Japanese Castle guide in Japan castle Historical site Statue Introduction.

[Castle name]
Matsudai Castle (Kaizu castle)
Masanobu Kousaka built a castle from Kaizu castle to Matsudai castle and repaired by Sanada family’s Nobuyuki Sanada’s castle Matsudai castle.

[Explanation]
In the era of Takeda Shingen, Matsudai castle was built in order to suppress North Shinano “Kaizu Castle” was the predecessor of the castle, which was remodeled by the Sanada family, which was transferred from Ueda castle, and the modern castle “Matsudai Castle” was born. It is designated as a historical site of the country by the contoured castle on the plains that was present in Nagano city, Nagano prefecture.

The Shinano Matsudai clan is a family shrine with Nobuyuki Sanada, surviving the Edo period despite the outsider Daimyo but surviving until the abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures and welcoming the clan safely. Meanwhile, the feudal lord’s lineage was swapped, but the family which was admired as the strongest was in good health at the end f the Tokugawa period.

When the sengoku world ended, the average mobilizing power of various clans became about 100 per 10,000 Jewels. It was in the Matsushiro clan that the mobilization power of more than 3,000 people was maintained until the end of the Tokugawa period with 100,000 Jewels.

In any clan, those who have clans or legitimate identities are noted in the ledger called the Social standing Book. Although it was a scene of fighting, it was before Ken who mobilized the ordinary people (whose name was written in a family register book) not listed in the book of social standing as ordinary soldiers or factions, but various clans who entered Boshin War in the precedent, it was normal that you could only mobilize to the extent of the book of social standing.

However, in the case of the Matsudai clan, more than 3,000 people could be mobilized with only a book of social standing. It has maintained the mobilizing power of the Sengoku Era more than 260 years in the Edo period. There are not a few houses that disappeared from the diary when transferring from Ueda to Matsudai, so after the relocation of Matsudai there would have been efforts of reorganization.

The strength of the Matsushiro clan is not only numerous. Sakuma Shouzan who was active at the end of the Bakumatsu, it was a him who modernized the military power of the Matsudai clan, including casting Western style cannons and introducing western rifles.

In the Boshin war, they stood from the early stage on the new government side, repulsed the former shogunate troops’ forces in Shinano via Echigo with neighboring clan and made their position clear. The former shogunate army was a Western style organization and was a big threat for the small and medium clan, but as the Matsudai clan dominated and repulsed it, various Shinano clan arrived at the new government side.
In addition, since the numerous battles of Hokuetsu was over, the Choshu clan soldiers eliminated in the battle of Asahiyama, the Satsuma clan army trying to rescue it collapsed, the battle situation was covered by the counterattack of the Matsudai clan army.

■ Sakuma Shouzan statue in Zouzan Shrine

The Matsudai clan soldiers stepped aside for the difficult enemies who could not even be troops of both Satsuma and Choshu clans, which was regarded as the best of the new government forces. The strength of the Sanada family was alive even at the end of the Tokugawa period. Matsudai clan’s The Sanada family showed its brave appearance to various clans even at the end of the Tokugawa period, just as it was during the Sengoku Era. Is it such as “Hawk ‘s child is a hawk afterall”?

Matsudai castle was destroyed with the decree ordinance of the Meiji era and only stonewall remained, but in recent years Nagano City has restored and revealed the foundations, moats, forests and wooden bridges and others. In addition, Matsudai Castle was renamed from Kaizu Castle to Matsudai Castle at the time of the 3rd lord owner “Yukimichi Sanada”. It is also selected as 26th from Japan No. 100 Main Castle.

[Address,access]
Nagano Prefecture, Nagano City Matsudai Town Matsudai 44

[Map]