Matsumoto Castle in central Japan had a year-end cleanup to prepare for the coming New Year festivities.
The castle, a designated national treasure, in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, is cleaned every year at around this time.
About 30 people, including city personnel and volunteers, cleaned up three places such as the tower and the main door on Thursday.
The city workers used bamboo sticks up to six meters long with bamboo leaves to clean off dust on the castle walls.
Hired cleaners climbed onto the tower's roof, a place too high to reach for usual cleaning work.
After the cleaning, the city workers decorated the tower and the main door with sacred "shimenawa" ropes of about six meters in length made by a group of local volunteers.
City officials say about 738,000 people had visited the castle from April through Wednesday. The figure is at pre-pandemic levels of four years ago.
Momose Koumi, chief of the city's castle administration, said they have cleaned up the castle and are ready for the New Year. He expressed hope that many people will visit the castle next year as well.
The castle's garden will be opened to the public free of charge from January 1 to 3.
The castle, a designated national treasure, in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, is cleaned every year at around this time.
About 30 people, including city personnel and volunteers, cleaned up three places such as the tower and the main door on Thursday.
The city workers used bamboo sticks up to six meters long with bamboo leaves to clean off dust on the castle walls.
Hired cleaners climbed onto the tower's roof, a place too high to reach for usual cleaning work.
After the cleaning, the city workers decorated the tower and the main door with sacred "shimenawa" ropes of about six meters in length made by a group of local volunteers.
City officials say about 738,000 people had visited the castle from April through Wednesday. The figure is at pre-pandemic levels of four years ago.
Momose Koumi, chief of the city's castle administration, said they have cleaned up the castle and are ready for the New Year. He expressed hope that many people will visit the castle next year as well.
The castle's garden will be opened to the public free of charge from January 1 to 3.
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Summary
Matsumoto Castle, a national treasure in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, underwent year-end cleaning for New Year festivities. Approximately 30 people participated, including city personnel and volunteers. The castle walls were cleaned with bamboo sticks and leaves, while hired cleaners climbed
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ID: 5fc54ba0-813d-40d2-a805-c63b4544d28b
Category ID: nhk
URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231228_26/
Date: Dec. 28, 2023
Created: 2023/12/29 06:30
Updated: 2025/12/08 19:38
Last Read: 2023/12/29 17:04