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The "black crow" castle
Follow in the footsteps of samurai at Matsumoto Castle, one of the best preserved original castles in Japan.
Known as the "black crow" thanks to its dark wood, Matsumoto Castle is six storeys high and unusual for having a secondary donjon and turret attached to the main keep. It is possible to climb up inside the castle building via a series of very steep staircases. Do watch your head; as the samurai coats of armour inside the castle attest, people were a lot smaller when the castle was built in the late 16th century!
The castle is a hirajiro which means it was built on a plain rather than on top of a mountain and today the castle sits in the centre of Matsumoto City. There is a pretty vermillion bridge in the castle grounds, and in spring it is a popular cherry blossom spot.
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