After lunch and a JR ride back to Matsumoto, I went to the Clock Museum to get me one of them thar free bicycles. I filled out the form and was told to bring it back before 1700. Easy. No deposit required and only a cursory ID check (US Passport with scary picture).
According to the maps at the JR eki, it’s about 1.2 KM to Matsumoto-jo. Thank goodness I had a bicycle! Remember, it’s still hot and humid outside. Walking is a bit of a chore. Riding is much easier. It took only a few minutes to cover this distance on wheels. Matsumoto-jo is one of two castles with a moon viewing room and the oldest intact castle in Japan.
Someone viewing something from the moon viewing room
It’s called the “Crow Castle” because it’s in varying shades of black
Many of the other castles in Japan were either burned down (Japan and fire dun mix, since there’s a lot of wood here), destroyed and rebuilt, or were flattened by the 14th Air Force in WWII. Some castles in Japan were just lucky to not have been damaged during the war. Matsumotojo escaped war damage because A: There’s nothing here of strategic value and B: Matsumotojo was state of the art for its time but was never laid siege to in anger back in the day.
But it’s laid siege to every day by visitors. And I’m one of the horde! Wahahahah!
When you reach the top of the tower (where the Shogun had his office), you’re rewarded with a commanding view of the Matsumoto area.
View from the top of the tower. Puuuurty!
The castle has bi-lingual signage when it comes to telling the story about the castle.
All the floors are open on a self-guided tour and there was method to the design of the castle. Like these hella steep stairs. Some of the older folks couldn’t climb up. The kids loved scampering up and down these stairs. I was somewhere inbetween.
Climbing these “stairs” was akin to climbing up a verry steep ladder
The view looking down. Yes, it’s quite high.
Besides the castle, there’s a collection of ancient weapons donated by one of Matsumoto’s leading citizens. The collection ranges from matchlocks to flintlocks to the first revolvers.
Some of the first firearms introduced to Japan
And this was once all a private collection! The weapons displays, however was mostly in Japanese. Hopefully they’ll be a translation soon. It’s neat stuff, worthy of a History Channel special.
Well, I think it says something about the first matchlocks used in combat in Japan…
Assembly instructions. Got it. Just like IKEA furniture…
Musings of a Food and Travel Addict