Japan is Nippon 日本語
The black five-tiered keep of Matsumoto Castle reflected in its moat under a blue sky
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Nagano · castle

Matsumoto Castle

松本城

Matsumoto's black-walled National Treasure castle. Its Sengoku-era keep of five tiers and six floors survives; steep wooden stairs lead to the top.

Matsumoto Castle keep seen across the moat with a red wooden bridge and trees
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Steep wooden staircase and dark timber interior inside the Matsumoto Castle keep
Photo: z tanuki, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The oldest surviving keep of five tiers and six floors

Matsumoto Castle stands in the centre of Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. Its keep (tenshu, the tall central building of a castle) is a National Treasure, and only five castles in Japan have a National Treasure keep: Matsumoto, Himeji, Hikone, Inuyama and Matsue.

The main keep in the centre, the smaller Inui keep to the north and the Watari Yagura (the connecting turret between the two) were built in 1593 to 1594 by Ishikawa Kazumasa and his son Yasunaga. It is the oldest surviving keep in Japan with five tiers and six floors. From outside it looks like five storeys, but the third floor is a hidden level, rather like an attic, so inside there are six floors.

Buildings of war and peace side by side

Attached to the south-east of the main keep are the Tatsumi Tsuke Yagura and the Tsukimi Yagura ("moon-viewing turret"). These were added in 1633 to 1638 by Matsudaira Naomasa, after the peaceful Edo period had begun.

Every floor of the main keep has small openings in the walls for firing arrows and guns. The Tsukimi Yagura, by contrast, was built, as its name says, for gazing at the moon, and it is this joining of military and elegant buildings into one that makes Matsumoto Castle special. The lower parts of the walls are finished in black lacquer and the upper parts in white plaster (shikkui).

In the Meiji era, amid a mood of tearing down the old, the keep was put up for sale and was in danger of being demolished. Thanks to the efforts of local people such as Ichikawa Ryozo, it has been preserved as you see it today.

Visiting and getting there

You take your shoes off to go round the inside of the keep. To reach the top floor there are about 140 narrow, steep wooden steps, and there is no lift. Allow around 1 to 2 hours for your visit.

The castle is about 15 minutes' walk from Matsumoto Station. On the Town Sneaker loop bus (North Course) it takes about 10 minutes; get off at the "Matsumoto-jo / Shiyakusho-mae" stop. In spring the castle is lit up at night during the cherry blossom season, and in winter you can see the castle and mountains under snow. Check the official website for opening hours and prices.

Tips

  • The stairs in the keep are narrow, steep and numerous, so watch your step and go up and down slowly.
  • From 24 August to 31 October 2026, regular maintenance of the lacquer and outer walls is being carried out. You can go inside the keep as usual, but access to the Tsukimi Yagura may be restricted while the lacquer is drying.
  • Drones are banned within the castle grounds.

Sources

Updated 28 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Keep exploring

Nearby places

Old wooden water wheels turning beside the clear, green spring-fed river at Daio Wasabi Farm
Nagano · farm Daio Wasabi Farm 大王わさび農場 One of Japan's biggest wasabi farms, in Azumino, Nagano, fed by Northern Alps snowmelt. Walk by clear rivers and water wheels; try wasabi ice cream.
Kurobe Dam releasing a huge spray of water from its curved concrete wall beside a turquoise lake
Toyama · landmark Kurobe Dam 黒部ダム Japan's tallest dam, 186 m high, in the Northern Alps. From summer to autumn, over 10 tonnes of water a second fall into the valley like mist.
The large main hall of Zenko-ji with its sweeping roof, visitors in the stone-paved courtyard
Nagano · temple Zenko-ji Temple 善光寺 A Nagano temple said to date back some 1,400 years, open to all regardless of sect, where you can grope through a pitch-dark passage beneath the main hall.
Visitors walking along the Miyagawa River past the morning market stalls in Takayama
Gifu · other Miyagawa Morning Market 飛騨高山宮川朝市 Every morning, white-tented stalls line the Miyagawa River in Hida-Takayama. Chat with local farmers over seasonal vegetables, pickles and soy-glazed dango.
Kusatsu Yubatake with hot water pouring from wooden channels into a turquoise pool, inns around it
Gunma · onsen Kusatsu Onsen Yubatake 草津温泉湯畑 Kusatsu Onsen's steaming symbol, gushing about 4,000 litres of hot water a minute. Lit up at night, its light and steam make a magical scene.
The long two-storey brick West Cocoon Warehouse of Tomioka Silk Mill with wooden balconies
Gunma · historic site Tomioka Silk Mill 富岡製糸場 Japan's first full-scale mechanised silk mill, built by the Meiji government in 1872. A World Heritage site in Tomioka, Gunma, with its brick buildings intact.