Matsumoto castle

Matsumoto castle, Matsumoto-shi, Nagano   Matsumoto castle is one of Japan’s oldest existing castle, and it is designated as a national treasure along with Hikone Castle, Himeji Castle and Inuyama Castle. It was built by Kazumasa Ishikawa and his son Yasunaga in 1590. Because of the elegant black colored roof, …

Matsumae castle

Matsumae Castle, Snowbound   Matsumae city lies at the tip of the Oshima Peninsula, roughly 100 kilometers west of Hakodate in southern Hokkaido. During the Edo period Matsumae throve as a port on the so-called North-Bound Shipping Route (kitamaebune) that carried herring, salmon, kombu seaweed, and other fruits of the …