A cold and brilliant night at a beautiful Japanese castle
A place you should put onto your itinerary when visiting Japan
Winter days in Nagano can be some of the chilliest in Japan. And, February 11 was no exception. Following a beautiful sunny day, night time brought temperatures below the freezing point. But, there was no evidence that this dimmed the enthusiasm of the hundreds of people thronging to Matsumoto castle.
The reason all of these people were coming to visit the castle on a cold winter’s night was a stunning visual display that lit up the castle and the surrounding park area. Created by Nagoya-based visual artist Hitohata Inc using Epson projection mapping equipment, the video and audio presentation gave the audience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience art in one of Japan’s most historic and beautiful places.
Matsumoto city’s historic castle is truly a beautiful place to visit in all seasons, day or night. The city has done an excellent job of keeping the castle maintained and it is a living and relevant part of modern Matsumoto city.
The winter illumination of the castle concludes on February 18, 2024. But, if you’d like to get an idea of what it was like, you can find it here. A memorable eight-minute performance and a little taste of one of Japan’s castle towns for you to discover.
