Matsumoto castle

Matsumoto castle is the most beautiful castle in Japan. There's no comparison among other Japanese castles. And for the visitors from the world, it is also obvious.

However, this castle doesn't have minimum site for saying a castle area. If we say this, some people would be angry. In Matsumoto castle site, there is a beautiful main tower and a main compound only.

Matsumoto castle main tower

The Matsumoto castle is one of symbolic buildings in Japan. If people select the most symbolic building in Japan, many would recommend this castle. We agree their recommendation, so, we visit it this time.

Castles made in the Sengoku era had the fate to be attacked by the enemy. Then they had many devices, equipment, and buildings to prevent enemy's assaults. If there aren't complexes of defensive equipment, are they really to be "castle"? In the Himeji castle, many remains still exist. So, we agree with the fact that it was only Japanese castle chosen as one of the world heritage sites.

And also we visited the Hikone castle already. This castle lost most of buildings. But, almost site still exist even though peripherals were drained because of development. As for the Hikone castle, we can imagine its huge scale by looking at remains and castle-mountain.

From south side

When we think of the Matsumoto castle, almost all site of it was developed and destroyed. Because it had built in the flat area. There is a part of outer moat at the north-east side of the center compound. And there is a Nino-maru compound in the east of the central compound. However, these things don't help our understanding of the heyday. How large the Matsumoto castle site was?

These things aren't crucial for us. Once more we ask you, is there any castle more beautiful than the Matsumoto castle?

Go to Matsumoto castle

Matsumoto castle is in Matsumoto city Nagano prefecture. It's 300 kilometers east of Osaka city. We remember Shinshiro city Aichi prefecture where Nagashino castle reside is 200 kilometers from Osaka city. So, we thought we had to prepare well considered itinerary.

If we choose train, the means of transportation becomes the JR train. From Shin-osaka to Nagoya, we can choose Shinkansen, and from Nagoya to Matsumoto a express train "Wide-view Shinano". That'll be the best route we can choose. And, it takes approximately 4 hours and half.

overnight bus

We thought it was the best itinerary we could choose. But, we needed to pay 115 US$ par 1 adult. We thought it would be a little heavy expenses for us.
Consequently, we tried to use an overnight bus. From Osaka JR station to Matsumoto JR station, the fare was 55 US$ par 1 adult. It would be a half of the JR train's fare.

This overnight bus starts Osaka station at 9:40PM, and arrives Matsumoto station at 6:20AM next morning. Then, we need to ride the bus almost 8 hours and 40 minutes. But, we supposed we could take sleep, so if the transit time would be double, it's not so important for us .

Booking of this plan is very easy. We can use the Internet for reservation and pay at convenience stores. If you need immediate response, you can use telephone for reservations. We came up with the conclusion to try the overnight bus.

We got on the overnight bus at Shin-osaka bus stop for our personal reason. The fare was same at each bus-stops around Osaka city. The bus stopped several bus-stops around Osaka city and Kyoto station. Then, it finally stopped at a rest area near Kyoto city at 12 p.m. for nature stop.

After this, the bus was running all night long. At 5 a.m. the next morning, it stopped at a rest area near Matumoto city for another nature stop. After this, the bus stopped at several bus-stops around Matsumoto city. And finally, it stopped at the Matsumoto station at 6:20 a.m..

Bus stop of Shin-osaka station

If you are used to getting on overnight buses, it doesn't matter. But, a person in our group spent a very hard night. He explained the situation below. He noticed the distinctive smell of the bus. It was immediately he got on it. Then, he thought it would be a terrible night, and his anxiety came true.

While the bus turned many corners and stopped at intersections, he started to feel sick. Between midnight and early morning, he was troubled with the sounds from the engine and the air conditioner. He couldn't sleep all night.

As a lesson from this incident, when you try a novelty, you should think long and hard. In some cases, your travel will be screwed up. By contrast, some of our friends like traveling on an overnight bus. For the honor of overnight buses, we add this explanation.

Go up to the main tower

In truth, we want to say let's attack Matsumoto castle, but there is only a beautiful main tower surrounded a inner moat. So, we cannot say attack Matsumoto castle this time. If some enemy tried to attack, it would be destroyed soon.

We think this castle wasn't a defensive castle also in its heydays. This castle was made by Hirajiro style. We suppose using this style was a little specific at that period. So, it was made to push itself to other people around its territory. That would be the true reason the load of Matsumoto castle's enormous main tower.

Map of Matsumoto castle (Matsumoto city HP)

The charm of Matsumoto castle is concentrated in the complex of the main tower. There are full elements, when you explain the beauty of Japanese castles.

Black walls are represent the atmosphere of the Sengoku era. And the triangle of the three buildings is the biggest attraction of it. These are the main tower, the small tower of "Inui", and "Tatsumi" turret.

By the way, we read a description of a guidebook why there are few windows on Matsumoto castle. It said this was good for the battle. But, we didn't think this description was true. Many of other castles at that time also have few windows.

Furthermore, Matsumoto castle doesn't have a balcony at the highest floor. That's not good for the battle, but for preventing coldness of this district.

inside is dark

The central compound is surrounded by an inner moat. The width of the southern part is approximately 60 meters. That was because the effective range of general arquebuses was the same. And we heard the depth had been 3 meters. However, we saw the bottom of it very closely. We supposed the depth was approximately half a meter. If it has 3 meters length actually, the rest must be a pile of sediment!

The city area of Matsumoto is in a basin and surrounded by tall mountains all around. Rain that falls in the mountains soaks into the ground. And it comes down to the center of the basin. Then we can see flowing wells in many places of Matsumoto city. And also, some flowing wells are under repair as appropriate sightseeing spots recently. We come to think of that the moats of Matsumoto castle don't depend on rivers but these flowing wells.

Kuro-mon

We entered the central compound from the gate named "Kuro-mon" or the black gate. Unfortunately, this gate isn't original. It was reconstructed in 1960. Kuro-mon gate, a small gate belonged and earthen walls surrounds the entrance area consist the defensive formation called "Masugata".

Masugata formation of the gate was adopted almost all castles at that era. And it was considered as the most defensive construction at the entrance device. We couldn't enter the inside of Kuro-mon. There was the residence (or palace) of the lord In the central compound when this castle was made.
But the fire destroyed it in 1727. And after 1727, they didn't reconstruct their residence there and they used this area as a garden.

Nothing but the main tower

As soon as we entered the inner space, we saw the main tower in front of our sight firstly. Nothing but the main tower is there. We were overwhelmed by the great force. Famous aspect of the main tower is the south side over the inner moat, and we used to see it too many times. However, we didn't use to see this side of it. It was also splendid.

Going to the main tower along a passage of the north side, we walked to the center compound almost half around. The entrance is between the center tower and the small side tower named "Inui-syoutensyu" or north-west small tower.

We went up to "Inui-syoutensyu" first. And moved to the center tower, and went up to the top floor. After that, went down to another small tower named "Tatsumi-tsukeyagura" or south-east turret. From there on, beautiful kind of viewing platform called Tsukimi yagura or turret for viewing the moon is there. Under the viewing floor is a exit. All we could do is touring this main tower. So, we felt a lack a little.

Periphery

There is another compound named "Ninomaru" at the east of the central compound. There is a vestige of another residence named "Ninomaru-goten" in it, formerly second residence of the lords. And also this residence was destroyed by another fire in the Meiji period. No wooden building is remained and only brick mark of the residential area on the ground. If you are good historian, you may understand how the residence is, but ….

Taiko-mon

East side of Ninomaru compound is faced to an outer moat, and there is another gate named "Taiko-mon" or drum gate. This gate was reconstructed in 1999. It is only building in this compound. What's more we also couldn't enter it. So, we are unsatisfied a little more.

outer moat

By the brochure description, there had been some battle towers somewhere, but we couldn't find any signs. Furthermore, there had been threefold moats and many gates. We couldn't see too.

The south area of the main tower is a huge park. Tourists take a short rest and have a relaxing time before or after entering the main tower. Adding one more thing, it's a little wasteful because it's only for this purpose. We should use this space for aother purpose.

At the corner of the park, "Matsumoto city museum" is there. That's a very common museum, many this and that. We think it's a pity.

Finally, we want to say as a "Osiro-freak", it's a shame only one spot there, even though it's the most beautiful Japanese castle. We want to find more. We came to think of one suggestion about "Matsumoto city museum". While this huge building is there, we hope to be used for Matsumoto castle.

For example, making a one-fifth model in cross section of the main tower. It will be 6 meters high, because main tower has 29.4 meters hight. It'll bring surprise. Furthermore, we want to see the full compound area model under wide pellucid full-floor. Then we can walk around where we want and see every building from a perspective of "Drone" machine.

What's this monument?

400 meters south of Matsumoto castle, there is "Metoba river". This river was the southern end of castle wide-compound. Between this river and "Yohasira shrine" is "Nawate street".