* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Matsushiro Castle (Kaizu Castle)
松代城（海津城）
Matsushiro Castle (Kaizu Castle) is a historic castle in Chūbu dating from the Founded c. 1560 (Eiroku 3) by Takeda Shingen as a strategic base for the Kawanakajima Campaign (as Kaizu Castle). After the Battle of Sekigahara, Sanada Nobuyuki entered in 1622 (Genwa 8) and the castle was renamed 'Matsushiro Castle' by shogunal order in 1711 (Shotoku 1), becoming the seat of ten successive Sanada generations., whose lord was Takeda Shingen (founder) → Uesugi Kagekatsu (temporary occupation) → Sanada Nobuyuki (first Matsushiro daimyo) → Sanada clan (10 successive generations).
Overview
Matsushiro Castle (Matsushiro-jō) is a flatland castle located in Matsushiro, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture. Its predecessor is Kaizu Castle (Kaizu-jō), which was built by Takeda Shingen as a strategic base for the Kawanakajima Campaign (1553–1564). It is a water castle constructed on the floodplain of the Chikuma River, built at a natural stronghold with the Sai River to the north and the Chikuma River to the south.
The Kawanakajima Campaign is renowned as the Sengoku period's greatest war of attrition, with Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin clashing five times in northern Shinano (around the Nagano Basin). Kaizu Castle served as the Takeda clan's frontline base in this campaign. It is particularly famous as the setting for the "Woodpecker Strategy," wherein just before the Fourth Kawanakajima Campaign (Eiroku 4, 1561), Kenshin is said to have detected Takeda troop movements from irregularities in smoke from Kaizu Castle and crossed the Chikuma River at night.
After the Takeda clan's fall in 1582 (Tensho 10), Kaizu Castle was contested between the Oda and Uesugi clans. Following the Battle of Sekigahara, Sanada Nobuyuki, who had been granted Ueda domain, was transferred and promoted to Matsushiro in 1622 (Genwa 8). Nobuyuki fortified and made it his seat (the name "Matsushiro Castle" came by shogunal order in 1711, Shotoku 1), and it thereafter became the seat of ten successive Sanada generations. The Sanada daimyo of Matsushiro han maintained a stable 100,000-koku domain throughout the Edo period, and Nobuyuki himself lived to age 93.
In the Meiji period the castle was abandoned and the domain abolished, but the site is now a National Historic Site with restored stonework, moats, and wooden bridges. The adjacent Sanada residence (former Sanada Treasure Museum) houses a rich collection of armor, swords, and tea ceremony implements associated with the Sanada clan, and the castle remains under development as a site where one can experience samurai culture holistically.
Connection to Swords
The connection between Matsushiro Castle (Kaizu Castle) and the Japanese sword lies in both the Kawanakajima Campaign—the Sengoku period's greatest daimyo confrontation—and the Sanada clan, Japan's most celebrated samurai house. While the Kawanakajima Campaign is remembered as a clash between two great generals, Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, the samurai warriors who fought there carried swords of the highest contemporary standard. Takeda forces' blade supply was handled by Kai and Shinano smiths, with locally forged swords known as 'Kai-mono' mixed alongside premium acquisitions from Bizen and Soshu. Uesugi Kenshin's famous blade, Sancho-mou—now housed as a National Treasure Bizen sword in Setouchi, Okayama Prefecture—exemplifies Kenshin's refined aesthetic judgment of blades and demonstrates the link between Kawanakajima and the Bizen blade-smithing sphere. Sanada Nobuyuki was a cultured warrior of refined taste in tea ceremony and blades, and the swords collected by successive Sanada daimyo are preserved in the 'Sanada Treasure Museum' (Matsushiro). The blade collection spanning three generations—Sanada Masayuki, Shigeatsu (Yukimura), and Nobuyuki—contains numerous fine examples from the late Sengoku through early Edo periods. Blades associated with Shigeatsu (Yukimura) are also transmitted at Sanada Shrine and facilities near Osaka Castle Park. Takeda Shingen's love of blades, who built Kaizu Castle, is evidenced by tachi and wakizashi traditionally said to have been used by Lord Shingen that are preserved at Kofu and the Takeda Shrine.
Highlights
- Matsushiro Castle Ruins (National Historic Site) — Restored wooden bridges, stone walls, and water moats; experience the castle's successive transformations from Takeda to Sanada.
- Sanada Residence (former Sanada Treasure Museum) — Treasure house with armor, swords, and tea ceremony implements of the Sanada clan.
- Sanada Shrine (site of the main bailey) — Enshrines successive Sanada lords; the Sanada six-coin mon banner flies here.
- Bunbu School (han academy) — The Sanada Matsushiro han academy building survives, with martial arts practice halls and literary studies preserved.
- Kawanakajima Ancient Battlefield (Yawara Historic Site Park) — Primary site of the Fourth Kawanakajima Campaign; features a statue of Shingen and Kenshin in single combat.
- Shozan Underground Tunnels — Subterranean tunnels excavated as the Matsushiro Grand Headquarters in the final stages of the Pacific War.
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.