, etc. The main keep and the Inui little main keep, built before the Battle of Sekigahara, are conscious of battle as if they still reflect the unrest. It has almost no windows and regularly arranges between rectangular attacking space by arrows and square space by guns. In addition to the corner, the center of the main keep also have a stone dropping windows.
Taikomon Gate (main gate of Nishinomaru)
Dai-Tenshu (Large Main keep) and Inui-ko Tenshu (Small Main keep)

Because its appearance looked dark like a crow, it was also called "the Crow Castle".
The outer wall is painted in black lacquer, and the contrast with the snowy Alps in winter season is also superb.
Matsumoto Free admission park around Matsumoto Castle (paid for the Main keep and Honmaru Garden).

Various events are held throughout the four seasons.

View of Matsumoto City from the main keep

You can see the whole city around the moat and Matsumoto from the top of it. The northern Alps can be seen in the west on a clear day,

Link-1 : Japanese five castle of National Treasure

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

Link-2 : Original Main Keep

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

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