Matsumoto Castle, National Treasure castle in Marunouchi, Japan
Matsumoto Castle is a fortress in Nagano Prefecture and one of the oldest surviving wooden castles in Japan. The structure stands above a stone base and moat, displaying five external tiers and six internal floors beneath a dark timber facade with three turrets attached.
Completed in the early 1500s, the fortress served as a military base during a century of civil conflict and later passed through the hands of several feudal lords. Its narrow archer and gunner windows reflect its wartime purpose before the country entered a long period of peace.
Local artists often set up easels around the grounds, painting the dark walls and turrets while families and school groups move through the main tower to see armor and weapons displayed inside. The community gathers here for seasonal festivals, where performers play drums or stage torch-lit theater on the lawns facing the moat.
You can reach the grounds on foot from Matsumoto Station or by taking a local shuttle that stops near the main entrance. The steep wooden stairs inside require sturdy footwear and may challenge visitors with limited mobility.
The interior floors frame distant mountain peaks through narrow slits, offering sightlines that once guided defenders scanning the horizon for approaching armies. Low ceilings and cramped corridors show how soldiers lived and moved quickly between levels during times of danger.
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