Matsumoto Jo

Construction on the Great Tenshu and the Inui Kotenshu was begun in 1952. Situated on the Matsumoto plain in the central Japan Alps, is a fine example of a hirajiro-the Flatland castle. The structure to the right of the Great Tenshu, descriptively named the Inui Kotenshu, served to support the Great Tenshu and fortify the entrance. The main attractions are the two story Tatsumi Tsuke Yagura-the Southeast connecting Tower and the Tsukimi Yagura-the Moon viewing Tower. The palace indicates the Tokugawa shogunate's peace, brought about by its defect of the Toyotomi in the 1615 Osaka war. It was well established and that the role of the Japanese castle had started to shift from a battle fortification to a symbol of daimyo authority.