Of course, there were some new defensive innovations introduced at Matsumoto. There was the traditional gate that had to be entered, or, if that proved to be a hassle, invaders could wade across the shallow moat instead. However, the moat was filled with expensive ornamental fish, and accidentally killing one of them could cost a soldier a fortune. But if they managed to get past the fish without a debilitating lawsuit, they had to face the tea lady. At one hour per cup of tea, the obligatory tea ceremony could slow the enemy advance to a crawl.