Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-09-14 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site
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Our guide
Matsumoto Castle is one of Japan's premier historic castles, with Himeji Castle and Kumamoto Castle, and it is different from both in one way you notice at once: it stands on a plain rather than a hilltop, a flatland castle, with walls, moats and gatehouses doing the work that height does elsewhere. Its keep was completed in the late sixteenth century and keeps its original wooden interiors and stonework. It is a National Treasure, one of only twelve surviving original keeps in Japan, and four more buildings around it are National Treasures too.
The castle was the seat of the Matsumoto Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. A timed e-ticket costs a little less than a paper ticket on the day, and entry may be limited when it is crowded, so booking ahead is worth it on busy days. Kita-Matsumoto Station is about 750 m away in a straight line.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Matsumoto Castle Keep Tower — Lightning toothed whale ( 稲妻ノ歯鯨 ) This photo was taken with Canon EOS 500D · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Matsumoto Castle (7423744208) — KimonBerlin · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source · resized
- Matsumoto Castle5 — MOILIP · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Matsumoto Castle3a — 江戸村のとくぞう (Edomura no Tokuzo) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Matsumoto Castle2a — 江戸村のとくぞう (Edomura no Tokuzo) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Matsumoto Castle1a — 江戸村のとくぞう (Edomura no Tokuzo) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Matsumoto Castle09n4592 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Kuro-mon Gate of Matsumoto Castle — Mnd · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- 4 Marunouchi, Matsumoto-shi, Nagano-ken 390-0873, Japan - panoramio (21) — kiwa dokokano · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- MatsumotoCastleTower — Markus Leupold-Löwenthal · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Matsumoto Castle (松本城, Matsumoto-jō), originally known as Fukashi Castle, is a castle in city of Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. It is one of Japan's premier historic castles, along with Himeji and Kumamoto. It was the seat of Matsumoto Domain under the Edo Period Tokugawa shogunate. The keep (天守閣, tenshukaku), which was completed in the late sixteenth century, maintains its original wooden interiors and external stonework. It is listed as a National Treasure of Japan, and is one of the twelve surviving tenshu in Japan. It is surrounded by four other buildings also designated as National Treasures. Matsumoto Castle is a flatland castle 平城 (hirajiro) because it is not built on a hilltop or amid rivers, but on a plain. Its complete defences would have included an extensive system of inter-connecting walls, moats, and gatehouses.
Visitor information checked: 2026-09-14 · Matsumoto Castle: visitor information
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Castle
Nearby station
Nearby station: Kita-Matsumoto (Ōito Line), about 750 m from the spot in a straight line.
Worked out on 2026-09-14 from this place’s map position, using HeartRails Express station data and station names from Wikidata. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route, and says nothing about buses, transfers or timetables — plan the trip on Google Maps.
Where to stay nearby
Hotels near Matsumoto Castle on Agoda
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