Demolition of the Former Matsumoto City Museum (2)
This is the south entrance to Matsumoto Castle Park. The former city museum is currently being demolished.
I came to check on the current status of the demolition. The photos were taken in mid-August. (Only the third photo was taken in January.)
The museum used to be located on the other side of the moat, but the building is no longer visible.
For reference, I have also included photos taken in January.
The area of the range appearing in the photograph is different, but I think you can tell where the building was located by looking at the shape of the trees.
I entered Matsumoto Castle Park and photographed the former location of the building.
The museum entrance was on the other side of the fence, but nothing is visible now.
As we walk while looking at the site of the old museum to the right,
we will see the Taiko-mon Gate (east gate) of Matsumoto Castle.
Looking out from the bridge after exiting the gate, the building that was once the storage facility (arrow) was still partially intact.
The main building seems to have been almost completely demolished. There is a sheet covering a part of it (arrow), so there may still be something left there, but it is unclear from here.
I walked around the outer moat and saw several heavy machinery at the site of the main building, so it seems that the above-ground part of the main building has already been removed.
As for what will happen to the site after demolition, it seems that nothing will be built there and it will remain vacant land. It will be used for events and other purposes.
This was the site of the “Kosanji-goten,” a private residence built in the late 16th century by Ishikawa Kazumasa, the first lord of Matsumoto Castle. There may be a possibility of conducting excavation surveys in the future.
On a different note, there was an information board at the park entrance, explaining the restoration of the moat.
The Edo-period map displayed here is oriented with north on the right, but it says that the south and west outer moats (the dark blue areas) will be restored as moats in the future.
This moat was filled in during the 1920s and used as residential land.
Currently, the residential buildings have been demolished, and the area looks like this. This photo was taken facing west from the south side road.
The white structure in the center is a tent belonging to the Matsumoto City Board of Education.
The last remaining plot of land (110 square meters) was reportedly acquired by the city by the end of 2024, completing the land acquisition process.
I am unsure whether a moat that has been filled in and then re-excavated can be considered a cultural property, but Matsumoto City has already designated it as a historical site. Presumably, the stone walls of the moat remain in their original state.
[Related article]
"Demolition of the Former Matsumoto City Museum Begins“ (2025-01-14)