Gun Samurai

This is what we do. The Matsumoto Castle Gun Corps is a shooting display team from the Japanese Alps. We use samurai era guns and practice hōjutsu; the Way of the Gun. #hojutsu #samurai #gunsamurai #matsumoto #japan

@jessintokyo @oonomotohiro @saitamakanko @gyoda_kankou Congratulations 🙏

㊗️報告㊗️ この度、令和8年度埼玉県広報アンバサダーに任命致しました🫶今年度もどうぞよろしくお願いいたします🙇‍♀️ 埼玉県の伝統文化、伝統工芸品、職人、深い歴史のある場所を自ら収財、インスタやSNSで発信します。 今年度三期目ですが、引き続き国内外に向かって埼玉県の魅力をメディアとSNSで発信します📢 来日観光客をもっと埼玉県に来てもらえるよう頑張りたいと思います🙇‍♀️ 引き続き今年度も応援よろしくお願いします🙇‍♀️ 📌コーデ: 👘秩父銘仙着物 x 袴 🩴行田足袋 (クレヨンしんちゃん柄)xアンティーク下駄 #埼玉県広報アンバサダー #Japan #lifeinjapan #kimono #きもの #秩父 #行田

@Gonzalesflag It works for me!

@_Gun_Samurai So, how has being a Gaijin expat been?

I’m not so good with swords… I can do the basics at least! On the other hand, I’ve been using guns since 14 (which compared to our American cousins - makes me a late starter I guess)! My first job out of school was in the British infantry, and I then went on to become a police officer. Because we regularly worked with the Japanese Coastguard, I started to teach myself Japanese as a hobby. Then, after 11 years behind the badge - I moved to Matsumoto!

@RobertJ09323900 No thet were all hand made. Japan didn’t have any machinery until the mid 1800s. 🙏

@_Gun_Samurai Machine cut on a lathe, and the threaded breach block IS a 16th century design?

How do Japanese matchlocks work? Join the Matsumoto Castle Gun Corps for a sixty second shooting lesson!

@CrankyAmerican Me either 😅

@_Gun_Samurai I love working with my sword. But I am under no illusion I have any true skill.

@RobertJ09323900 Actually the threaded screw was solved on 1544 - a year after the weapons arrived in Japan 🙏

@_Gun_Samurai How old is this design? Certainly the Tanegashima's of the mid 16th century would not have used a threaded screw in breachblock.

@DavidWatso70204 @medievalmlord Skirmishing was normally a samurai gunner role 🙏

@_Gun_Samurai @medievalmlord Ok, new question: would Japanese musketeers use cover and fight like skirmishers or fight like line infantry?

Forty second shooting lesson. Training in hōjutsu with The Matsumoto Castle Gun Corps.

Training to shoot from cover. This is the most common progression for gunners after getting to grips with the basics.

Should that be “sun’s out…”? 🤔 a.co/d/00yDCYqR

Suns out guns out!

Thank you so much for having me, Japan! I had a wonderful time and hope to return again soon. 🇯🇵

Let’s do Samurai Noir… By the way we are in action again on the 25th of July at Takashima Castle! Not only is it my birthday but also, Takashima is a really beautiful venue - a historic but lesser known fortress from the samurai era.

Training with the hand cannon. Ozutsu are man portable, large caliber guns that were designed for attacking structures; defences snd troops in cover.

@chameshijii 日本では年間を通して大会が開催されていますが、これは30mm級の大筒なので、日本の射撃場でこのサイズを撃てる場所はありません。

@_Gun_Samurai 私個人的には 実包（弾を入れて) 射撃で 標的を打つ競技が見たい。空砲（実包無し）では反動も少ない

Matchlock samurai from The Matsumoto Castle Gun Corps. Stay tuned for a full upload of our 2026 gunnery exercise! Coming soon!

The Matsumoto Castle Gun Corps in action. This is what we do.

@bunburyoudoujp I’ll bet! I did a 50 miler once… that was enough 😂 nothing more than 10k for me these days!

On long runs when I’m alone I listen to audiobooks. If I’m doing a race I’m locked in. With ultras you spend a lot of time focusing on keeping your body held together. I thought my heart and lungs were planning an escape during my first 100K. The fact my first 100K was a 118K run didn’t help. 😂

It’s the 2026 Nobeyama Ultramarathon tomorrow! I won’t be running tomorrow (next ultra in June) but I did run it last year. Thread attached. Good luck to everyone running tomorrow!