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Black wooden keep of Matsue Castle on a stone base under a clear blue sky
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Shimane · castle

Matsue Castle

松江城

One of only 12 castles whose keep survives from the Edo period or earlier. Climb the National Treasure keep for 360-degree views of Matsue and Lake Shinji.

Stone walls and steps inside the grounds of Matsue Castle
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Mossy stone steps and walls at the Mizunote gate area of Matsue Castle
Photo: by Monado, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

A National Treasure keep standing for over 400 years

Matsue Castle stands on Kameda-yama hill in the centre of Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. It was built over about five years from 1607 by the Horio clan, who ruled Izumo Province after the Battle of Sekigahara.

Matsue Castle is one of the "12 original keeps", castles whose tenshu (keep, the tall central building of a castle) survives from the Edo period or earlier. A kitofuda (a prayer tablet asking for the building's safety) that had been nailed to a pillar in the keep bears the date Keicho 16 (1611), one of the pieces of evidence for when the keep was completed. Following this research, the keep was designated a National Treasure in 2015, the fifth castle keep to receive the title after Himeji, Matsumoto, Hikone and Inuyama.

Highlights of the keep

From outside the keep has four tiers of roofs; inside there is one basement floor and five floors above ground. Its roofs, spreading in all directions, are likened to a plover (chidori) spreading its wings, so it is also called Chidori-jo, Plover Castle. You enter the keep through the tsuke-yagura, an annex turret attached to its south side.

Inside you can still see a well prepared for rojo (holing up in the castle when surrounded by enemies) and steep, narrow staircases that are hard for attackers to climb. The shachihoko on the roof (fish-shaped ornaments believed to protect against fire) are made of wood, and the larger one is 2.08 m tall, the biggest surviving wooden shachihoko.

The top floor, called the Tengu no Ma, has no walls, and on a clear day you get 360-degree views of Matsue's streets and Lake Shinji.

Things to enjoy around the castle

On the moats surrounding the castle, the small Horikawa sightseeing boats take you along about 3.7 km of waterways. Nearby, the Shiomi Nawate street of samurai residences still survives. To see the castle and its surroundings at a relaxed pace, allow two to three hours.

From JR Matsue Station, take the Lake Line bus for about 10 minutes and get off at Kokuho Matsue-jo (Otemae). From Izumo Airport (Izumo Enmusubi Airport) and Yonago Airport (Yonago Kitaro Airport), airport buses run to JR Matsue Station.

The Great Reiwa Restoration from 2027

The keep's roof tiles and wall boards have deteriorated and there are leaks when it rains. The Great Reiwa Restoration, the first major repair in about 70 years since the Great Showa Restoration of 1950 to 1955, is therefore planned from June 2027 to December 2030. Check the Matsue Castle official website and Matsue City notices for how you can visit during the work.

As of September 2026, the keep is open as usual. However, access is restricted in some parts of Shiroyama Park. Check the official website for fees and opening hours.

Tips

  • Once the repairs begin, scaffolding and the like may make the outside of the keep hard to see. If you want to see the keep as it looks now, visit before the work starts in June 2027.
  • The stairs inside the keep are very steep. Carry as little as possible so you have both hands free, and wear shoes with a good grip.
  • The official website sells web tickets. In busy periods, buying in advance saves you queuing at the ticket window.

Sources

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

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