The fact that Japan manages to keep its past alive is no secret and should be well known already. Especially the many domestic and foreign tourists who visit the Land of the Rising Sun will be able to confirm this. In addition to the many temples and shrines that can be found throughout the country, there are also a number of castles that should not be missed. Unfortunately, many of them have been damaged or destroyed in the course of history, but some of them have been rebuilt and are still popular tourist destinations today. A few castles have even been preserved in their original state and are therefore genuine, original witnesses to earlier epochs, when there were still daimyo residing in those places and the samurai were still in charge.

These include, for example, Matsumoto-jo Castle, which is also known as Crow Castle (烏城, karasujō). The name is due to its dark color but also its fan-like shape and I can confirm from my two visits there that it is extremely fitting. The castle is located in the city of Matsumoto right in the middle of the main island of Honshu and is quite easy and convenient to reach when coming from Tokyo.

The origins of the castle date back to the Sengoku period, the time of the great civil wars. As just mentioned, Matsumoto-jo has survived all periods of war unscathed and is one of the few castles in Japan to have survived in its original state. The current castle complex was first called Fukashi-jo and was built in the 16th century by the Ogasawara clan. After a century of battles, the military leader Tokugawa Ieyasu finally took control of the land and the local samurai leader, the daimyo, also pledged fealty to the new shogun and the castle was renamed Matsumoto-jo.

The castle makes a truly imposing impression from the outside and is the highlight of any visit to Matsumoto. Most travelers will probably want to visit other cities first on their first visit to Japan, but if the opportunity arises, Matsumoto should definitely not be overlooked. Matsumoto-jo is well worth a visit, and it is always interesting and exciting to delve a little deeper into the history of this great country here in the Far East....

Hopefully some day I will be able to come here again myself and then I will surely pay another visit to this gem of a castle. Some places need to be seen and explored not just once but again and again. And if the chance arises in the future, I will be all in to do it again...