Matsumoto Gun Corps: The Modern Samurai

Article by Sylvain Danjaume

Retrouvez cet article en Français sur le Site Officiel de la ville .

On Saturday the 20^th of October the Old-fashioned gunnery exercices, presented by a passionate group formed in 1990, will be held at Matsumoto Castle . This is a unique opportunity to discover the samurai near the historic castle during an impressive performance mixing history and a breathtaking show!

The samurai are known around the world as professional sword fighters. But through the age and the introduction of new weapons, they have gradually been modernized and became true firearms experts. During this event, you will see the troops formation and the procedures related to use these weapons as well as the different tactics of attack formation.

Matsumoto Gun Corps was formed in 1990 under the leadership of Nishibori Tai-Chou (Tai-Chou means captain) and who is now the captain of the Matsumoto Gun Corps formation.Matsumoto Gun Corps retains and maintains a large collection of old weapons. The oldest of these weapons date from the time of weapons introduction in Japan in 1543.

During this event, you will be able to watch the training exercises followed by the gun firing demonstration. There will be two different performances with the comments and explanations in English. You will also be able to approach the participants to touch the weapons, try the armor and of course take photos.

If you also do have any questions, you can ask them in English to Matthew Okuhara, a British who joined the group several years ago. He offered his help to allow foreign tourists to discover this art through his explanations in English.

Do not miss this timeless event, come and enjoy a show that only Matsumoto and its historic castle can offer you: rub shoulders with modern samurai in an ancestral atmosphere, and leave with endless memories!