Matsuyama Castle South Corner Turret

The Southwest Corner of the Keep Complex

The Matsuyama Castle South Corner Turret (松山城南隅櫓) is a two-storey timber turret of 1967 in Marunouchi, Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on September 10, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 64 square metres; registration number 38-0134.

The Southwest Corner of the Complex

The Matsuyama Castle South Corner Turret stands at the southwest corner of the linked keep complex. It is a two-storey turret with a hip-and-gable tiled roof and a triangular gable on the west side of the lower roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The walls are plastered, with clapboarding on the lower storey, up to the eaves. On the outer west and north faces, each corner of the lower storey has a roofed stone-dropping opening, and a railing runs around the upper storey (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency dates it to 1967. According to Matsuyama City, it was lost by arson in 1933 and rebuilt in timber to the basic designs and specifications for nine buildings drawn up by the Ministry of Education in 1935, the work being completed on May 27, 1968.

Why It Was Registered

The Agency notes that it shows how the corners of the keep complex were built, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Ten-Bay Corridor links it to the North Corner Turret.

What to Look For

Look for the stone-dropping openings at the corners of the lower storey and the railing around the upper storey (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Visiting

According to Matsuyama City, the keep is linked to the small keep and turrets by passages, and the stairs inside are steep. Opening hours, fees and access are covered on the Matsuyama Castle group page.