Matsumoto Castle was built by Kazumasa Ishikawa starting in 1593. Since it was built at the end of the Warring States period, the castle was prepared for battles using firearms and various devices such as stone dropping.
Since Kazumasa Ishikawa was a general on the side of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the castle is characterized by its black color like Osaka Castle built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It is also said that the castle was built to monitor Edo, where Tokugawa Ieyasu was located.
It is also known as Karasu jo (Crow Castle) because of its pitch-black appearance, but this is not an official alias, according to Matsumoto Castle’s official website.
Matsumoto Castle is one of the 12 existing castle keepers and is designated as a national treasure.
The inside of the castle is open to the public, and inside is a museum where visitors can see the construction of the castle, firearms, and other valuable materials of the time.
Highlights of Matsumoto Castle
Here’s some quick things to note before to help you visit Matsumoto Castle
- Matsumoto Castle is 29.4 meters high and has six floors inside.
- From the outside, it looks like a five-story building, but the third floor is not visible from the outside.
- To enter the building, visitors need to show their admission tickets.
- Also, the entrance and exit are different, so after taking off your shoes, you must put them in a plastic bag and carry them with you.
- The inside is made of wood, and the floor is slippery.
- There are 140 steps in total, and they are very steep, so please be careful.
- The floor gets cold in winter, so we recommend that you wear double layers of socks. Of course, there is no air conditioning or heating.
- The inside of the castle is a museum, and the following is a rough description of what you can see on each floor.
History of Matsumoto Castle
The first lord of Matsumoto Castle was Ishikawa Kazumasa, who is also said to be the first lord of the Matsumoto domain. At first, he served Ieyasu Tokugawa and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Starting with Ishikawa, the castle was ruled by the seven feudal lords listed below.
Including the successors of each feudal lord’s family, there were 23 feudal lords in total.
The Ishikawa, Ogasawara, Toda, Matsudaira, Hotta, Mizuno, and Toda Houses
A rough chronology of Matsumoto Castle.
- 1593 Ishikawa Kazumasa becomes lord of the castle and construction of the Matsumoto Castle tower progresses
- 1613 Ogasawara Hidemasa becomes the lord of Matsumoto Castle
- 1617 Toda Yasunaga becomes lord of Matsumoto Castle
- 1633 Matsudaira Naomasa becomes lord of Matsumoto Castle
- Tatsumitsuke Yagura and Tsukimi Yagura are built
- 1638 Masamori Hotta becomes lord of Matsumoto Castle
- 1642 Mizuno Tadakiyo becomes lord of Matsumoto Castle
- 1726 Mitsuji Toda becomes lord of Matsumoto Castle
- 1727 The Honmaru Palace burns down
- 1872 Ninomaru Goten is used as the prefectural government office and put up for sale
- 1878 The citizens (Ichikawa Ryozo) buy it back
Location Of Matsumoto Castle
The location in which Matsumoto Castle was built is also of great significance.
The location of Matsumoto Castle was chosen in terms of “the land of the four gods,” which is considered a suitable location in feng shui (Chinese geomancy).
The following lands are considered to be suitable for the Four Divinities. Matsumoto Castle is also in all of the following.
If you go up to the 6th (top) floor of Matsumoto Castle, you will find an observatory from which you can see in all directions. Please take a look around you in terms of location.
Views From Each Direction:
- North High mountains in the background
- East, a clear stream
- South: wide-open marshland, hollow land
- West: Big street
The population of Matsumoto’s Samurai Town
In 1725, the number of people living in samurai residences was said to be about 6,000. This number included both family members and those serving the samurai families.
Inside the keep of Matsumoto Castle
The highlight of Matsumoto Castle is the entire interior of the castle keep.
From the construction to the exhibits, you can see the precious extant originals.
Here are the highlights of each floor.
The first floor of the castle keep
The first floor used to be a warehouse for food, guns, and other weapons and ammunition.
Here you can see the structure of the castle prepared for battle. For example, there is a raised door, a vertical lattice window, a narrow space for guns, a stone trap, a narrow space for arrows, and so on.
The castle is made of 60% Japanese cedar, 60% Japanese cypress, and pine.
The second floor of the keep
The second floor of the castle tower is thought to have been used as a warrior’s quarters where warriors would hang out in case of emergencies.
Highlights include a display of firearms and a raised door that can be closed by removing a pry bar.
The third floor of the keep
The third floor is a dark room with no windows.
It is thought to have been a room where warriors would gather during battles, as it was safe and unseen from the outside.
Keep 4th floor
The fourth floor is bright and spacious. This is the place where the lord of the castle would sit in times of emergency. The ceiling is high, there are few pillars, and the timbers are all cypress. Compared to the other floors, this room has a more prestigious construction.
Please compare the construction of the other floors.
Tenshukaku 5th floor
The fifth floor is thought to have been a place where chief vassals held strategy meetings for battles.
The staircase from the 5th floor to the 6th floor is narrow and very steep.
Keep 6th floor
The 6th floor used to be a gazebo to watch over the enemy. It is said that tatami mats were spread on the floor at that time.
Now it is used as an observation deck from which one can look out over Matsumoto city.
Looking up at the ceiling, one can see a deity called “Niju-rokuyakamisama” (26-night god), who protects Matsumoto Castle.
It is said that the Honmaru Goten did not burn in the fire of 1727 thanks to Nijulyoru-sama.
Tsukimi Yagura – Moon Viewing Turret
Descending a steep staircase, we now continue to the Tsukimi Yagura, which was added after the castle tower.
The watchtower is a building for viewing the moon, and its ceiling is shaped like the bottom of a ship. The ceiling is shaped like the bottom of a ship, which is evidence of the peaceful times of that time.
After passing through the watchtower, you will reach the exit.
Matsumoto Castle’s red bridge: Uzumibashi Bridge
On the west side of Matsumoto Castle, where the bus parking lot is located, there is a red bridge.
It is called Uzumibashi (buried bridge) and cannot be crossed. The gate at the end of the bridge is closed. This bridge was installed during the Showa period (1926-1989).
Matsumoto Castle seen from the red bridge is beautiful and a popular photo spot.
Matsumoto Castle’s moat
The moat of Matsumoto Castle is filled with carp.
It is said that the moat in those days was four times the size of today’s moat and more than 3 meters deep in places.
Basic Information on Matsumoto Castle
Access to Matsumoto Castle
Address: 4-1 Marunouchi, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture
By train
20 minutes walk from JR Matsumoto Station
By bus
10 minutes from JR Matsumoto Station by the “Town Sneaker” north course of the Matsumoto excursion bus.
By car
About 20 minutes from Matsumoto IC (about 3.5 km)
Matsumoto Castle Admission
- Adults 700 yen Elementary and junior high school students 300 yen
- You can also visit Matsumoto Castle and the Matsumoto Municipal Museum.
- At the Matsumoto City Museum, there are exhibits about life in Matsumoto City, events and festivals.
Hotels near Matsumoto Castle
Richmond Hotel Matsumoto
Conveniently located a 4-minute walk from JR Matsumoto Station and about 9 minutes from the hotel to the castle.
Hotel Buena Vista
This city hotel is a 7-minute walk from Matsumoto Station and a 16-minute walk from the castle. Buena Vista means “good view” in Spanish, and the breakfast room overlooks Matsumoto city.
Tour of Matsumoto Castle
A wide variety of tours are available here, including those with tour guides and bus guides.
Enjoy one of Japan’s most famous mountain landscapes and famous hot springs! Kanto/Koshinetsu Travel by Club Tourism
A few more pointers on your visit to Matsumoto Castle.
- If you go there on a nice day, the contrast between the blue sky and the black Matsumoto Castle is just beautiful!
- If you haven’t seen it in person yet, I highly recommend a visit!
- Along With Matsumoto Castle, another recommended tourist attraction is the Matsumoto City Museum of Art.
- You can see the exhibition of Yayoi Kusama, who was born in Matsumoto City.
- Also, Matsumoto is a very refreshing place with a view of the mountains and a lot of nature.
- A detailed guidebook of Matsumoto Castle is available at a store on the castle grounds.