The black & white beauty of MATSUMOTO CASTLE
1:54 AM
The black & white beauty of Matsumoto-jo is a must see when visiting Nagano. It is a national treasure and is one of the only 12 existing castles in Japan.
This 400 year old castle is also the oldest 5-tiered wooden castle in the country. There only two 5-tiered castles - the other is the Himeji-jo in Kansai. Unlike other castles, the Matsumoto- jo was built on a flat area in a city surrounded by mountains like the Northern Alps.
The Uzumi gate (red gate) is currently undergoing maintenance so you’ll need to pass the other entrance.
Once you enter, you’ll have an beautiful view of the castle in the Tenshu gardens.
There is also a gift store and benches with vending machines beside it. If you’re lucky you can find an armoured warrior or princess in front of the castle you can take photos with.
In order to protect the wood of the castle, you will need to remove your shoes if you want to enter the castle interiors. You will be provided a plastic bag to put it in but there are no area to leave it so you’ll need to carry it with you. There are only stairs inside the castle and are often steep and narrow. The climb to the top floor isn’t as high as the Himeji Castle but you’ll still climb more than a 100 steps to the top. The stairs on the highest 2 floors are the narrowest and steepest. Here visitors use the same flight of stairs to go up and down and can be a little tricky. In the other stairs, there are designated ones to go up or go down.
Inside the castle, you can an exhibit of original pieces of the castle and information about the structure of the castle. You can find one of the hemlock pillars of the Keep’s foundation.
On the second floor, you can find the Matsumoto Gun Museum where there is a wide collection of firearms and weapons. Although it appears as a 5-tiered castle, it actually has 6 floors inside.
On the top floor, you can find a dedication in the centre of ceiling to the god Nijuroku-ya-shin that protects the castle
 |
| View from the Moon Viewing Room |
 |
| view of the castle grounds from the top floor window |
You can get a free tour just coordinate with the volunteer guides to schedule your visit.
You can reach the castle by taking the pink line of the Sneaker Town bus from Matsumoto Station and get off at the Matsumotojo Kita Bus Stop (Y200). It’s about 15 mins from Matsumoto Station.
Bus Stop Signs at the Matsumotojo Kita Bus Stop
 |
| Map of the Castle Grounds |
WEBSITE: www.matsumoto-castle.jp/lang/eng/
ENTRANCE FEE: Y610 (Adult) Y300 (Elementary & Junior High School Students) (includes entry to the Matsumoto City Museum)
HOW TO GET HERE: Take the pink line Matsumotojo kita bus stop #1: get off at MATSUMOTO CASTLE
NEAREST TRAIN STATION: JR Matsumoto Station
HOURS OF OPERATION: 8:30 AM -5:00 PM
0 comments