2024-11-22 / Last updated : 2024-11-22 Sylvain Notification

(2024-2025) Winter Closure Notification: Matsumoto Castle and Nearby Attractions

Matsumoto Castle will observe its annual 2024-2025 winter closure during the New Year holidays. However, nearby attractions, including the Nakamachi and Nawate districts, will remain open, offering visitors a chance to experience the festive atmosphere, explore local crafts, and enjoy seasonal treats. Below are the details of the castle’s closure dates and updated opening hours for popular attractions in Matsumoto. Matsumoto Castle Matsumoto Castle, often called the “Crow Castle” for its striking black exterior, is one of Japan’s oldest and most beautiful original castles. Built in the late 16th century, it is a prime example of a flatland castle, strategically constructed on plains rather than hills. Renowned for its elegant […]
2024-10-10 / Last updated : 2024-10-10 Sylvain Events

Matsumoto “Shinshu Soba” Festival

Japanese soba noodles are made primarily from buckwheat flour with a small amount of wheat flour. Widely considered a healthy food, they are gluten-free, rich in flavonoids, and help maintain balanced blood sugar levels. Additionally, the long, slender shape of soba noodles is believed to symbolize stability and longevity. With its abundant natural resources and pure, crystal-clear water essential for soba cultivation, Nagano Prefecture is home to the Matsumoto “Shinshu Soba” Festival. Matsumoto and surrounding area are one of the largest and most well-known soba-producing regions in Japan. The Soba Festival at Matsumoto Castle The “Shinshu Soba” Festival in Nagano Prefecture is held annually in Matsumoto City every October. The […]
Asama Onsen Taimatsu Fire
2024-10-04 / Last updated : 2024-10-04 Sylvain Events

The Torches Festival – Taimatsu Matsuri

The Taimatsu Matsuri Torches Festival, also known as the “Asama Onsen Taimatsu Matsuri”, is a traditional fire festival with a rich history held annually in Matsumoto. This unique event features large torches, or “taimatsu,” and celebrates the local cultural heritage while also serving as a time of prayer for protection against natural disasters. History The Torches Festival has deep roots in ancient traditions. Historically, the burning of large torches was used as a ritual to cleanse the land and ward off evil spirits. It is said that the event was inspired by practices of mountain worship, which were common in the Japanese Alps. In Shinto beliefs, fire is considered a […]
2024-09-17 / Last updated : 2024-09-17 Sylvain Other

Luggage Storage at Matsumoto Station: Where to Find & How to Use them

When travelling to Matsumoto you will almost certainly be carrying luggage with you and may, for the sake of convenience, want to store it for a period of time. The easiest place to do so is at Matsumoto Station, where you will find five locations with lockers of varying size. Matsumoto Station is small and easy to navigate with all luggage storage lockers within a short distance of the ticket gates on the second floor of the station. JR East Matsumoto Station Map Arrival & Departure Area of Matsumoto Station / 2nd Floor When arriving in Matsumoto by train and passing through the ticket gates, you will find yourself on […]
2024-07-23 / Last updated : 2024-07-23 Sylvain Seasonal Topics

Don’t Sweat it in Summer! Head to Sawamura Public Pool!

Everyone knows that summer in Japan is hot. Very hot. Sitting in a valley between two mountain ranges, Matsumoto is certainly not spared the summer heat with the daytime temperature sometimes rising over 40°C or 104°F and above. Thankfully, evenings typically bring a refreshing breeze and the city is surrounded by a beautiful landscape blessed with pristine rivers and waterways, should you wish to take a dip. Alternatively, you can do as the Japanese do and escape the heat by going to the local Sawamura Public Pool. Matsumoto City Sawamura Pool Located to the north of Matsumoto Station, around 25-minutes walk from Matsumoto Castle, Sawamura Public Pool is open daily […]
2024-07-19 / Last updated : 2024-07-19 Kevin Kato Events

Bon Bon Girls & Aoyama-Sama Boys: A Centuries-Old Matsumoto Tradition

All across Japan summer festivals abound. Matsumoto is no exception as thousands of people take to the streets of downtown in early August for the loud and lively Matsumoto Bon-Bon. This festival got its start almost fifty years ago – and is no match for the original Bon Bon, a unique Matsumoto tradition born centuries ago. Coupled with the Aoyama-sama, a ceremonial procession of young boys carrying a miniature shrine through the streets of their neighborhood, the Bon Bon, an elegant and understated festival for young girls, offers a glimpse into a centuries-old Matsumoto tradition. History During the Edo Era, when the Shogun still ruled the country with military might, […]
2024-01-25 / Last updated : 2025-09-18 Sylvain Art

Drift Into the Seductive World of “Ukiyo-e” While in Matsumoto

Among Japan’s many celebrated artforms, “ukiyo-e” stands out as one of the most recognizable yet not necessarily well understood by international visitors. Matsumoto and more broadly the Nagano region are ideal locales in which to explore the rich and seductive world of ukiyo-e. Located in Matsumoto City, the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum houses one of the largest and most important collections of ukiyo-e in the country, with many of its artworks currently on display at a special exhibition hosted by Matsumoto City Museum. These exhibitions – along with the popular Hokusai Museum in Obuse – include many works by Japan’s most celebrated artist, Hokusai Katsushika. A prolific artist who spent his […]
2024-01-10 / Last updated : 2024-01-10 Sylvain Events

The Ameichi Festival: Matsumoto’s Edo Period Celebration That Continues Today

At the beginning of each year, the “Ameichi” Festival takes place in and around Matsumoto. “Ame” is the Japanese word for candy and the “Ameichi” Festival is a market devoted to it. The Ameichi Festival has a long history, one that can be traced back to and connected with the legend of Uesugi Kenshin who ruled Niigata Prefecture during the Warring States Period (1467-1615). The Origins of the Ameichi Festival Ameichi was one of Matsumoto’s largest festivals during the Edo Period (1603-1868) – along with the Tenjin Festival at Fukashi Shrine – and there are records attesting that candy and salt were sold at the New Year market since at […]
2023-12-18 / Last updated : 2023-12-18 Kevin Kato Sightseeing

Handmade Soba, Simple Hiking & Hot Springs, All in Asama Onsen

The hot spring village of Asama sits quietly in northern Matsumoto. It’s an easy twenty-minute bus ride from the station, or just a bit longer by bike. Once you’re there you’ll find a compact pocket of regional history hemmed in by modest mountains and packed with handmade soba, simple hiking and storybook hot springs. From a distance it’s easy to miss. Up close you’ll discover a lot. Hot Springs The onsen village of Asama is said to have been established in the earliest stages of Japan’s history as a nation. Known originally as Tsukama-no-Yu, the hot springs here attracted nobility and samurai from the Kamakura Era right down through the […]
Private Tour Matsumoto Castle
2023-12-14 / Last updated : 2023-12-14 Sylvain Notification

New Year’s Holiday Closure Notification: Matsumoto Castle & More

Due to the annual New Year’s celebration, some of the city’s most notable sightseeing spots including Matsumoto Castle will be closed over the holidays. The following information provides the New Year’s Holiday Closure and revised opening days and times for popular attractions in Matsumoto: Matsumoto Castle Matsumoto Castle is a registered National Treasure and the oldest original castle that remains in Japan. It is therefore a must-see destination on your trip to Matsumoto. The castle will be closed for a few days at the end of December and will then have special opening hours in the beginning of January 2024. Matsumoto City Museum of Art Matsumoto City Museum of Art […]
2023-12-04 / Last updated : 2023-12-04 Kevin Kato Seasonal Topics

Winter Wonderland: 5 Ways to Put Your Feet in the Matsumoto Snow

In Matsumoto you can see winter coming from a mountain away. In every direction the peaks and slopes begin to turn white, and soon we’re all walking in a winter wonderland. So how to best take advantage of the fluffy stuff? Here are 5 ways to get out and put your feet in the winter Matsumoto snow. Ski & Snowboard Japan’s Best Powder in Hakuba The world was introduced to the slopes of Hakuba in 1998 when Nagano hosted the Winter Olympics. Since then millions have come to ski and snowboard what many consider to be the finest powder in all of Japan. It’s so good it even has its […]
2023-11-27 / Last updated : 2023-11-27 Sylvain Other

United in Friendship: Matsumoto’s Sister Cities Within Japan

Matsumoto has forged strong connections with sister cities around the world including Salt Lake City in the United States, Grindelwald in Switzerland and Kathmandu in Nepal. Established to foster cooperation and exchange, these relationships are also replicated within Japan through Matsumoto’s sister city arrangements with cities including Fujisawa, Himeji and Takayama – with each relationship serving slightly different purposes. Fujisawa / Kanagawa Prefecture Established in 1961, Matsumoto’s sister city relationship with Fujisawa was created to promote tourism between the two cities. Fujisawa is a coastal city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, known for its surfing and as the “Miami Beach of the East”. As such, the beach lifestyle of Fujisawa contrasts […]