matsumoto summer ++ matsumoto castle grand views

matsumoto

The Heart of Japan -- Matsumoto ---- Matsumoto Castle is one only one of four castles in Japan to have been designated a national treasure, and to my mind it seems one of the most authentic of the historical attractions in this country. The centerpiece of a beautiful and beautifully situated city in the literal heart of Japan, Matsumoto Castle is a physical as well as cultural challenge -- getting to the top of that elegant structure can often involve scrambling up 75 degree staircases, and long, punishing ladders. But on eventually visiting Matsumoto Castle after nearly five years of failed attempts, the one thing which struck me, slaplike, right across the face, was this: I never knew that guns played such an important part of Japanese history, until I went there. It turns out, that all the samurais had guns, and they had them for a long time, too.

For example, did you know that Japanese soliders were using guns back in the 1500s? They were, and I didn't know this fact until I visited the Matsumoto Castle one sultry Kitsune-no-tenki (Fox Weather) day in August, 2005. In fact, Matsumoto Castle, which dates in its original form from 1593, was constructed in anticipation of battles with guns. The fences on the stone walls around the castle and the walls of the turret (nurigome-zukuri) are thick enough to stand bullets and provided with man arrows and gun loopholes. In fact, the main tower alone has 60 arrow and 55 gun loopholes. Remember, this castle dates from the latter 1500s. Far from being a modern innovation, guns and gun warfare have been an integral part of Japanese history for nearly five centuries -- Matsumoto Castle taught me this!

A little background on this monumental building first then, before I talk about guns: Matsumoto Castle is a "plains" castle, originating from the earlier Fukashi Castle built in 1504. The Ogasawara Family later extended it and gave it its present name. The castle comprises a 6-storey main donjon plus small adjacent towers such as the "Inui" mini donjon and a quaint, beautiful moon-viewing tower.

In 1543 the Portuguese introduced guns to Japan. According to the sources at the time, firearms spread rapidly throughout Japan, greatly changing the art of war. The impact of their introduction, is written all over the architectural design of Matsumoto Castle. You can also see many of the venerated old firearms inside the castle, or the nearby museum.

It's about defence, defence, defence: the staircases at Matsumoto Castle were deliberately designed to be difficult to climb, to make it that much harder for invaders to penetrate. The same creed was taken as a motto for the design of Greater Matsumoto City. According to one webcaster: "You will notice when walking around the town that there are few crossroads - most intersections are L-shaped or T-shaped, this was quite deliberate in that era, in that it further aided the defence of the castle, providing extra fields of fire to draw an enemy into (though at the expense of the town burning down during the battle). The Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines are located on the east side of the town. To the west were the samurai and the merchants. The merchants were forced to live in one of three areas according to their social ranking and/or occupation - three neighbourhoods on the main street, ten on the byroads, and 24 narrow alleyways. The samurai was also divided into middle class and lower class neighbourhoods - and these were actually separated by a gate."



	matsumoto The Heart of Japan -- Matsumoto ---- Matsumoto Castle is one only one of four castles in Japan to have been designated a national treasure, and to my mind it seems one of the most authentic of the historical attractions in this country. The centerpiece of a beautiful and beautifully situated city in the literal heart of Japan, Matsumoto Castle is a physical as well as cultural challenge -- getting to the top of that elegant structure can often involve scrambling up 75 degree staircases, and long, punishing ladders. But on eventually visiting Matsumoto Castle after nearly five years of failed attempts, the one thing which struck me, slaplike, right across the face, was this: I never knew that guns played such an important part of Japanese history, until I went there. It turns out, that all the samurais had guns, and they had them for a long time, too. For example, did you know that Japanese soliders were using guns back in the 1500s? They were, and I didn't know this fact until I visited the Matsumoto Castle one sultry Kitsune-no-tenki (Fox Weather) day in August, 2005. In fact, Matsumoto Castle, which dates in its original form from 1593, was constructed in anticipation of battles with guns. The fences on the stone walls around the castle and the walls of the turret (nurigome-zukuri) are thick enough to stand bullets and provided with man arrows and gun loopholes. In fact, the main tower alone has 60 arrow and 55 gun loopholes. Remember, this castle dates from the latter 1500s. Far from being a modern innovation, guns and gun warfare have been an integral part of Japanese history for nearly five centuries -- Matsumoto Castle taught me this! A little background on this monumental building first then, before I talk about guns: Matsumoto Castle is a "plains" castle, originating from the earlier Fukashi Castle built in 1504. The Ogasawara Family later extended it and gave it its present name. The castle comprises a 6-storey main donjon plus small adjacent towers such as the "Inui" mini donjon and a quaint, beautiful moon-viewing tower. In 1543 the Portuguese introduced guns to Japan. According to the sources at the time, firearms spread rapidly throughout Japan, greatly changing the art of war. The impact of their introduction, is written all over the architectural design of Matsumoto Castle. You can also see many of the venerated old firearms inside the castle, or the nearby museum. It's about defence, defence, defence: the staircases at Matsumoto Castle were deliberately designed to be difficult to climb, to make it that much harder for invaders to penetrate. The same creed was taken as a motto for the design of Greater Matsumoto City. According to one webcaster: "You will notice when walking around the town that there are few crossroads - most intersections are L-shaped or T-shaped, this was quite deliberate in that era, in that it further aided the defence of the castle, providing extra fields of fire to draw an enemy into (though at the expense of the town burning down during the battle). The Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines are located on the east side of the town. To the west were the samurai and the merchants. The merchants were forced to live in one of three areas according to their social ranking and/or occupation - three neighbourhoods on the main street, ten on the byroads, and 24 narrow alleyways. The samurai was also divided into middle class and lower class neighbourhoods - and these were actually separated by a gate."
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