Matsumoto Castle
松本城36°14′ N 137°58′ ECastleMain keep built 1593–94; turrets added…
Matsumoto Castle holds Japan's oldest surviving five-tier, six-storey keep, and it suits anyone passing through central Nagano with an hour to spare; inside, the stairs are narrow and steep, and Golden Week and Obon bring entry limits.
Photo Brian Jeffery Beggerly from Singapore · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Visiting with care · Open to visitors
At Golden Week, Obon and other busy times the castle limits entry for safety, and visitors in the honmaru garden must follow a set route.
- Shoes come off at the keep entrance; staff hand out a bag to carry them in.
- Pets may not enter the honmaru garden or the keep, even in a bag or carrier.
- Photography is not allowed near the stairs inside the keep.
- Kuromon is the only entrance; the Uzumi-mon gate by the red bridge is closed.
- The keep is a wooden National Treasure, so keep your hands off the walls and carry your shoes in the bag the staff give you.
- The stairs are narrow and steep, about 140 steps at up to 61 degrees, so climb with both hands free and let people coming down pass.
Ishikawa Kazumasa and his son Yasunaga, retainers of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, built the main keep, the smaller Inui keep and the covered passage that joins them in 1593–94, which the City of Matsumoto gives as its official date. The Tatsumi turret and the Tsukimi moon-viewing turret followed early in the Edo period. All five buildings were named National Treasures in 1936 and designated again in 1952 under the postwar law. Of the 12 original keeps still standing in Japan, this is the oldest with five tiers outside and six floors inside.
Entry costs ¥1,300 for adults on a paper ticket or ¥1,200 for a date-specified e-ticket in 2026, and ¥400 for primary and junior high students. You take off your shoes at the door and climb about 140 steps through six floors, some of them pitched at 61 degrees. Most visitors spend 45 minutes to an hour inside.
Every year from late August to the end of October crews renew the black and red lacquer, so scaffolding and white sheeting cover parts of the outside while the keep stays open. The castle's official site also calls the nickname Karasu-jo, or Crow Castle, a mistake.
Worth knowing
- Buy the date-specified e-ticket ahead for Golden Week or mid-August.
- Wear socks you're happy to walk around in, since shoes come off at the door.
- Leave the dog with someone outside the castle grounds.
Quick answers about Matsumoto Castleよくある質問
How much is Matsumoto Castle?
In 2026 Matsumoto Castle costs ¥1,300 for adults on a paper same-day ticket or ¥1,200 for a date-specified e-ticket, and ¥400 for primary and junior high students.
How long does a visit to Matsumoto Castle take?
Most visitors spend 45 to 60 minutes inside the Matsumoto Castle keep, plus time in the honmaru garden.
Is Matsumoto Castle called Crow Castle?
No. The official Matsumoto Castle site says the name Karasu-jo, or Crow Castle, is a mistake.
When is Matsumoto Castle closed?
Matsumoto Castle closes from 29 to 31 December. It opens every other day, 8:30–17:00, with last entry at 16:30.
Can you visit Matsumoto Castle?
Open to visitors. Shoes come off at the keep entrance; staff hand out a bag to carry them in. Pets may not enter the honmaru garden or the keep, even in a bag or carrier. Photography is not allowed near the stairs inside the keep. Kuromon is the only entrance; the Uzumi-mon gate by the red bridge is closed.
How should you behave at Matsumoto Castle?
At Matsumoto Castle: The keep is a wooden National Treasure, so keep your hands off the walls and carry your shoes in the bag the staff give you. The stairs are narrow and steep, about 140 steps at up to 61 degrees, so climb with both hands free and let people coming down pass.
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