Matsumoto Castle , originally known as Fukashi Castle, is one of Japan's premier historic castles, along with Himeji and Kumamoto. It was the seat of Matsumoto Domain under the Edo Period Tokugawa shogunate. It is located in the city of Matsumoto, in Nagano Prefecture.
The keep
Matsumoto Castle in winter
The keep, leaning, prior to 1904
The Tenshu and Inui Kotenshu
Himeji Castle ( ) is a hilltop Japanese castle complex situated in Himeji, a city in the Hyōgo Prefecture of Japan. The castle is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of 83 rooms with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period. The castle is frequently known as Hakuro-jō or Shirasagi-jō because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight.
Image: Himeji castle in may 2015
Image: Himeji Castle Aerial photograph 2010
Front view of the castle complex
The "Three Country Moat" in the centre of the castle complex