Matsumoto Castle in the Snow (Yuki no Matsumoto-jo), Shôwa period,

Matsumoto Castle in the Snow (Yuki no Matsumoto-jo) presents Japan's "Crow Castle" in its most dramatic seasonal condition — its black walls and roofs set against the uniform white of a winter snowfall. The contrast between the castle's dark exterior and the surrounding snow creates a stark graphic statement that must have appealed strongly to Hashimoto's compositional sensibility. Unlike many other Japanese castles, Matsumoto's black exterior was achieved through iron-rich plaster and black lacquer, a deliberate aesthetic choice that makes it among the most visually distinctive surviving fortifications.