Introducing the history and highlights of Matsuzaka Castle ruins! We will also explain parking lots and photo spots.
掲載日：2022.02.15
Matsuzaka Castle was built by Ujisato Gamo and is now a symbol of Matsusaka with its magnificent stone walls remaining. Cherry blossoms, wisteria, and ginkgo trees decorate the stone walls, making it popular with people throughout the year. From the castle ruins, you can see a panoramic view of the townscape that retains the vestiges of a castle town. Introducing the highlights, history, and photogenic spots of the Matsuzaka Castle ruins!
Mie photographer ``Fugamaru-chan'' and his partner ``Cham'' bring you information that will make you love Mie even more. This article is about the "Matsuzaka Castle Ruins".
▼Table of contents
- What is Matsuzaka Castle Ruins?
- Gamo Ujisato's achievements and history
- Parking location
- Highlights of Matsuzaka Castle ruins
- magnificent stone wall
- Scenery of the four seasons
- MotooriNorinaga former residence
- MatsusakaCity History and Folklore Museum
- Walking around town in kimono
- Photogenic spot
- Overlooking the townscape
- Stone wall of Omotemonzeki
- Sukezaemon Gomon Remains
- Stone pavement of GojobanYashiki
- stone wall facing the road
What is Matsuzaka Castle Ruins?
Matsuzaka Castle is a Hirayama castle built by Gamo Ujisato in 1588, and there is an anecdote that it was completed approximately three years after construction began.
*Hirayama Castle is a castle built on a mountain, hill, etc. in a plain.
There used to be a three-story castle tower, but now only the magnificent stone walls remain, conveying the essence of the castle to the present day.
FugamaruMatsuzaka Castle Ruins was selected as one of Japan's top 100 castles in 2006, and was designated as a nationally designated historic site in 2011.
The castle ruins have been developed as a park, and there is an observation spot that overlooks the townscape.
In the second half of theChamu article, we will introduce the observation spots of the Matsuzaka Castle ruins in detail ♫
Gamo Ujisato's achievements and history
*The photo above shows the warrior procession at the Ujisato Festival.
Gamo Ujisato married Nobunaga's daughter, Fuyuhime, who was recognized by Oda Nobunaga for her talent as a military commander. Later, he was given 120,000 koku by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and built the Matsuzaka Castle ruins in 1588.
After that, Ujisato achieved many great successes, but fell ill and died at the young age of 40.
Ujisato's town development aimed at reflecting commerce was the beginning of the ``Matsuzaka merchants'' who later became active in Edo.
Ujisato is still praised as the ``father of Matsusaka's founding,'' and the ``Ujisato Festival'' is held every fall.
*Canceled in 2020 and 2021 to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection.
Parking location
There is no dedicated parking lot at the Matsusaka Castle Ruins, but the adjacent MatsusakaCity Parking Lot is about a 3-minute walk from the front gate of the Matsusaka Castle Ruins, and parking is free.
This parking lot can accommodate 210 vehicles, but it is also used by users of nearby facilities, so it can be full even on weekdays.
If the parking lot is full, please use a nearby paid parking lot (coin parking lot). You can also use the MatsusakaCity parking lot, which is only open to the public on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
Highlights of Matsuzaka Castle ruins
We will introduce the highlights of the stone walls and historical buildings at the Matsuzaka Castle ruins, as well as points of interest for sightseeing.
magnificent stone wall
There are many things to see at the Matsuzaka Castle ruins, but the stone wall is one of the most magnificent in the country.
The existing stone walls were built by a group of stone wall craftsmen called ` ano'' who were active during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, and you can witness the high level of skill of our predecessors.
Stone walls at the Matsuzaka Castle ruins are constructed using the following three construction methods.
① Field look
At the time of the castle's construction, the stone walls were constructed using a construction method called "Nozurazumi." This construction method is characterized by piling up natural stones in almost the same shape, and stones of various sizes are used for the stone walls.
② Hammered hook
Uchikomi Hagi is a construction method in which stones are processed into shapes that are easy to stack and then piled up. It is characterized by filling small stones between stones to fill the gaps.
③ Stacking arithmetic blocks
Sangizumi is a method used for stacking the corners of stone walls, and is a method of stacking long and short rectangular parallelepiped stones alternately.
The stone walls of the FugamaruMatsuzaka Castle ruins were restored during the Edo period, and the stone walls were rebuilt using the methods of ``uchikomi hagi'' and ``sanki-zumi.''
Scenery of the four seasons
At the Matsuzaka Castle ruins, you can see seasonal scenery such as cherry blossoms, plum blossoms, wisteria, and ginkgo biloba. The cherry blossoms are particularly popular, and the area is crowded with cherry blossom viewing visitors when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.
FugamaruThe cherry blossoms that bloom surrounding the stone wall are breathtakingly beautiful! The best time to see cherry blossoms is around the end of March, and in 2021, the peak of cherry blossom viewing was on March 30th.
A cherry blossom illumination event will also be held.
The cherry blossoms are illuminated from late March to early April. A must-see is the illumination of the stone wall of Ujisato Gamo's family emblem, ``Mukai Crane.''
The wisteria trellis within the castle ruins is an old tree that is over 300 years old, and when it is at its peak, tufts of over 60 centimeters hang down.
The best time to see Chamuwisteria is from late April to early May, and in 2021 it reached its peak on April 23rd.
MotooriNorinaga former residence
The house where MotooriNorinaga lived for 60 years from the age of 12 until his death at the age of 72 has been relocated within the castle ruins, and has been designated as a special national historic site as MotooriNorinaga former residence.
The interior of the building can be toured together with MotooriNorinaga Memorial Museum, and parts of the building are open to the public, including the ``Shop Room'' where Norinaga conducted his medical work and the ``Oku Room'' used for lectures and singing sessions.
MatsusakaCity History and Folklore Museum (2nd OzuYasujiro Matsusaka Memorial Museum)
The MatsusakaCity History and Folklore Museum, a museum where you can learn about the history and folklore of MatsusakaCity City, is located within the castle ruins, and the building is registered as a nationally registered tangible cultural property.
On the 1st floor, there is an exhibition corner about Ujisato Gamo and MatsusakaCotton, and on the 2nd floor, materials related to director OzuYasujiro, a master of the Japanese picture film world, are displayed, and the exhibits allow you to feel the history and charm of Matsusaka. I am.
Walking around town in kimono
There is a kimono shop near the Matsusaka Castle ruins where you can rent kimonos made by MatsusakaCotton, a specialty product (click here for details), so you can enjoy touring the castle ruins and walking around the town in kimonos.
MatsusakaCotton is a cloth that is characterized by its indigo dyed color and striped pattern, and has a very long history. It has a history of being very popular during the Edo period, and its charm has not diminished even now.
The beauty of ChamuMatsusakaCotton lies not only in its design, but also in its comfort. It's cool in the summer and warm in the winter, so you can spend a comfortable time there.
The article below provides details on how to rent aFugamaru kimono.
Photogenic spot
We will introduce the Matsuzaka Castle Ruins and photogenic spots around it. Please take a look at it for reference when taking photos or walking around town.
Overlooking the townscape
The height of the stone walls at the Matsusaka Castle ruins is also a feature, and there are many spots where you can get a panoramic view of the Matsusaka townscape.
The area around GojobanYashiki is where you can feel the vestiges of those days.
The photo above is the view from the Tokugawa Jinya ruins of the Matsuzaka Castle ruins, and you can see the cobblestone streets and quaint samurai residences below.
This samurai residence is called GojobanYashiki, and was once home to the Kishu feudal retainers who were entrusted with guarding the castle. It is still used as a residence, and one unit at the north end of the west building is open to the public free of charge.
Please see the article below for information on how to GojobanYashikiChamu Ojo Banyashiki and its highlights.
The FugamaruTokugawa Jinya Ruins, along with the rows of cherry blossom trees, is also a great spot from which to view the townscape.
majestic stone wall
There are two entrances to the Matsusaka Castle Ruins, the front gate and the back gate, and the front gate is the closest to MatsusakaCity parking lot introduced at the beginning.
When you enter the front gate, you will be overwhelmed by the majestic height of the stone wall that stands in front of you.
Sukezaemon Gomon Remains
The road leading to the ruins of the castle tower is lined with field-like stone walls, and the sight of piled up stones of various sizes is spectacular!
One of the most recommended is the Sukezaemon Gomon Ato, which is located beyond the MatsusakaCity History and Folklore Museum.
Cherry blossom trees are planted around the stone walls in this area, and the area becomes beautiful with cherry blossoms in the spring and greenery from early summer to fall.
If you want a view of Fugamarustone wall x cherry blossoms, stone wall x fresh greenery, this is recommended ♫
Stone pavement of GojobanYashiki
When you look at the Matsuzaka Castle ruins from the stone pavement of GojobanYashiki, you can get a feel for the scale and height of the stone walls.
This is also the point where you can look up at the cherry blossoms at the Matsuzaka Castle ruins, and together with the hedges and garden trees on both sides of the stone pavement, it's a picturesque beauty!
Here is a photo of me wearing a kimono. It has a nostalgic atmosphere and is the perfect location for wearing a kimono.
Chamuis a place where you can feel as if you have traveled back in time.
stone wall facing the road
The stone walls of the Matsuzaka Castle ruins face the surrounding roads, and can be approached from the sidewalk.
A tall stone wall continues along the sidewalk, so you can take photos with the entire background of the stone wall.
*Photo taken from the sidewalk behind.
What did you think
We have introduced the charm and history of the Matsuzaka Castle ruins, as well as photogenic spots where you can enjoy walking around town. I think it is extremely valuable that the magnificent stone walls still remain, so please come and visit.
Matsusaka Castle Ruins (Matsuzaka Park)
0598-23-7771
free
Free tour
MatsusakaCity Parking Lot
Approximately 15 minutes walk from JR/Kintetsu Matsusaka Station.
From Matsusaka Station, take the Mie Kotsu bus and take the City Park Town Line to Chuo Hospital or the Asaka Ono Line to Isshiureshino and get off at "Shiyakusho-mae", 3 minutes.
Approximately 15 minutes by car from Ise Expressway “Matsusaka IC”
Spectacular views and photogenic spots in MatsusakaCity
Matsusaka MatsusakaCity, where the Matsuzaka Castle ruins are located, is full of scenic spots and photogenic spots! Would you like to go to MatsusakaCity, where beautiful scenery spreads throughout the four seasons, to take photos?
We are introducing the spectacular views and photogenic spots in MatsusakaCity in this article ↓
About Fugamaru-chan & Chamu
Fugamaru-chan (left side)
Active on Twitter and Instagram as a photographer who takes pictures of Mie. He started photographing his hometown of Mie in 2017, and in 2018 self-published his book ``Mie's Etoko Photo Collection''. Operates Mie Photo Gallery, which distributes photos of Mie Prefecture for free. We also operate a website called Mie no Etoko Meguri, which mainly covers restaurants in Mie. The cameras I own are EOS 6D and EOS RP.
Cham (right side)
Fugamaru-chan's partner. Specializing in low-angle photography, he captures landscapes with a unique worldview. She has been working with Fugamaru-chan since 2020 as a photography assistant, and has been working as a model for landscape photography. We are sending information about Mie on Twitter and Instagram. My camera is α7iii.
Lian (dog)
Papillon joined the family in May 2021. A mysterious dog who loves playing with cats and plays in a cat-like way. I'm currently enjoying spots in Mie Prefecture that I can enjoy with my dog.
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