Discover Matsushiro - Nagano City's Samurai Town

Constructed in the final months of World War II, the Zozan Imperial Wartime Tunnels were excavated as the intended headquarters from the Japanese military, government and Imperial Family during the expected Allied invasion. Chosen for distance from the coast, suitable flat terrain surrounded by the natural defense of mountains, ability of the substrata to resist intensive bombing and ability of the local people to keep a secret, the majority of the expansive tunnels and bunkers were completed but had never been used, when the war came to an end.

The tunnels can still be visited today, a poignant, sombre yet very important testament to the huge cost of war on all sides. As such, Matsushiro has a lot more to offer than my first seem so upon arrival. At its best during the blossoms of spring and changing leaves of autumn, Matsushiro makes a great morning, afternoon or daytrip from Nagano City.