>> P.22
dcbaCastles城Shiro(Castle)KofuCastle(K¯ofuCity,YamanashiPrefecture)aThesprawlingMaizuruCastleParkishometowhitebuild-ings,castlewalls,andcherryblossomsthatunderlinestun-ningviewsofMountFuji.CastlesinJapan:HistoricFortressesandStrongholdsMatsumotoCastle(MatsumotoCity,NaganoPrefecture)bWithitshistoricalandbeautifulblack-and-whiteexterior,MatsumotoCastleisoneofJapan’slastremainingoriginalcastles,asimpressiveastheall-whiteHimejiCastleintheSouth.Dominatingcityandvillageskylinesacrossthecountry,Japan’scastlesareacaptivat-ingtributetoatimeoffeudallords,ninja,andsamurai.Thesefortresses,whichhavestoodthetestoftimeorbeenmeticulouslyrebuilt,serveasasymbolofJapan’simpressiveandoftenintimidatinghistoryofrivalclansandconflict.TsurugajoCastle(alsoknownasWakamat-suCastle)inthecityofAizuwakamatsuwasonceoneofthestrongestfortressesintheTohokuregion.Locatedinmodern-dayFukushimaPrefecture,thisstrongholdhadmilitarysignificancefrom1384untilthesurrenderofthelastcastlelordin1868,thebeginningoftheMeijiera.NotableownersofthecastleincludedthefeudallordUjisatoGam¯o,KagekatsuUesugi,andYoshiakiKato.22UedaCastle(UedaCity,NaganoPrefecture)cCastlegatesandrampartsthatwererebuiltontheruinsofthisancientcastle’sgroundsenhanceoneofNagano’stopdestinationsforcherry-blos-somviewing.TsurugajoCastle(AizuwakamatsuCity,FukushimaPrefecture)dthecastleExploregroundsbeforeenter-ingthekeep,wanderinginsidethemuseum,andascendingtothetopforpanoramicviewsofthecastletown.