Matsumae Castle

Matsumae Castle was built in 1606 as Fukuyama Castle by Matsumae Keihiro, the first lord of the Matsumae domain. Although his descendants became the lords of the castle from generation to generation, the castle was under the direct control of the shogunate for 14 years from the 4th year of Bunka (1807), during which time the feudal lord Akihiro was relocated to Yanagawa, Oshu. In 1821, the domain was restored. In 1849, during the reign of Takahiro, the shogunate ordered the construction of a new castle, which was completed in 1854. In 1868, the old shogunate forces occupied the castle, but the new government forces retook it the following year. The castle tower remained until 1949, when it was destroyed by fire. The castle gate is the same as it used to be. Inside the castle is a museum exhibiting cultural assets related to the Matsumae clan and Ainu ethnic materials. ◎Matsumae Yoshihiro (1548-1616): After Nobuhiro, the fifth Yoshihiro became independent and took the name of Matsumae. He had an audience with Hideyoshi and Ieyasu, and laid the foundation of the Matsumae domain as a feudal lord in the modern era.