Matsue Castle, a national treasure in Shimane Prefecture, is a flat mountain castle built on Mt. The exterior of the castle tower is four-storied, with an interior structure of five floors and one basement floor, and is classified as a compound watchtower-type tower with a tsuke-yagura (a turret) at the entrance. Most of the exterior walls are clapboarded in black, and defensive devices such as a narrow space, a stone pit, and a stone slab are placed here and there. The interior has a well and salt cellar, and was built with a strong awareness of actual battles.
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A variety of facilities that can survive for a month in a siege
Matsue Castle is the only existing castle tower in Japan that has a well inside the castle tower. It is now half buried, but was once 24 meters deep. It is also equipped with a latrine, which is rare for a castle keep. It is said to have been built to withstand a siege for up to a month! The castle is truly a defensive fortress.
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The key to this national treasure lies in the “structure” that compensates for the lack of wood with wisdom.
One of the deciding factors in Matsue Castle being selected as a National Treasure is its distinctive structure. At the time of its construction, many castles were being built simultaneously across Japan, and there was a shortage of wood to make the large pillars called shinbashira. For this reason, Matsue Castle did not use shinbashira, and 96 of the 308 pillars of the castle tower were short, two-story-long through pillars. This structure is rare in Japan.
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The view from the top floor of the castle tower makes you feel like a lord!
The top floor of the castle tower, called “Tengu-no-Ma,” has no walls and is surrounded by no tall buildings, allowing for a 360-degree view of the castle town. In those days, it also served as a command post for monitoring the enemy and preparing for attacks. On a clear day, you can enjoy a panoramic view of beautiful Lake Shinji, which successive generations of Matsue feudal lords must have enjoyed, as if they were lords of Matsue.
Himeji Castle, a national treasure, is located in Hyogo Prefecture. Famous warlords such as Kanpei Kuroda, Hideyoshi Hashiba, and Terumasa Ikeda have served as the lord of the castle. In 1993, Himeji Castle was registered as Japan's first World Heritage Site along with Horyuji Temple in Nara, and in 2015, after five and a half years of conservation and repair work on the main keep, the castle was grandly opened. In 2015, after five and a half years of “conservation and repair,” the castle celebrated its grand opening. Himeji Castle is also known as “Shirasagi-jo” (White Egret Castle) because of its graceful appearance, which attracts many visitors with its characteristic “interconnecting towers” and beautiful white plaster.
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“The overwhelming presence of the “The interconnecting keep.”
The castle tower of Himeji-jo consists of three small towers and four watchtowers connected to the central main tower, which is a “continuous tower” structure. This structure is considered to be relatively highly defensive and has an overwhelming presence. The inside of the main keep is open for tours, so when you visit, you will be able to experience the scale of the castle firsthand.
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“Hidden in the beauty of white plaster The secret of the strength of the “defensive castle” hidden in the beauty of the white plaster.”
The dazzling white plaster catches the eye even from a distance. The wood was completely covered with white plaster in the “so-nuri-gome” technique, which prevented the spread of fire caused by firearms that were popular at the time of the castle's construction. The castle is also equipped with devices to prevent the invasion of large armies, and visitors can experience its practicality as a “defensive castle” by actually visiting the castle.
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“Can you figure it out if you look carefully? The mystery of the 'orca' for those in the know.”
Eleven shachihoko (mythical orcas) adorn the main keep. Shachihoko are used in castle architecture to protect against fire. A-un” or ‘a-un’ or ‘a-un’ or ‘a-un’ or ‘a-un’ or ‘a-un’ or ‘a-un’ or ‘a-un’ or ‘a-un’ or ‘a-un’ is the male and ‘un’ or ‘un’ or ‘closed mouth’ is the female, respectively. The reason for this is that only female orcas are left in existence, and the female orcas are used as models for repairs.
Hikone Castle is a national treasure in Shiga Prefecture. The castle was built on Mt. Hikone (Mt. Kinkame) on the shore of Lake Biwa over a period of about 20 years from 1604 as the foundation of the Ii family's 350,000-goku Hikone domain under the order of Ieyasu Tokugawa. Even today, the castle tower, a three-story national treasure, stands proudly and majestically in the lush greenery of the castle mountain, surrounded by moats. In addition to the castle tower, Hikone Castle has many other cultural assets such as turrets, gates, walls, and stonewalls that show the political structure of the Edo period, which is unique in the world. These castle landscapes can be seen from the castle town area, giving us a taste of the Edo period.
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“The castle did not fall in a siege. The relocated “lucky keep””
The castle tower of Hikone Castle was relocated from Otsu Castle, which was located in Otsu, in the Konan area. It is said that the castle tower of Otsu Castle was an “auspicious tower” that did not fall during the siege of Sekigahara Battle, and was moved to Hikone at the direction of Tokugawa Ieyasu. It consists of three floors and three layers of roofs, and features a complex design with large decorative roofs.
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“Beautiful landscapes from the Edo period remain. Daimyo Gardens also.”
Genkyu-en Garden, located northeast of Hikone Castle, is a feudal lord's garden where the scenery remains as it was in paintings of the Edo period. Various forms of bridges are built across the island in the middle of the pond, allowing visitors to walk around while enjoying the scenery. During the Edo period, the garden was not only a place to enjoy beautiful scenery, but also a place where the feudal lord and his vassals practiced the tea ceremony and martial arts.
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“Can you understand the Edo period by looking at Hikone Castle? A valuable cultural asset for understanding politics.”
Inside the inner moat of Hikone Castle, there are still many facilities where politics and ceremonies for governing the territory were held, including Omote-goden and Genkyu-en. The number of these facilities is the largest in Japan, and all of them are well preserved. Hikone Castle is the only place where you can learn about the political system of the Edo period.
Inuyama Castle, a national treasure, was built in 1537 during the Muromachi Period in Aichi Prefecture. The castle boasts the oldest existing castle tower in Japan. The castle is built on top of a small mountain on the banks of the Kiso River, a major river, and is protected by a precipitous cliff approximately 50 meters high, giving it the name “Ushiro Kengo” (castle with a solid rear). The view from the top of the castle tower is spectacular. During the Edo period (1603-1867), the castle was connected to the Nakasendo and Kiso Kaido roads, and prospered as a strategic point for trade by the Kiso River that flows directly below it. During many wars, the castle was fought over by three heroes, including Nobunaga Oda, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, and Ieyasu Tokugawa. The castle has passed through the stormy waves of history, including earthquakes, and has been handed down to the present day.
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“Nature and architecture. The view from the keep is spectacular!”
On the top floor of the watchtower-shaped keep, there is a corridor where visitors can check out the surroundings. The view of the town, including Inuyama Castle Town, can be seen from the top of the tower. The view is truly spectacular! On a clear day, you can see the beautiful Kiso River, Mount Ontake, Gifu Castle, Nagoya Station Building, and more.
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“Wooden architecture that carves history Feel the history with all five senses.”
Many pieces of wood from the time the castle was built have been preserved at Inuyama Castle. The warmth of the old timbers, which are worthy of the name “National Treasure,” and which have been carved into the castle's history, is a must-see experience. Inside the castle, you will be able to feel and enjoy the history of Inuyama Castle with all five senses, such as the sound of the floor creaking when you walk on it and the gaps that have been created by the passage of time.
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“Protecting Inuyama Castle from typhoons? Kamiki “Osugi-sama”.”
To the east of the castle tower, there is a cedar tree surrounded by turrets (yagura). This cedar tree was slightly taller than Inuyama Castle, but was killed by lightning during Typhoon Isewan. Since then, local residents have been worshipping the cedar tree with a sacred rope, believing that the tree took the place of Inuyama Castle.
Matsumoto Castle, a national treasure in Nagano Prefecture, is Japan's oldest surviving five-story, six-story castle tower. The castle tower is said to have been built between 1593 and 1594, with the upper part of the walls covered with white plaster and the lower part with black lacquered clapboards, creating an exquisite contrast of black and white. The castle tower was completed at the end of the Warring States period, and the moon-viewing tower was added in the Kan'ei period (1624-1644) after the world had settled down. Matsumoto Castle is the only castle in Japan where the castle tower and the moon-viewing tower are combined in one structure, showing how the meaning of the castle tower changed with the times.
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“The collaboration of the Northern Alps and Matsumoto Castle The collaboration of the Northern Alps and Matsumoto Castle is breathtakingly beautiful.”
One of the charms of Matsumoto Castle is its beautiful scenery. The contrast between the white of the stucco and the black of the lacquer creates a dignified appearance of the castle tower, and the sight of the castle towering over the mountains of the Northern Alps can only be seen at Matsumoto Castle. When you visit, be sure to catch a glimpse of the overwhelming scale of the castle.
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“Don't miss the fantastic Matsumoto Castle at night Don't miss the fantastic Matsumoto Castle at night!”
Matsumoto Castle usually holds laser mapping from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily from December to February. The beautiful Matsumoto Castle, colored with light and sound, appears to float on the surface of the water in the moat, which is truly a spectacular sight. Visitors can discover new charms of Matsumoto Castle through its fantastic appearance that is different from the usual.
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“Pay attention to the moats and the springs that support the lives of the citizens. Attention should also be paid to the spring water.”
The area surrounding Matsumoto Castle is rich in spring water and has been selected as one of the “100 Best Spring Waters of the Heisei Era” as the “Matsumoto Castle Town Spring Group. The water in the moat of Matsumoto Castle also comes from these springs. The waterways that run through the city have played an important role since the Edo period as water for daily life and fire prevention for the common people, and they continue to enrich the lives of citizens even today.
