Matsumoto Castle

Michael Wilson in the last week

The castle and grounds are beautiful... from the outside. Definitely come during the day and especially the evening when the castle is lit. The tower tour was really awful. You are moved through in a line that goes too fast to read about the weapons, but so slowly as a non-breaking line tries to move up and down the narrow stairs. Really no need to go through the tower, there isn't much up there and it takes an hour to get through start to finish. I'm not sure why people recommend this.

Ad Chua 2 weeks ago

Quite a large castle in comparison to the others in Japan, though may not be of same scale in other countries like China or Europe. You can complete the tour within 2 hours. You do need to take off your shoes when entering the castle to preserve its flooring, and you will be greeted by the staffs at every stairs. This castle definitely still preserved the unique Japanese architecture designs from the 1600s. Along the way of your self-tour to the top level, you get to see the various weapons and explanation boards (in Japanese and English) to learn more of the history. I would think a Japanese Castle is a must for first-time tourist to Japan.

World Traveling a month ago

Put this on your list if you want to see castles in Japan. You can get a free tour in English . See kiosk near entry . Walk around moat is free but entry fee for castle . Best photos are in afternoon. The red bridge on the north west corner is a good photo spot. Walk directly south on the Main Street to get great local noodles. You can walk it from the train station and easy flat route. In the late Fall you can see the snow capped mountains in the distance.

Nathan f 2 months ago

A castle nestled in the Japanese Alps that competes with Himeji for its beauty. Nice to see from the outside which is free , or you can enter the castle itself for 700 yen or less ( pending on group size, kids pay, less etc ). I went on a snowy day and it was freezing inside, so have extra warm socks and bring your gloves if you want to make the most of it like I did. There's also a gun museum within the castle itself.

Tobias Lass 4 months ago

An absolutely stunning castle. If you are looking for a Japanese castle experience, this is where you need to go. You can take a limited express train from Shinjuku. If you are staying in Tokyo, take day to visit this place. The view is stunning, there are swans in the water around the castle, there's a scenic bridge, there's a beautiful garden, and there's lights when it's dark. The inside viewing is super crammed but still worth it. Bring thick socks in autumn and winter as you will have to take off your shoes. The stairs are extremely steep and narrow so you have to be in an appropriate physical shape. It's basically a long conga line that goes all the way up and then down again, you dont get to go at your own pace. The view from the top is nice, the museum is mostly about historic guns, and the building just feels very historic. I like that is has side buildings in addition to the main tower. Good pictures at sunset from outside the grounds and at sunrise from the garden inside.