Matsue Castle Travel Guide│The Quiet Majesty of Japan’s Black Fortress

Introduction

Standing with dignified grace beside Lake Shinji, Matsue Castle is one of Japan’s few surviving castles whose original tenshu (main keep) remains intact.
Its black-lacquered walls earned it the nickname Chidori-jō — “Castle of the Plovers” — for the way its layered roofs seem to spread their wings against the sky.

Built more than 400 years ago by the strategist Horio Yoshiharu, and later refined under the Matsudaira clan, the fortress embodies both the strength of the Warring States and the quiet refinement of the Edo period.

Today, Matsue Castle anchors the city’s historical heart. Visitors can sense the blend of martial power and cultural elegance that shaped Matsue, once known as the “Little Kyoto of the San’in region.”
This article traces its history, structure, highlights, surrounding townscape, and access information, offering context that deepens each view of the black tower mirrored in Lake Shinji’s evening glow.

A Castle Born from Water and Vision

Horio Yoshiharu’s Ingenious Design

When warlord Horio Yoshiharu received control of Izumo after the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), he chose an unlikely site: a wide, marshy plain.

Rather than fight the water, he embraced it. Beginning in 1607, he transformed the wetlands into a defensive network of moats and canals linked to Lake Shinji and Nakaumi Bay.

After five years of work, the castle was completed in 1611 — a stronghold protected not by cliffs or walls, but by water itself.

A Castle to Protect People, Not Just Power

Yoshiharu’s guiding idea was humane: a castle should shelter townspeople as much as soldiers.
By controlling water levels and transport routes, the new fortress ensured both safety and prosperity.

That philosophy would later shape the entire identity of Matsue — a castle town built on coexistence between nature, commerce, and culture.

From the Sword to the Tea Whisk

Matsudaira Naomasa and the Peaceful Domain

After the Horio line ended, rule passed briefly to the Kyōgoku family and then to Matsudaira Naomasa, a grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Under his leadership, Matsue entered a long era of stability. The city became a center of scholarship and good governance, where education and irrigation mattered more than warfare.

Lord Fumai and the Culture of Tea

Generations later, the tenth lord, Matsudaira Harusato — known to history as Lord Fumai — transformed the domain into a cultural capital.
He developed the Fumai School of Tea Ceremony, elevating everyday life into an art of harmony and restraint.

The sweets, ceramics, and tea traditions he fostered still flavor modern Matsue, where wagashi shops and quiet tea rooms trace their lineage to his vision.
In this way, Matsue Castle evolved from a symbol of battle into a symbol of refinement.

The Black Tower: Strength and Serenity

The Contrast of Black and White

Matsue’s five-story, six-level keep is sheathed in black lacquered planks that repel moisture and vanish into night.

The upper tiers, coated in white plaster, create a striking monochrome pattern that changes hue with each hour — a deliberate aesthetic of balance between strength and purity.

Design of a Warrior’s Mind

Inside, the keep reveals its Warring-States practicality: steep stairs, arrow slits, gun ports, and stone-drop chutes remain exactly as they were.

The uppermost watchtower commands a sweeping view of Lake Shinji, Nakaumi Bay, and Mount Daisen.

At sunset, the black walls glow crimson, and one feels the silence of centuries settle over the city.

Saved by Its Citizens

In 1873, Japan’s government ordered most castles dismantled. Matsue Castle was auctioned for demolition, but local educators and former samurai raised the funds to buy it back.
Their civic determination preserved what we see today.

In 2015, ink markings discovered on its beams confirmed the original construction date, leading to official recognition as a National Treasure — a title earned not only by age but by devotion.

Walking the Castle Town beside the Water

Shiomi Nawate and the Samurai Houses

North of the castle runs Shiomi Nawate Street, a quiet lane lined with white-walled samurai residences and weeping willows.

Here stand the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum and the preserved Samurai Residence Park, where visitors can step into the rhythm of Edo-period life.

Horikawa Boat Cruise and Lake Shinji’s Sunset

The Horikawa Sightseeing Boat circles the castle moats under low wooden bridges, guided by boatmen who sing traditional songs.

At dusk, a short walk leads to Lake Shinji, where the sun melts into the water and the castle’s black silhouette burns gold.

It is a view that defines the aesthetic of “quiet beauty” for which Matsue is famed.

Seasons around Matsue Castle

• Spring: Two hundred cherry trees bloom along the moats; night illumination turns the scene ethereal.
• Summer: Blue sky and green foliage sharpen the contrast with the dark keep.
• Autumn: Maples flame against the stone walls and cool wind ripples the moat.
• Winter: Snow cloaks the roofs; the silence of the San’in winter deepens the castle’s dignity.

Access & Visitor Information

Location:
1-5 Tonomachi, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture

Access:
10 min by “Lake Line” City Bus from JR Matsue Station → alight at Kenchō-mae Stop → 5 min walk

Hours:
8:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. (varies seasonally)

Closed:
Dec 29 – 31

Admission:
Adults ¥680 / Children ¥290

Nearby Attractions:
Matsue Jinja Shrine, Matsue History Museum, Karakoro Art Studio, Lake Shinji Sunset Viewpoint

Local Flavors:
Izumo soba noodles, wagashi such as Wakakusa and Yamakawa, and fresh shijimi clam dishes.

Conclusion – Power in Stillness

The black walls of Matsue Castle embody strength; the white plaster gleams with purity.
A fortress once built for war now soothes the hearts of travelers.

As the setting sun paints its lacquered surfaces red, one senses the presence of those who built, defended, and finally preserved it — proof that serenity, too, is a kind of power.

The Japanese version of this article is here.↓↓↓

国宝 松江城 観光ガイド│黒の天守が映す静寂と誇り