History and Samurai

With its real feudal-era castle registered as a National Treasure of Japan, discover the city and its castle’s history intrinsically linked to the Samurai history and experience for yourself this ancestral fighting art. 

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Samurai Spirit

Everyone has heard of samurai, the loyal warriors of Japanese lore who wielded their sense of honor with as much skill as they did their swords. But few know of the Ogasawara clan, 12^th Century progenitors of samurai technique and etiquette that won them the highest favor of both shogun and emperor. Sent by the shogun to rule Fukashi, the region now known as Matsumoto, the Ogasawara clan established a samurai spirit that still lingers in the air of the old castle town’s history.

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Historical Castle & Streets

Matsumoto Castle is the most visible and most beautiful treasure of our town’s rich history. The old merchant street known as Nakamachi-dori and the quaint pedestrian lane of Nawate-dori, affectionately referred to as Frog Street are also well-known and much-enjoyed by those who come to this high-altitude countryside oasis. But there is so much more to the story of Matsumoto – a story that is often hiding right out in plain sight. A story we are sure you’ll find fascinating once you know where to look!

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Shugendo Ritual

You may even find a helping of Matsumoto’s history right there on your dinner plate. Around the dawn of the 8^th Century a man named En-no-Gyoja developed the mountain worship practice of Shugendo, establishing nearby Togakushi as a center for their ascetic rituals. Spending weeks at a time in the high mountains where rice cannot be cultivated, Shugendo practitioners subsisted on soba buckwheat noodles – a practice still very much alive in Matsumoto today.

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