| Founder | Kato Yoshiakira |
| Year | 1603 |
| Type | Hilltop |
| Structure | 3 levels, 3 stories |
| Condition | Original |
| Rating | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ |
| Historical Site | National Historic Site |
| Historical Value | Top 100 Castles, Important Cultural Properties |
| Historical Artifacts |
Important Cultural Properties: Tonashi Mon, Shikirimon South wall, Sujiganemon East wall, Ichinomon East Wall, Ninomon East Wall, Sannomon East Wall, Shichikumon East Wall, Shichikumon West Wall, tenshu, Ichinomon South Yagura, Ninomon South Yagura, Sannomon South Yagura, Ichinomon, Ninomon, Sannomon, Shikirimon, Shichikumon, Inui Yagura, Nohara Yagura, Kakuremon, Kakuremon Tsuzukiyagura |
| Location | Matsuyama, Ehime prefecture |
| Map | Google Map |
| Access | Matsuyama Station (15 minutes by city bus) |
| Website | Matsuyama City Website |
| Visited | October 18, 2001 |
| Notes | This was the first castle visited on a trip to Shikoku. The castle grounds are quite large and have many original structures. Unfortunately, I could find no good vantage point to get a good picture of the whole area. This is one of the best castles in the country to visit, a very close second to Himeji. The bare wooden exterior is unique among most castles and gives the whole castle a more historic feel. |
| History | The original castle was built here in 1603 by Kato Yoshiakira. It had a large 5 storey tenshu that was actually moved to Aizu when Kato was transferred there in 1627. Tadachika Gamoh became the new lord of Matsuyama castle and completed construction of the Ninomaru before he died in 1635, leaving no heirs. In 1635, Matsudaira Sadayuki moved into Matsuyama Castle and the Matsudaira family ruled over the area the end of feudalism. Sadayuki rebuilt the donjon with three stories in 1642. This donjon was struck by lightning and burned down on New Year's day in 1784. The construction of the current donjon was not begun until 1820 and not completed until 1854. From 1926 on, many of the yagura, gates and other structures were destroyed by arson and bombings in WWII. As a relative of the Tokugawa shogun, Matsudaira Sadaaki naturally fought for the Tokugawa in several battles at the Meiji Restoration. Once the emperor regained political power, Sadaaki was a wanted man and considered an enemy of the emperor. In order to avoid attack, he decided to submit and allow Tosa soldiers into the castle while he sought penance and refuge in Joshinji temple in Matsuyama. His sincerity was accepted and thus Sadaaki and Matsuyama Castle were saved from attack. The Matsudaira family eventually gave the castle to the city of Matsuyama in 1923. The city has been working since 1966 to repair the original structures and rebuild those that were destroyed. |
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