So much traveling; so many photo blogs! I went to Nagano for the long weekend and got to see Matsumoto Castle (松本城), a.k.a. Crow Castle (烏城). It’s a stunning castle to visit in the winter.
The castle has a long history dating back to the Sengoku period (戦国時代), and once belonged to the Takeda clan and Tokugawa Ieyasu. It’s designated as a national treasure.
Inside the castle is the Gun Museum, a collection of historical guns. After the Battle of Kawanakajima and this museum, I really appreciate why Lady Eboshi had to make the guns lighter for the women of Tatara in Princess Mononoke–some of these guns were 4 kgs!
Up and down several terrifying staircases later, we got a nice view of the garden.
Matsumoto is a photogenic castle, so here’s just one of the amazing views I had before leaving:
For more information on the history of this castle, check out Japanese Castle Explorer‘s page.
The Lobster Dance 
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