Matsumoto Castle in Nagano Prefecture is a rare castle built on flat ground. Its keep, with a dramatic black-lacquered exterior, is a National Treasure and one of the few original keeps still standing in Japan.
History
Matsumoto Castle grew out of Fukashi Castle of the Sengoku period. Under the Toyotomi government, Ishikawa Kazumasa and his son Yasunaga developed the castle and are believed to have built its keep. In the Edo period the domain passed through several families, including the Matsudaira (Toda) and Mizuno, and finally to the Toda. In the Meiji era the keep fell into disrepair, but a citizens' movement bought it back and had it repaired.
Highlights
- A five-tiered, six-story keep with a striking black exterior
- The Moon-Viewing Turret, with its red railing
- The keep reflected in the moat, with the Northern Alps behind
Map
Sources
- 公益財団法人日本城郭協会 日本100名城一覧 / retrieved 2026-09-30
- Wikidata（座標）（CC0） / retrieved 2026-09-30
- Wikipedia「松本城」（参照）（CC BY-SA 4.0） / retrieved 2026-09-30
- Photo: Matsumoto Castle 1-1.jpg（柑橘類 (talk) / CC BY-SA 3.0）