21 TSUTSUI MON Gate

This gate is said to have been transferred from MASAKI Castle. Maskaki is the town next to Matsuyama. It is one of the most important defense points for frontal attack.

22 TONASHI MON Gate (Doorless Gate – important cultural property).

This gate is a KOHRAIMON gate, that is, it consists of two pairs of pillars, and is so named because it has no door. Some people believe this is because the plan was to let the enemy go through this gate easily and attack the next gates of TSUTSUI MON Gate and the Hidden Gate, where they could be surrounded and countered completely. This gate, TSUTSUI MON Gate, and Hidden Gate are the most important defense points against frontal attack and attack from the areas of the intermediate and outermost outworks of the castle.

Matsuyama Castle Chronology

Matsuyama Castle Location

Material Source is a brochure developed by Iyo Railway Co. Ltd.

Shopping at Maruyoshi

Maruyoshi is a chain of Japanese supermarkets. They are located on Shikoku Island and they have over 35 stores. The prices are good and the food is fresh. Most Japanese markets sell beer and wine (sake) along side of their other offerings. It’s always fun to go into these stores. When you check out, you pay, the cashier gives you your change and a bag to place everything in. You take the cart to a table where you pack your own merchandise, drop the basket off along with the cart and carry your goods out to your car or your bike for the ride home.

Maruyoshi Website in Japanese

The Force is with Pachinko

Marketing Pachinko using "the force." This company has licensed the Star Wars theme to promote their line of Pachinko Machines. What Lucas films and other Hollywood factions do, is sell their rights to market their creative concepts to other companies. This company created a collection of Pachinko Machines with Star Wars themes. When a Pachinko Parlor purchases or leases the machines, they get these display materials as part of the package (flag banners, display board and mannequin).

The web site (below) continues the marketing approach but it also carries a complete timeline of the Star Wars franchise, the Pachinko machines they are promoting, different aspects of making the Star Wars films and it even includes a detailed genealogical map of how all the Star Wars characters are interelated. Quite an impressive effort, as Darth Vader would say. It's entirely in Japanese but it is a fun visit. The only thing lacking in the display is the Darth Vader Mannequin. As Luke Skywalker would have said, as he did when he first saw the Millenium Falcon, "what a piece of junk!"

The mannequin is beckoning the passerby to come in ane experience the force of Pachinko.

Star Wars Pachinko Japan

Soul Franky

To be young is to be influenced by fashion. Doesn't mean it will be comfortable or even make sense. It's about looking good, attracting the attention of the opposite sex and being vogue.