The construction of Matsue Castle was completed in 1611. Built over a five-year period by Hoshio Yoshinaru, the castle continues to watch silently over the city of Matsue. Not dismantled during the Meiji Era, never destroyed by American bombing, Matsue Castle stands as one of 12 remaining original castles in Japan.

My daughter and I had Matsue Castle in mind for a few years, but getting to the site posed a few challenges. We should have traveled from Okayama on an earlier trip, but didn't. This time we worked on a plan beginning from Narita, where we boarded a connecting flight to Osaka-Itami. From there we took the JR up to Fukuchiyama before reaching the leisurely San-in Line, which led us to Tottori and then Matsue.

There are many good online resources about Matsue Castle so I need not be repetitive here. But I think it is well-worth a visit. The journey is a nice one, Fukuchiyama is an interesting place to spend a day, and Tottori has its own charms. The San-in area is scenic and peaceful and I appreciated the quiet. Matsue Castle is beautiful and it felt special to be there in the presence of a wonderful part of Japanese history. I touched the stone castle wall and imagined the builders long ago. I loved walking in bare feet inside the castle keep.
Please take the time and visit Matsue Castle. There is a live web cam at http://www.web-sanin.co.jp/camera/livecamera/ Nothing much happens, except you can see that Matsue Castle is still there.

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