Outline

This quaint merchant house belonged to the Kanebako Family, who ran a pawnshop from the mid-nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. The structures and a Japanese garden that remain within the premises remind us of a lifestyle of rich merchants of those days. Today, these structures are used as a restaurant and an art gallery, where the visitor can enjoy a glimpse of various cultural properties.

Features of Matsushiro Castle

Matsushiro Castle was one of strong defense, with the Chikuma River to the north and large moats to the east and south. Its stone walls used locally acquired Shiba-ishi rock and stone from Mt. Minakami. The masonry technique used here was called “nozura-zumi” – a natural way to construct stone walls by piling up roughly hewed stones.

“Taiko-mon” Drum Gate

“Taiko-mon” or the drum gate is the largest gate of the Matsushiro Castle, standing right in front of the keep. It is named so because it houses a drum to tell the time for retainers to come to the castle or give emergency signals.

“Inui” Turret

This is the site of the Iuni Turret which was the tallest of all turrets in the Matsushiro Castle. An ancient drawing indicates that a two-story turret stood here, allowing samurai of bygone days to command a sweeping view of the Nagano Basin.