Matsumoto city, Nagano prefecture, is 240 kilometers northwest from Tokyo.
It takes less than 3 hours from Shinjuku station, Tokyo by limited express, Azusa.
It has a population of 243 thousand and is located in a basin surrounded by Japan Alps range
of 3,000 meters high.
The city boasts Matsumoto castle called "Crow castle", which is designated national treasure
together with those of Himeji, Hikone, Inuyama and Matsue castle.
It was constructed in 1593 and 1594 by ISHIKWA Kazumasa, one of vassals of
TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi, one of the three great heroes of civil war period.
The castle remains intact with two donjons i.e. keeps.
The main donjon of six (6) stories is 29.4 meters high and the second 16.8 meters high.

A small antiship cannon on display.

Third floor which cannot be seen from
outside and serves for the samurai to take rest
and prepare for a battle under a siege.

Matchlocks on display

Room on the fourth floor for a feudal lord
in case of battle

Fifth floor is conference room, where high
ranking samurai had meetings on the operations.

Stairs from the top to the fifth floor.

6th (or top) floor of the main donjon.

This is Odaiko (or Big drum) gate, which was one of castle defense systems at that time
by dual gates and a small space between them.

The castle is surrounded by moats of more than 55 meters wide, because the shooting range of
matchlocks was about 55 meters and the moats have defensive works with waters.

The city center and the moat are seen through
the window of the top floor of the main donjon.

The main donjon is in the center, the second
at right, and Tatsumi and Tsukimi towers at left.

One set of armor for a high rank warrior
and a matchlock on display.