The western wing of the gate
Matsuyama Castle Tsutsui Gate West Adjoining Turret (松山城筒井門西続櫓, Tsutsui-mon Nishi Tsuzuki Yagura) is a single-storey wooden turret extending west from the Tsutsui Gate at the lower level of the main enclosure of Matsuyama Castle in Marunouchi, Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, rebuilt in 1971 and entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 29, 2022.
It is the smallest of the three structures in this group at 34 square metres, against 48 for the eastern turret and 52 for the gate itself. Where the eastern turret projects forward to the south, this one projects backwards, to the north, behind the line of the wall. The two wings are not mirror images, and the difference is deliberate.
The earlier turret burned with the gate in the arson attack of 1949, and the rebuilding in timber was completed in March 1971. The three structures were registered together in 2022.
Half of an unusual gate court
West of this turret stands the Tonashimon, a gate that has never had doors. The name says so plainly, and the main posts show no sign that leaves were ever fitted. It was built that way on purpose, to draw an attacking force through without resistance and into the space in front of the Tsutsui Gate, where the ground is overlooked from three sides.
Matsuyama Castle Tsutsui Gate West Adjoining Turret closes the western side of that space. The national database describes the turret and the Tonashimon as forming a distinctive gate court between them, and the description is precise: this is not the regular walled rectangle found elsewhere on the hill, but a pocket shaped by the slope, a doorless gate and a projecting turret.
The Important Cultural Property designation at Matsuyama Castle applies to twenty-one surviving structures, which a rebuilding cannot join. The register created in 1996, for works contributing to the historic landscape of Japan, applies here instead.
What to look for
Find the southwest corner. A hooded stone-drop hatch is set into the angle there, positioned to cover the foot of the rampart at the point where the approach turns. Both the south and west walls are built as taiko walls, double skins packed against musket fire, with square and rectangular loopholes cut through them. The corner is the busiest point on the building.
The roof runs east and west, continuous with the roof over the gate's turret storey, in Irimoya-zukuri with Hongawarabuki tiles, and a second hip-and-gable roof covers the section projecting north. Seen from the approach below, that northern projection is largely hidden, which is the point: it gave defenders room behind the wall rather than presenting more surface to the attacker.
Inside, no ceiling boards were fitted, so the roof timbers, rafters and boarding stand exposed. The interior is not open to visitors, but Matsuyama City has published photographs, and the treatment matches the gate and the eastern turret exactly.
Visiting
Matsuyama Castle Tsutsui Gate West Adjoining Turret lies outside the ticketed area and can be seen at no charge from the approach to the Honmaru courtyard. The interior is closed. The clearest view is from the space between the Tonashimon and the Tsutsui Gate, where the turret, the doorless gate and the rampart can all be taken in at once.
From the upper ropeway and chair lift station at Chojagadaira, the walk takes about 5 minutes by way of the Tonashimon. From the Ninomaru side, the Kuromonguchi approach climbs on stone steps and reaches the Honmaru courtyard in roughly 40 minutes. Ropeway and chair lift share a return ticket at 520 yen for adults and 260 yen for children. Admission to the keep compound beyond is separate, at 520 yen and 160 yen.
The ropeway runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with seasonal variation, and the Tsutsui Gate is opened and closed at set times. Personal photography is unrestricted; live streaming, drones and large equipment are prohibited, and commercial shoots need prior application to the Matsuyama Castle office.
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Q&A
- How does Matsuyama Castle Tsutsui Gate West Adjoining Turret differ from the eastern one?
- The western turret is smaller at 34 square metres against 48, and it projects north behind the wall line rather than south towards the approach.
- Can I go inside Matsuyama Castle Tsutsui Gate West Adjoining Turret?
- No. The interior is closed to visitors. The exterior can be viewed free of charge from the approach route.
- What is the Tonashimon next to Matsuyama Castle Tsutsui Gate West Adjoining Turret?
- A gate that never had doors, designated an Important Cultural Property. Together with the turret it encloses a distinctive gate court in front of the Tsutsui Gate.
- What should I look for on Matsuyama Castle Tsutsui Gate West Adjoining Turret?
- The southwest corner, where a hooded stone-drop hatch is set into the angle and loopholes are cut through the double-skinned walls on both faces.
- When was Matsuyama Castle Tsutsui Gate West Adjoining Turret rebuilt?
- In timber, completed in March 1971 after the arson of 1949. It was registered on June 29, 2022.
Basic Information
| Name | Matsuyama Castle Tsutsui Gate West Adjoining Turret |
|---|---|
| Location | Marunouchi 1, Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered on June 29, 2022 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, single storey, tiled roof, floor area 34 square metres |
| Owner | Matsuyama City |
| Public Access | Exterior free of charge on the approach route. Interior closed |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Database of Registered Cultural Properties: Matsuyama Castle Tsutsui Gate West Adjoining Turret
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014301
- Matsuyama City, Registered Cultural Properties: Matsuyama Castle Tsutsui Gate West Adjoining Turret
- https://www.city.matsuyama.ehime.jp/kanko/kankoguide/rekishibunka/bunkazai/kunitouroku/tsutsuimon_nishi.html
- Matsuyama Castle Office, Architecture and Cultural Properties
- https://www.matsuyamajo.jp/discover/connection.html
- Matsuyama Castle Office, Access and Approach Routes
- https://www.matsuyamajo.jp/guide/access.html
Last verified: 2026.09.03