Don’t you feel this black castle is so cool?
This is Matsumoto castle,located Matsumoto city,Nagano prefecture,Japan.
I’ll introduce Matsumoto city,Nagano prefecture,Japan in this article.
The symbol of Matsumoto city is Matsumoto castle.
It takes about 15 minutes from JR Matsumoto station.
You can go by bus or taxi there,but I recommend to walk.
Because street of Matsumoto is so beautiful and easy to walk.
And you’ll discover interesting things on the road.
This is Koinobori(means carp streamer).
In Japanese custom,Koinobori is seen on May 5th.It is children’s day,especially boys.
Every houses decorate own Koinobori to hope boys grow up strong like carp.
It was July.So I was lucky.
Here is Chitosebashi bridge,Metobagawa river.
When I crossed river,I discovered big frog statue.
Here is Nawatedori street.A small but beautiful,quaint street along to Metobagawa river.
Frog is symbol of this street.
Once Metobagawa river got dirty.And frog was decreased.
People decided to keep Metobagawa river clean as Frog can live.
So frog is symbol of Nawatedori street.
Many shops.
Various frogs are seen.
In Nawatedori street,there is Yohashirajinja shrine.
If you pray here,you can make all of your hope true!
After praying,let’s go toward castle.
Tourist information is on the road to the castle.
Matsumoto is full of beautiful water.
You’ll find these well all over the city.
In hot day,you can feel cool.
Now We arrived Matsumoto castle.
Black wall is so cool!Here is national treasure.
It is 29.4m high.
Reflection is beautiful.
You can climb top of the castle.
The top floor is called “Tenshukaku” in Japanese.
Black castle and red bridge is good contrast.
Here is garden.
Looking up from near.
Ishigaki(means rock wall) is like jigsaw puzzle.
And here is interior of castle.
If you enter the castle,it takes charge bellow.
Adult
610 yen
Under 15 years old(under junior high school student)
300 yen
Open
From 8:30AM to 5:00PM(last enter is 4:30PM)
Close
from December 29 to January 3
Matsumoto Castle(English, Chinese, Korean)
Steps are so narrow and steep.
Watch your step and take care of each other.
Here is also museum.
These small windows are for shooting and lookout.
Square is for gun,oblong is for arrow.
These are view from Tenshukaku.
Beautiful ceiling design made with Kawara(roof tile) and statue.
General view from Tenshukaku.
Tenshukaku is a little bit narrow.
God is worshiped at ceiling of Tenshukaku.
But I couldn’t take photos well.
And these are other photos of Matsumoto city.
This is family crest of successive lord of a Matusmoto castle.
This is a clock meuseum near Chitosebashi bridge,Metobagawa river.
This is “Kura”(Japanese old garage) style restaurant.
This is manhole of Matsumoto city.
In Japan,famous travel destination city has beautiful manhole design.
It express each cities.To pay attention to manhole may make your travel a little more fun.
This night I stayed at ryokan(Japanese style hotel).
Its name is Kanaukan.It opened in 1928.It is historical architecture.
Here is my friend’s birth house.And now,his young brother is manager.
Retro Japanese style beautiful ryokan.
You can enjoy delicious dinner and relaxing Onsen bath.
I could not take pictures well.
But you can see beautiful pictures at HP of Kanaukan.
And I want to introduce one more cultural site in Matsumoto.
Here is The former Kaichi School.
Entrance Fee
Adult
300yen
Under 15 years old(under junior high school student)
150 yen
Open
From 8:30AM to 5:00PM(last enter is 4:30PM)
Close
Mondays (but open on National Holiday-Mondays, closed next day instead
from December 29 to January 3
Beautiful design.
This school was built 1876.
And now museum about Japanese education.
You can know about history of Japanese education.
This is the student’s desk,Edo period(1603–1868).
This is student’s desk and chair,Meiji period(1868–1912).
This is student’s desk and chair,Taisho period(1912–1926).
This is studying scene,Edo period(1603–1868).
In Edo period,children expect samurai studied like this.Here was called “Terakoya”.
And this is studying scene,Meiji period(1868–1912).
Fashion was varied.It is influenced Meiji Restoration.
This is a textbook used for subject “Shushin”.
Shushin is teached between 1890-1945.
After the end of WW2,it was obsoleted.
Here is written like this.
“Kohei Kiguchi went on battlefield bravely.
He had been shot by enemy and dead,but he never released his trumpet from his mouse.”
*Kohei Kiguchi is real soldier
I felt scary to read this part.Because I felt it assist to promote war.
Later,I examined about Shushin,and I thought not all of Shusin is scary.
There ware also good pages.
But it does not mean to revive Shushin.
Because it is possible to know ethics by other peaceful way.
These are the same Math textbook.
This is before and during WW2.
This is after WW2. Called “Suminuri Kyoukasho(means black painted textbook)”
After WW2,Japan was governed by GHQ.
Then,education which GHQ judged lead to war is banned.
But new textbook was not provided,black painted textbook was used.
I think education is very important.
We must make peaceful world by education.
So I want to visit here many foreign people to know about history of Japanese education.
And of course,now Japanese education is peaceful and friendly.
I felt sophisticated atmosphere from Matsumoto city.
Clean street,beautiful water,high education,cool castle.
I introduced only cultural site of Matsumoto city.
But there are beautiful natural site for example Kamikouchi.
I want to go those natural site next time.
Information
Matumoto City (English and other language)
Related Article : Sublime Nature,Togakushi,Nagano