Matsumoto Castle

National Treasure; One Of Japan'S Twelve Original Castle Keeps · Matsumoto, Nagano

One of the finest original castles in Japan and one of only five designated National Treasures, a striking black-and-white keep standing on the plain of Matsumoto in Nagano prefecture, with the snow-capped Japanese Alps behind it. Its dark walls have earned it the nickname Crow Castle, in contrast to the white of Himeji. The main keep dates from the late sixteenth century and is one of the oldest surviving, and it is unusual among Japanese castles for sitting on flat ground, surrounded by a wide moat with a red bridge, rather than on a hill. Inside, visitors climb through six floors on staircases so steep they are almost ladders, past gun ports and arrow slits, to a view of the city and mountains. A later addition, the moon-viewing room, shows how the castle turned from fortress to pleasure palace in peaceful times. The town has the old Nakamachi merchant street, a Japan Ukiyo-e museum and the Matsumoto City Museum of Art with works by Yayoi Kusama, who was born here. Matsumoto is also the gateway to Kamikochi in the Northern Alps.

4-1 Marunouchi, Matsumoto, Nagano, 390-0873, Japan

NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the castle opens daily around 8:30 am and closes around 5 pm, with last entry about 30 minutes before; hours are extended in Golden Week and summer. It closes only around the New Year. The moat paths are open at all hours and the keep is lit in the evening. Queues can close entry to the keep before the official last entry on busy days. Kamikochi buses run only from mid-April to mid-November. Confirm times before travelling.

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