The center of the castle, or Honmaru, played a crucial role in the castle following the period when Nobuyuki Sanada ruled Matsushiro. It is merely an empty space now, but the feudal lord used to live his life here, dealing with daily politics.
A huge stone wall sits on the front left side of the Tsuzumimon Gate. Climb the stone wall and look to the north, where the city lies. You can see the Chikuma River flowing far into the distance, but originally, it’s said to have run just north of the castle. This river acted as a natural barrier against enemies.
So why is it located so far off now? The Chikuma River, with its strong current, has flooded numerous times and damaged the castle. Records state that the feudal lord had to escape on a ship from the center of the castle in the middle of the Edo period due to a great flood. Apparently, the entire castle area sank into the water at that time.
To avoid further water damage, the flow of the Chikuma River was changed, and the castle center was transferred to another area in the castle. Matsushiro is a city that lived alongside the water, but its history depicts its battle with water as well.
