松本城

Matsumoto Castle is a National Treasure featuring a five-story, six-floor tower — the oldest surviving five-story tower in Japan. The striking contrast of black lacquered wood and white plaster walls earns it the nickname 'Crow Castle.' With the Northern Alps as its backdrop, it represents the pinnacle of Japanese castle aesthetics. Ishikawa Kazumasa and his son developed it into a modern fortress, later governed by the Matsudaira clan until the Meiji Restoration. Shinshū (Nagano) has been a sword-producing region since ancient times, and Matsumoto thrived as a base for Shinshū swordsmiths. The castle retains both wartime features like the gun storehouse and peaceful additions like the moon-viewing turret.