🏯Matsumoto Castle – Nagano (松本城 – 長野)
The black-painted Matsumoto Castle is a national treasure with a majestic appearance.
It is a symbol of Matsumoto City, standing against the backdrop of the Northern Alps and the Utsukushi-ga-hara Plateau.
It is said to have started as Fukashi Castle, built during the Sengoku period (1504-1520), and underwent a major renovation in 1594. It is a sturdy structure prepared for battle, and inside the castle there are “slits” where guns and arrows can be fired at attacking enemy soldiers, and “stone drops” where stones are dropped from above on enemy soldiers climbing the stone walls.
It has five layers and six floors, and there are seven very steep staircases. The stairs get steeper as you go up, and I almost had to crawl to climb up. We had to take our shoes off before going up, so our feet got very cold. It was hard to imagine how people lived in the past.
📝It is also lit up at night, so you can enjoy a different kind of beauty.
Access:
🚗7 minute drive from Matsumoto Station
🚃About 15 minutes walk from Matsumoto Station Castle Exit (East Exit)
🚌From Matsumoto Station Castle Exit
Get off at Matsumoto Castle/City Hall stop on the Town Sneaker North Course sightseeing bus
Address: 4-1 Marunouchi, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture
Parking: Parking available nearby
🕐Opening hours: 8:30-17:00 (last entry at 16:30)
*May vary depending on the season
Closed: December 29-31
Admission Fee: 700 yen for adults/300 yen for junior high school students and younger
📅Visited 6/Feb/2025
🎧✨Hotaru “Declining Sun”
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