A jet-black castle with the Northern Japanese Alps in the background, Matsumoto Castle’s imposing keep is one of the only 12 valuable existing keeps in the country. It’s the oldest “go-ju roku-kai” structure, which means it has five external roofs and six internal floors. Let’s unravel its history to understand how this captivating castle was built and why it has remained until now.
The fact that Matsumoto Castle is a black castle is related to its construction by supporters of Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Gold leaf tiles have been unearthed from Matsumoto Castle, and all the castles where such tiles have been found were built by daimyo lords who followed Hideyoshi. These castles, including Matsumoto, formed a strategic line to monitor Ieyasu Tokugawa in Edo.
In 1590, Hideyoshi, who unified Japan, relocated Ieyasu to Kanto. Almost simultaneously, Kazumasa Ishikawa and his son Yasunaga began to build Matsumoto Castle. Despite unifying the country, Hideyoshi needed to keep watch on his greatest rival, Ieyasu, and entrusted Mr. Ishikawa to construct Matsumoto Castle for self-defense.
Kazumasa Ishikawa’s betrayal of Ieyasu to join Hideyoshi is a hot topic and remains a mystery. However, recent surveys suggest a convincing theory that Kazumasa, understanding the power gap between Ieyasu and Hideyoshi, became a traitor intentionally to avoid conflict.
The lord of Matsumoto Castle, who was also the lord of the domain, changed frequently during the first 50 years, from Ishikawa to Ogasawara, then to Toda, Matsudaira, and the Hotta clan. Afterward, the Mizuno family ruled for 80 years, followed by the Toda family again for the last 140 years until the Meiji Restoration. There were as many as 23 successive lords of the domain.
To get to know Matsumoto Castle better, I have created six “questions” related to the castle. Let’s explore them together.
When Shingen Takeda advanced to the Matsumoto area, he chose Fukashi Castle, the predecessor of Matsumoto Castle, as his base. Why did he choose this castle instead of another?
Shingen used Fukashi Castle as his base to control the Shinano area. During the Warring States period, many “mountain castles” were built in the mountains for defense. However, Fukashi Castle was a “flatland castle” built on flat land. Such a castle was easy to use as a base for deploying troops. Furthermore, this location was close to the Zenkoji Road, a key place for transportation and the economy, where a market was regularly held. Therefore, Shingen chose this place as a base to invade the north.
Additionally, Shingen considered defense. Matsumoto Castle is located where two fan-shaped plains overlap, providing abundant spring water just by digging a little. Shingen used this to construct the moat and deter enemies. The castle itself was built on flat land, but the Matsumoto area is in a basin surrounded by the Northern Japanese Alps and the Chikuma Mountains, which offered natural protection.
When you look at the black wall, you see square and rectangular holes. They are too small to be windows, so what could they be?
These holes are called “Sama.” When the enemy attacks, guns and arrows can be fired through these holes. It is said that there are 115 in the keep and more than 2000 throughout the castle.
The keep also has thick walls that matchlock guns could not penetrate. Rectangular holes called “Ishiotoshi” around the first floor were used to drop stones on enemies crossing the moat and climbing the stone wall. Several mechanisms were prepared for battle.
By the way, the stairs inside the keep are very steep. It might seem they were made difficult to climb to prevent intrusion, but this is not the case. The construction method at the time involved attaching stairs between two pillars, typically 1.97m apart. Therefore, the stairs leading to higher floors became steep. The ceiling on the 4th floor is 4.1m high, making the stairs from the 4th to the 5th floor the steepest, with an angle of 61 degrees and a step height of nearly 40 centimeters. Let’s try it out.
How many floors does the keep have from the outside? Count the roofs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Does that mean it’s a five-story building? But inside, there are six floors. The keep has five external roofs and six internal floors.
This is why Matsumoto Castle is called “five roofs and six floors.” It is not uncommon for keeps to have a different number of roofs and floors. Nobunaga Oda’s Azuchi Castle had the same characteristic.
The third floor of the keep is hidden from the outside, with no windows, making it difficult to see from the outside and thought to be safe. It was supposed to be a place for samurai to assemble and wait in emergencies, but it seems it was actually used as a storage room.
On the third floor, there are pillars with beautiful patterns. Why use beautifully patterned pillars in a dark floor? Was special attention given to the pillars because the space was simple? The darkness of the hidden floor stimulates the imagination.
When you go up from the 3rd floor to the 4th floor, you enter a space with a different atmosphere. This floor, with its high and bright ceiling, was designated for the lord to enter during battles.
So, where did the lord of the castle usually live? Didn’t you think the lord lived in the keep? In fact, the keep was rarely used on a daily basis. During the Warring States period, the keep existed as the final defense base of the castle, and after the Edo period, it existed as a symbol of power.
The lord of the castle lived in a palace called “Goten.” Matsumoto Castle also had a huge palace in Honmaru and Ninomaru. The Honmaru Palace, which was very close to the keep, was a place of both politics and daily life for the lord at that time. In 1727, in the middle of the Edo period, Honmaru Palace was destroyed by fire. At that time, it is said that the functions of both politics and daily life were transferred to Ninomaru Palace without being rebuilt. The inside of the palace was divided into “front” and “back.” The “front” was a place to work for political activities, and the “back” was the residence of the lord and his family. The “front” was located in the southern half of the Honmaru Palace, and the “back” was located in the northern half. The “front” and “back” were connected, and the lord moved between them.
Palaces no longer exist, but their traces remain in Honmaru and Ninomaru. I invite you to gaze upon the open sky and let your thoughts wander. The prefectural government function was placed in Ninomaru Palace for a while after the Haihan-chiken in the Meiji period.
The Tsukimi Yagura was built during a peaceful era, after the age of battles had ended. Matsumoto Castle, designated as a national treasure, consists of five buildings: Watari Yagura, Inui Kotenshu, Daitenshu, Tatsumi Tsuke Yagura, and Tsukimi Yagura. Among these, the Tsukimi Yagura, a building for moon-viewing, stands out with its unique character.
Unlike Daitenshu, which was prepared for battles, Tsukimi Yagura lacks any defensive or offensive structures. On the contrary, it has a red lacquered veranda, giving it an elegant atmosphere. Why is its character so different? It is because it was built in a different period. Tsukimi Yagura was constructed during the era when Naomasa Matsudaira was the lord. Naomasa was a cousin of Iemitsu Tokugawa, the third shogun of the Edo Shogunate. During his time, there were plans for Iemitsu to visit Matsumoto Castle on his way back from a pilgrimage to Zenkoji Temple. Consequently, the Tsukimi Yagura and the Tatsumi Tsuke Yagura were newly built.
Although Iemitsu’s pilgrimage to Zenkoji Temple was eventually canceled, and he never visited Matsumoto Castle, the plan led to the addition of these peaceful Edo-period structures to the warlike buildings of the Warring States period. Tsukimi Yagura offered an unobstructed view when the wooden doors were removed. It is likely that the castle lords enjoyed viewing the moon from this spot.
After the Edo period ended and the Meiji period began, castles across Japan fell into disrepair and were destroyed one after another. The fact that only twelve original tenshu remain in Japan is due to the loss of many during this time. Matsumoto Castle faced two major threats to its survival. It was preserved thanks to the efforts of two men who cherished the castle.
The first crisis occurred in the early Meiji period when the tenshu of Matsumoto Castle was sold and faced demolition. Ryozo Ichikawa, upon hearing this, moved to action. He appealed to the public through newspapers, highlighting the value of Matsumoto Castle, and organized expositions within the tenshu. Through five expositions, he raised funds from the public, repurchased the tenshu, and averted the crisis of demolition.
However, by the mid-Meiji period, another crisis arose as the tenshu began to deteriorate. This time, Unari Kobayashi stood up. Unari was the principal of Matsumoto middle school, which was located on the site of the Ninomaru. To raise funds for the repair of the castle, Unari traveled to Tokyo and Osaka, making every effort to preserve Matsumoto Castle as it was.
Ryozo Ichikawa and Unari Kobayashi, along with many others, acted to protect the tenshu. As a result, the castle still stands as a symbol of Matsumoto today.
The people living in Matsumoto love Matsumoto Castle. In spring, Matsumoto Castle stands amidst full-bloom cherry blossoms. In summer, it is reflected in the moat under a blue sky. In autumn, it peeks in and out among the swaying crimson leaves. In winter, it stands proudly against the backdrop of the snow-capped Alps. The seasonal scenery of the castle soothes people’s hearts and has shaped the mental landscape of Matsumoto’s residents for over 400 years. Thank you for listening. How does Matsumoto Castle appear in your heart?
