Matsumoto Castle, Nagano Pref.

Over the weekend I took my son to Matsumoto Castle in Nagano Prefecture, one of the most beautiful castles in this part of Japan. Built in 1590 at the tail end of Japan's "warring states" period, the castle is not only breathtaking to behold from the outside but fascinating to explore inside, with its many floors and rooms including a special space for viewing the moon at night. Fast forward to the Meiji Era, when Japan was busy modernizing in emulation of Great Britain and the United States: the castle was actually sold at auction and scheduled to be demolished so that its iron fittings could be melted down for the scrap value. Happily, a local resident named Ryozo Ichikawa lead the charge to save the castle and have it protected by the local government. Sadly, many of Japan's old castles were located in major cities and did not survive World War II, which gives us a reason to treasure the ones that are still standing all the more.

Matsumoto Castle is one of the best castles accessible from Tokyo, and I recommend you try to visit sometime.