Matsue Castle

Background

Matsue Castle stands on Shiroyama in Tono-machi, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. Also known as Chidori-jō (Plover Castle), it has the only surviving original keep in the San'in region and is one of the five castles whose keeps are National Treasures (the others are Inuyama, Matsumoto, Hikone and Himeji). The wooden keep is of the composite watchtower type, with four roof tiers outside, five floors inside and one basement level; the first and second tiers are clad in black-coated weatherboards, the upper parts of the third and fourth tiers are finished in white plaster, and the stone walls use the gobō-zumi technique. Lake Shinji can be seen from the keep, the castle grounds are listed among Japan's 100 best cherry blossom spots, and Horikawa sightseeing boats circle the outer moat. The Horio clan began building the castle on Kameda-yama in 1607, and it was largely complete by early 1611. After the Horio clan, Kyōgoku Tadataka ruled briefly, and from 1638 Matsudaira Naomasa and his descendants were the lords. After the castle was abandoned in the early Meiji period, the keep was sold and faced demolition, but the local wealthy farmer Katsube Motouemon and the former retainer Takashiro Gonpachi (also given as Takagi Gonpachi) put up the money to buy it back. A full dismantling and repair took place from 1950 to 1955. In 2012 a prayer tablet inscribed "Keichō 16, first month, auspicious day" was found at Matsue Shrine, confirming when the keep was completed, and on July 8, 2015 the keep was designated a National Treasure. One explanation links the name Chidori-jō to the shape of the keep's roofs. According to the Shōhō-era castle plans, the keep then had chidori-hafu gables on its second and third tiers, unlike its present form.

Local customs

• Climb the keep to see its wooden structure and look out over Lake Shinji and Matsue city from the top floor
• take a Horikawa sightseeing boat around the outer moat (about 3.7 kilometers and about 50 minutes
• check boarding points and operations in official announcements)
• also visit Shiroyama Park, the Matsue History Museum, the samurai residences, and Lafcadio Hearn's former residence and memorial museum around Shiomi Nawate.

Travel tips

• The keep is scheduled for large-scale preservation repairs from June 2027 to December 2030, during which it will be closed to visitors for a total of about 8 months
• the schedule may change, so check official announcements for open areas and fees before you go. Shiroyama Park and the Horikawa boats can be combined with a visit to the keep.
• From JR Matsue Station, take an Ichibata bus or city bus for about 10 minutes to "Kokuhō Matsue-jō (Ōte-mae)" or "Kenchō-mae," then walk about 5–10 minutes
• from Matsue-Shinjiko-Onsen Station on the Ichibata Electric Railway, it is about 5 minutes by bus. Spring cherry blossoms and autumn days on Shiroyama are both lovely, and the black-and-white contrast of the castle in winter snow is a highlight
• dates of seasonal events such as Suitōro (water lantern walks) are as officially announced.