Matsumoto-jō is one of the most beautiful castles in Japan and one of just twelve that still have an original keep — most of the others, including Osaka and Nagoya, are 20th-century reconstructions. The five-storey black-walled donjon was built in the 1590s by the Ishikawa clan on the older Fukashi Castle site and sits on a flat plain rather than the more typical hilltop, with a wide moat full of carp and a willow-lined embankment.
Inside, the keep is unrestored: steep wooden stairs lead up between dark beams to the top floor, where you look out at the Northern Alps through small archers' windows. Allow 90 minutes for the visit; the queue for the steep top staircase moves slowly in season. The grounds and moat are at their best in early April for the cherry blossom, lit at night during the Sakura Light-up.