I get many requests from people for pictures of the interiors of castles. Until recently I didn't have any pictures good enough to post. The interiors are often dark and pictures do not look good.

The interiors of Japanese castles are not divided into rooms and there are no grand audience chambers or living quarters, as many people expect. The main donjon of a castle is primarily a military structure despite the sometimes flashy exteriors. They generally have a rather spartan appearance with ordinary wood floors and walls. Sometimes the walls were covered in plaster like the outside. The picture above is inside the donjon of Matsuyama Castle.

The daimyo generally lived in a palace within the castle compound near the donjon. In the picture below, the black outline on the ground is of the location of the daimyo's palace at Matsumoto Castle. This picture was taken from within the donjon.