Matsusaka Castle

History

Gamo Ujisato built Matsusaka Castle in 1588 in a style and structure that closely resembles Azuchi Castle. Ujisato put much effort into developing the castle town. He adopted the Rakuichi-rakuza system (free trade), built/redirected the new Sangu-kaido road leading to Ise, moved in moneylenders from Matsugashima castle, merchants from Hino in Omi, and shipping agents. Later, under Tokugawa Yorinobu, merchants moved to Edo became rich, and were entrusted with the right to print hansatsu, money bills of Kishu-han. City is famous for Matsusaka momen, Ise Oshiroi, Gikaku-shi, nowadays beef.

Comments Did this very rushed returning from Ise. Fortunately it is the kind of ruined castle you can do in a rush - no uphill hiking and very easy to navigate. Ishigaki were imposing and photogenic. The Hyakumeijo stamp is in the nearby Municipal Museum of History and Folklore, which has a brochure about the castle and museum in English. The museum has exhibits about Matsusaka's history as a merchant town. (100 yen entry, 9 - 4 pm).

From the top of the ruins you can see something else that looks like a castle in the town - I have no idea what it is or whether it bears investigating. We didn't have time to see it but Matsusaka also has the birthplace of the Mitsuis, the house of the Hasegawas, the Memorial Museum of Matsusaka Merchants, the Memorial to Motoori Norinaga (Suzu-no-ya), a Cultural Hall and Cultural Property Centre and also Gojoban Yashiki - latter Edo period samurai residences. The station sells Matsusaka beef Ekiben in a singing cow bento box.

Above history and comments by KristyD

Visit Notes

This castle is a must-see for stone wall fans. All the extant baileys are fortified with stone walls and you can see some unique structures like the Honmaru sekirui and the very well fortified gates. There are no fences or "don't enter" signs atop the stone walls so you can get very close to the edges. I also recommend you stop by the rice warehouse and samurai homes. You can also explore nearby Tamaru Castle to see 2 great examples of castle ruins with many stone walls.

Some books actually use the typical 坂 character for the 'saka' part of the name, but it actually should be the same as the character in Osaka 阪.

石垣ファンには必見なお城です。現存の曲輪は全部石垣で固めてあって、ちょっと珍しい石塁も見られます。石垣の上には柵や「立入禁止」の看板がなく、石垣の端まで行けます。現存の米倉と御城番屋敷もお勧めです。田丸城も近くにあるので松阪城と合わせて石垣の多い名城を満喫したらどうですか。

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Gallery

Omotemon entrance
Omotemon Entrance
Tsukimi Yagura foundation
stone wall behind the Omotemon
Outer Ninomaru Wall
stone wall
Stairs leading to the Inner Gate
Path to the Inner Gate
Inner Gate area seen from above
Path to the Inner Gate
Inner Gate (Naka Gomon)
stone wall behind the Omotemon Entrance
Omote Gate seen from above
Stairs to the Honmaru
Stairs to the Honmaru
Inside the Honmaru.
Honmaru stone walls
Honmaru stone walls
Honmaru stone walls
stone walls
stone walls
stone walls
Omotemon Gate stone walls
Stone walls
Stone walls
Rear Entrance (Uramon)
rear entrance
Rear entrance
Rear entrance stone walls
Rice warehouse
Castle map
Back side of an apartment
On either side of this road is a longhouse
Inside one apartment
Relocated gate at Tenrinji (ART)
Relocated gate at Raigoji (ART)

Castle Profile
English Name	Matsusaka Castle
Japanese Name	松阪城
Alternate Names	松坂城
Founder	Gamou Ujisatou
Year Founded	1588
Castle Type	Hilltop
Castle Condition	No main keep but other buildings
Designations	Top 100 Castles, has Important Cultural Properties, Prefectural Historic Site
Historical Period	Edo Period
Features	samurai homes, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	15 mins walk from station or take bus and stop at Shimin-Byoin mae
Visitor Information
Time Required
Website	http://www.city.matsusaka.mie.jp/kankou/otherlanguage/english sp.html
Location	Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture
Coordinates	34° 34' 33.20" N, 136° 31' 32.84" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2010
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2011
Admin Visits	November 25, 2011

Nearby Samurai Homes

Matsusaka Gojoban Yashiki

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ARTShogun

one month ago

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Added relocated gates at Tenrinji and Raigoji temples to gallery.

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ARTShogun

3 months ago

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Matsusakajō is a hirayamajiro (hill-and-plainsland castle ruin) in Matsusaka Municipality. The ruins of the castle primarily feature glorious ishigaki (stone-piled ramparts) which remain remarkably well preserved throughout much of the castle grounds. Most of the ramparts can be walked atop of, and no fences have been erected where the parapet walls and turrets once stood. We are happily left to our own devices and allowed to freely explore. This combination of freedom and historical value is quite rare, so I really enjoyed my second visit to Matsusakajō early this summer -- my first having been back in 2016.

Remnants of the jōkamachi (surrounding town) also survive. In 2016 I saw a granary and the gojōban -yashiki, two long rowhouses, or what in Britain I suppose we'd call a street of terraced dwellings, which were formerly apartments for ashigaru (footsoldiers) whose job it was to guard the castle. I also visited a relocated gate from the castle, now found at Tenrinji, a temple in the village of Myōjō, Taki County. I visited there in the morning as a priority because the same temple also contains a gate from Tamaru Castle too. Matsusaka Castle has another relocated gate, this one much closer at a temple in town, but in searching for that come the afteroon I was met with a heavy downfall which forced me to retreat to the safety of an udon restuarant.

Matsusakajō features several historic buildings on its grounds which have been relocated there, though none of them be castle buildings. Of most interest to me was the preserved residence of Motôri Norinaga, a renowned Kokugaku (Nativist) scholar. Kokugaku was an important guiding philosophy in the creation of modern Japan, and it called for forward-thinking things like a national religion, which Japan would adopt in the Meiji period in the form of State Shintō. The grandfather of Kokugaku was Motôri Norinaga, and it's incredible to think that it all started here between these very walls. The architecture of the residence is itself very beautiful, and the small garden lends itself to the contemplative mind.

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ARTShogun

3 months ago

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By the way, according to Matsusaka City website:

※「松阪」と「松坂」について

　氏郷の開府以来使用されていた「松坂」は、「大坂」が「大阪」に変更されたこともあり、明治22年（1889年）の町制施行の際に「松阪」に統一され、現在に至っています。

And...

※「松阪」の読み方について

　江戸時代から「まつさか」または「まつざか」の2通りの読み方が存在していましたが、平成17年（2005）年1月1日の市町村合併に伴い、読み方を「まつさか」で統一しました。

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RonSAshigaru

91 months ago

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My wife and I visited Matsusaka (-zaka?) last week and we also noticed the green roofed tenshu in the middle of town beyond the nagaya apartments. We also didn't have time to check it out, but after getting home I found it on Google Street View and later found photos on Google images. It is located behind a dentist office and may have been the dentist's residence. Both structures are in shabby condition and appear to be uninhabited. Check out these blogs for pics: http://pozda...2011-12.html and http://gomuj...try-586.html

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ARTShogun

96 months ago

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A great ruin, Matsusaka Castle’s ishigaki (stone walls) ensconce many baileys and reach impressive heights. Though structures are almost all gone, the site is still worth visiting to see these mighty ruins.

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Kiddus i2003Gunshi

126 months ago

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Impressive walls, great little museum on site and the houses nearby of the castle guards were well worth the visit.

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FurinkazanDaimyo

126 months ago

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Went today to this site. There are alot of ishigaki, but because the site is a park, big parts are obstructed by trees all around the place. Nevertheless interesting to visit. The History and folklore museum was closed, i suppose because it was after a holiday. I managed to collect the 100 meijo stamp at the other museum on the castlegrounds.

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Anonymous user #1

147 months ago

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I got the stamps for Matsusaka - I definitely collect them - I take a notebook and collect stamps in general whenever I go to a castle, and then put them in a scrap book. I originally didn`t have the official booklet so there are a lot of castles I need to go back to or ask friends to help out on. Some places are kinder than others when it comes to helping non-Japanese castle visitors gain access to Top 100 stamps.

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RaymondWDaimyo

147 months ago

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G'day Timothy,

I collect the 100 Meijo stamps when I visit a castle site that is listed as one of the 100 Meijo. One of my non-Japanese friends also collects them when he makes it to a 100 Meijo site. Of course, it is all too easy to forget to bring the little booklet when I go and visit a castle.

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Jcastle.oldHatamoto

147 months ago

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Timothy, there are many visitors to this site who ask me or comment about the Top 100 stamps so I think there is much interest. I have never collected them myself, but I am beginning to regret it.

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RaymondWDaimyo

156 months ago

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Re-visited this castle ruin today. It definitely looks better in December than in February. The autumn leaves at just about at the peak now. There are plenty of red leaves from some bushes as well as maple trees.

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RaymondWDaimyo

164 months ago

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For fans of ishigaki, this castle ruin has tons of it. I went to this castle in mid-February after going to the nearby Tamura Castle Ruin (not listed on this website yet), about 20 minutes away by JR train from Matsuzaka Station. Matsuzaka Castle is quite an impressive castle ruin with enough signs and explanations in Japanese to clearly identify the various baileys and ruins around the site. The museum on the castle ground does have some nice black and white photos of the castle before it was demolished. I spent almost two hours at this castle site. It possible to visit three castles ruins in the Matsuzaka / Tsu area in one day. I managed to get in Tamaru Castle, Matsuzaka Castle, and Tsu Castle in that order.

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