Matsue Castle is located in Matsue district, Shimane Prefecture. Horio Yoshiharu founded the castle in 1611. It took 5 years to construct. It is also called ‘Plover castle’ because it looks like a beautiful plover spreading its feathers. The castle passed from Horio Yoshiharu and Kyougoku Tadataka to Tokugawa Ieyasu’s grandson Matsudaira Naomasa. The Matsudaira family then commanded the castle for ten generations (234 years). The castle is constructed using a system called ‘Bouroushiki and has six floors that appear to be five storeys from the outside. It is one of the largest and highest among the 12 remaining castles in Japan. From the uppermost floor, the outlook is still beautiful. The beauty of the four seasons (cherry-blossom, autumn leaves, snow flower, etc) can be seen. Nowadays, it is called Matsue Castle Mountain Park and is a sightseeing spot of Matsue district. It is also one of the 100 Japanese Cherry-blossom Landmarks.