Located in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, Japan, Matsue Castle is a historical castle and one of the most valuable castles with an existing keep among Japanese castles built from the Warring States Period to the Edo Period. The castle was completed in 1611 by the Horio clan, which ruled the Izumo region. The castle took five years to build, and its structure was designed to prevent invasion by outside enemies by adopting the highly defensive “teikaku-shiki” style and fortifying the surrounding area with moats and stonewalls. Matsue Castle's castle tower is characterized by its black plaster exterior, giving it a beautiful appearance, also known as a “staggered castle. The structure is a watchtower type, with five stories above ground and one below. The castle overlooks Lake Shinji and its scenery attracts visitors. The defensive facilities such as stonewalls and moats have been well preserved, and are valuable remains that convey the castle-building techniques of the time. Yoshiharu Horio guided the construction of Matsue Castle, and he distinguished himself as a military commander in the service of Hideyoshi Toyotomi. After the Battle of Sekigahara, Ieyasu Tokugawa appointed Horio lord of Izumo and Oki provinces, and he built Matsue Castle as a base of control over the region. The location of the castle had the topographical advantage of being surrounded by Lake Shinji and the Nakaumi Sea, which facilitated logistics and defense by water transportation. After the death of Yoshiharu Horio, his son Tadaharu Horio took over the completion of the castle and worked for the development of the region as the first lord of the Matsue domain. After the Horio clan ceased to exist, Matsue Castle passed into the hands of the Kyogoku clan, but their rule was short-lived, and in 1638, Matsudaira Naomasa entered the domain as lord. The Matsudaira clan ruled the Matsue domain throughout the Edo period, and the seventh lord, Matsudaira Fumai, in particular, was known as a cultural figure. Fumai was well versed in the tea ceremony and literature, and while he restructured the clan's finances, he also established tea houses and cultural facilities. Thanks to his efforts, the Matsue domain became a center of tea ceremony culture, also known as “Fumai's Tea Ceremony. After the Meiji Restoration, many castles in Japan were demolished due to the decree to abolish castles, but Matsue Castle escaped the fate of its predecessors. However, Matsue Castle escaped this fate. Many of the buildings within the castle were demolished, leaving only the stonewalls and the castle tower. The castle keep was later preserved through the efforts of local residents, and in 1935 it was designated a National Important Cultural Property. Furthermore, in 2015, it was designated a National Treasure, and its value as a historical structure in Japan has been reevaluated. Matsue Castle embodies the history of Japan from the Warring States Period to the present day, and is loved as a symbol of local culture and history along with its beautiful appearance. For visitors, Matsue Castle is a place where they can feel the breath of history and the pride of the Izumo region.