Matsumoto Castle — the black "Crow Castle" with an original keep
Matsumoto Castle in Nagano is one of twelve Japanese castles with an original tenshu keep: it was built at the end of the 16th century and has only been repaired since. It is the only flatland castle among the twelve and a National Treasure of Japan. Its black walls gave it the nickname "Crow Castle," though this is a later folk name, not a historical one.
Most Japanese castles tourists see are 20th-century concrete replicas: only twelve originals survived fires, wars, and demolition. Matsumoto Castle is one of them, and it stands not on a mountain or hill but right on the plain, which is rare for surviving keeps. We break down what in its history is documented and what is a beautiful legend about the black "Crow Castle," and what the kanji in its name mean.
Matsumoto Castle: the only original keep on the plain
Matsumoto Castle is a five-story wooden tenshu keep in the city of Matsumoto (Nagano Prefecture), built on a plain and never rebuilt over more than four centuries. It is one of twelve Japanese castles with an original tenshu and one of five among them designated a National Treasure of Japan.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1504 | Fukashi Castle, the predecessor of the castle, appears on this site |
| 1590 | Ishikawa Kazumasa becomes the new lord, and a large-scale reconstruction begins |
| 1594–1597 | According to 2025 dendrochronology data, the likely years the current tenshu was built |
| 1624–1644 | In the peaceful Kanei era, a moon-viewing tower is added to the tenshu |
| 1936 | The tenshu and four adjacent structures are designated National Treasures |
Why the tenshu is called "original"
"Original" here means literally: the keep was not burned down and rebuilt, as most famous Japanese castles were — it was simply repaired and has stood in place for several centuries. Among the twelve surviving tenshu, Matsumoto is the only flatland castle (平城, hirajiro): the others stand on hills or mountains, while it survived without a fortress height.
The kanji in the name: 松本城
松 — значение: pine — онъёми: ショウ — кунъёми: まつ — 8 штрих(ов). 松 — "pine": the first character in the name 松本城. The same character appears in 松島 (Matsushima) and in the New Year decoration 門松 (kadomatsu).
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 松本城 | Matsumoto-jō · Matsumoto-jō | Matsumoto Castle — the full Japanese name |
| 烏城 | karasu-jō · karasu-jō | "Crow Castle" — a colloquial nickname for its black walls |
| 平城 | hirajiro · hirajiro | Flatland castle — a rare type among surviving keeps |
| 石垣 | ishigaki · ishigaki | Stone wall base |
| 月見櫓 | tsukimi-yagura · tsukimi-yagura | Moon-viewing tower |
Write 松 along the guides — the first character in the castle's name.
What "松本" literally means
松本 is read まつもと (Matsumoto) and is composed of 松 "pine" and 本 "base, root" — literally something like "at the root of the pine." But this is the meaning of the characters, not a proven history of the name. The fortress was formerly called Fukashi (深志), and the name Matsumoto took hold at the end of the 16th century.
How Matsumoto Castle is seen today
- The tenshu remains a working museum and the main symbol of the city: you can still climb the steep original stairs inside.
- The castle's black-and-white silhouette against the Japanese Alps is one of the recognizable images of the Nagano region, used in local tourism branding.
- The castle administration itself notes on its website that the nickname "Crow Castle" does not appear in old documents and emerged in the 20th century.
FAQ
- What is Matsumoto Castle?
- Matsumoto Castle is a five-story wooden tenshu in Nagano, one of twelve Japanese castles with an original keep that has never been rebuilt. It stands on a plain, which is rare for surviving castles, and has been a National Treasure of Japan since 1936.
- When was Matsumoto Castle built?
- The fortress on this site — Fukashi — already existed in the early 16th century, and the castle took its current form under Ishikawa Kazumasa after 1590. According to a 2025 dendrochronological analysis, the tenshu itself was built around 1594–1597.
- Why is Matsumoto Castle called "Crow Castle"?
- Because of its black walls, unlike the white Himeji. But this is a colloquial nickname: according to the castle administration, it does not appear in historical documents, and the oldest written mention is found in a 1966 guidebook.
- How is Matsumoto Castle written and read in Japanese?
- 松本城, read まつもとじょう (Matsumoto-jō), romanized as Matsumoto-jō. 松 means "pine," 本 in place names usually means "at the base, at the root"; literally "at the root of the pine," and 城 at the end of the name is read with its on'yomi, jō, meaning "castle."
- What is Matsumoto Castle famous for among other surviving keeps?
- It is the only flatland castle among the twelve surviving tenshu in Japan — the other keeps stand on hills or mountains. Inside, the original wooden stairs and 16th-century construction have been preserved.
Sources
Updated: 2026-09-13