Matsuyama Castle
松山城33°51′ N 132°46′ ECastleBegun 1602; keep rebuilt from 1847 and…
Matsuyama Castle suits anyone who wants an Edo-period keep with a view over the city to the Seto Inland Sea, and a bike has to stay at the bottom of the hill.
Photo Zairon · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Visiting with care · Open to visitors
Allow an hour from the ropeway station to the keep: the climb from the ground floor to the keep ticket office alone takes about 30 minutes.
- Bicycles and motorbikes may not use any of the paths up the castle hill
- The Kencho-ura path is closed to vehicles from 12 September to 27 November 2026 while works are prepared; walkers can still use it with care
- Leave the bike locked below the hill, since the paths are closed to bicycles
Related places
Kato Yoshiaki began building on Katsuyama, a 132-metre hill in the middle of the Matsuyama plain, in January 1602, and named the place Matsuyama the next year. He was moved to Aizu in 1627 before the castle was finished. Lightning burned the keep on New Year's Day 1784, and the one you climb today went up between 1847 and 1854. Matsuyama counts it among the twelve keeps in Japan that survive from the Edo period or earlier.
The ropeway or the chairlift from Shinonomeguchi is the usual way up, and the keep is about 10 minutes on foot from the top station. The walking paths from the Kencho-ura, Kuromon and Furumachi sides take 25 to 40 minutes. If you want the keep, buy the ¥1,040 combined ticket at the station machines before 14:00 and you skip the queue at the top.
Worth knowing
- Lock the bike near Shinonomeguchi ropeway station; no path up the hill takes bicycles.
- Come before the keep's last entry, 30 minutes before closing, and leave an hour from the ropeway station.
Quick answers about Matsuyama Castleよくある質問
How much is Matsuyama Castle?
In 2026 the keep costs ¥520 for adults, and the ropeway or chairlift costs ¥520 return. A combined ticket for both costs ¥1,040 at the Shinonomeguchi station machines until 14:00.
Can I cycle up to Matsuyama Castle?
No. Bicycles and motorbikes are barred from every path up the castle hill, so lock up below and take the ropeway, the chairlift or a walking path.
Can you visit Matsuyama Castle?
Open to visitors. Bicycles and motorbikes may not use any of the paths up the castle hill. The Kencho-ura path is closed to vehicles from 12 September to 27 November 2026 while works are prepared; walkers can still use it with care.
What are the opening hours of Matsuyama Castle?
Matsuyama Castle keeps these hours: Mon–Sun 09:00–17:00.
How should you behave at Matsuyama Castle?
At Matsuyama Castle: Leave the bike locked below the hill, since the paths are closed to bicycles.
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