Site of Ninomaru palace ruins in Matsumoto

I absolutely love this castle. The park around it is so good to take a walk, to have a meal, or just appreciate the castle. Inside the castle, you can see a little bit of the history behind it, you can go to the top of the castle and get 360 view of the city and the mountains. It’s beautiful all seasons.

Amazing! Its a great place to know more about Japan history.

Traveled to Japan many times for my work. This trip I brought my wonderful wife and took her to see Matsumoto Castle. Its in excellent condition and nearly 500years old. The town is nice and the people friendly. Worth a peaceful train ride on a beautiful day. War Eagle!

Went here for a day-stay in Matsumoto. Only viewed the castle from the outside. It’s nice to look at it while enjoying the summer shade. 🍃

Beautiful castle in Nagano prefecture. Make sure to bring warm socks during cold months because you have to take you shoes off and the wooden floor and stairs are ice cold.Photo is from November 2017.

The most beautiful castle in Japan in my opinion. I have Ueda and Himeji castle to compare it to, and Matsumoto is the most iconic. You dont want to miss it!

Lovely place to take a walk at night, good to visit before the lights go out if you want to get some nice night shots.

It was a good historical place to go. Since I went on a holiday, alot of people were there. Just FYI if youll go up in the tower just be ready with alot of stairs.

With himeji castle this splendid Matsumoto castle must be visited during your trip in Japan it is so beautiful and great example of japan medieval castle take time to visit the castle and walk around in the parc

The castle grounds were nice, though not huge, they were large enough to get nice pictures. There was a small fee to get into the castle. The castle itself was nice, but there were a lot of very steep staircases.If youre in the area, I recommend you see it. Its not that expensive and doesnt take too long to see.

Cool castle! It is lit up until 10 pm every day. (July, 2022)

I LOVE old castles. This is one of the top and most picturesque castles in Japan. But I will see 50 of the if I get the chance to see them in my lifetime. The Castle is in excellent shape and one of the very few that is virtually intact throughout its life.Himeji Castle being the other that made it through the years. The History of the castle is heard through their intercoms system, there are guided tours as well. The location opens at 9am to 5pm but recommend coming at 9-11am before the crowds.If you have not been in a Japanese Castle, be prepared for some very steep steps , some very high steps and some slippery steps. Leave what you can in the lockers by the gift shop as the steps are narrow and not made for tall people, the more hands you have available to make the climb and decent, the better.

Matsumoto Castle is a great experience and it is so pretty! This is an original Castle so be prepared to be a amazed with many museum displays. The view from below and atop is majestic. And the garden leading to it was a great place to take memorable photos.

tl;dr — buy tickets beforehand if you can, or go later in the day (3/4 pm), and avoid GW.---------Likely GW factored into what we experienced. We went on 4 May 2022, smack in the middle of Golden Week.We waited 15-20 minutes to be able to buy tickets, and were informed that there was an additional 120 minute wait *after* we bought tickets to get into the castle itself.And we *did* wait 120 minutes. They weren’t kidding. After 120 minutes (recommend having a book or something to entertain yourself while waiting), we got in the castle.Nothing super-spectacular in the castle, except the narrow, steep stairs. It was kind of stressful having to go up and down the steep stairs after having roasted in the sun for 2 hours.The second & third floors have some interesting displays of old-timey guns. But we went up the floors to wait some more, and climb some more stairs. At the very top, the sixth floor, you walk the perimeter of the room, queuing to go *down* the stairs. There’s nothing there except a little shrine to a goddess who demanded 500 kg of rice to protect the castle from fire and siege. Protection rackets in the 1600s!One thing I really disliked was that for some reason the castle staff insisted on two lines of people, one line going up and one line going down, using the stairs at all times. These are narrow, steep, stairs, and it didn’t strike me as really safe. Wouldn’t it be better to just alternate? 10 people going up, then stop the next 10, and have 10 people go down.

Lovely castle grounds! I wish I had more time to expolore.

Absolutely stunning castle.You can get inside and see a lot of historical things including ancient guns and costumes. Photograph is prohibited inside the castle and you have to take shoes off.A polythene bag is provided for carrying the shoes.You can walk or get a bus from Matsumoto station.Normally it doesnt take one hour to cover inside.Staircases can be narrow and high angle(~70). So it makes nervous sometimes. but safe.I suggest you to visit there around 3pm. so you see everything in daylight and have enough time to wait 6pm until Illumination starts.I visited there 2022 Jan 5th and no snow that day

Its the main attraction in Matsumoto. The entrance ticket to castle is 700 JPY. The surrounding area is very nice and good to spend some time. We also able to see the night light show during our visit. It started at 6 pm and continues till 9 pm (This is during January)

I had to wait around 20 mins to get in but it was worth it. It showcases the history of the castle as well as different firearms that were used during the battles. The park outside is gorgeous as well so would recommend checking them out as well.

Nice place for tourists. There is waiting time of 1 hour during holidays.The stairs inside the castle are quite steep ( angle of 61 degrees)

Enjoying a Shiro (Castletrekking through Matsumoto Jou, Matsumoto, Nagano. There are many stairs to climb to see 360-degree view from the top floor of Matsumoto Jou.It’s very interesting here that you can learn the history of gun industry in Japan.

A fantastic castle to visit. The one drawback is that as its so popular the queue time to actually head round the castle can be kind of long. The castle itself though and the tour around the inside are both amazing, one of the only castles left where a lot of the interior is still 600+ years old. Equally, has some of the steepest steps around haha.

This is one of the most important castles in Japan. But youll know that Japanese castles were build for military installations like fortresses when you visit Matsumoto Castle.

This grand black castle is also called the Crow Castle. The second donjon and the turret adjoin the main building. This beautiful castle is located in plain ground with wide moat surrounding it. One enters the castle via a red bridge. It is an original historic castle. A must visit

Truly an amazing place and well worth the trip! This is a remarkable structure, full of history and craftsmanship. One warning: the visit requires lots of climbing on narrow and steep stairs.

お城のなかで一番好きです、かっこ良すぎです！If you would like to see a castle in the central Japan area, visit Matsumoto Castle. This castle is designated as the National Treasure of Japan and the oldest castle donjon remaining in Japan, constructed in 1592. Because of the elegant black walls, Matsumoto Castle is sometimes called Crow Castle. By the way, how many floors do you think this castle has? It looks 5 floors, but actually there are 6 floors in it. You cannot see from outside, but there is a floor between 2nd and 3rd. When the battle started, samurais got together on this floor to protect themselves. There is no window on this floor. Also, when you look at roof tiles carefully, you will notice that there are some kinds of tiles of family crests. This is because the owner of this castle changed frequently, the total feudal lords of this castle is 23 in the end.

One of the original 12 castles of Japan, Matsumoto had breathtaking castle grounds. Unfortunately during the time we went in early January 2021. It had lots of construction equipment in the water surrounding it.Hopefully they finish soon so that we can revisit and capture Matsumoto’s beauty again.

The castle is one of the remaining orignal castles. Its quite large as well. Great views of the surrounding valley from the inside. Go on a nice day!Cost to enter is ¥700, well worth it. Inside the castle youre required to remove outdoor footwear; in the winter the floors are very, very cold. (Some vsitors wore slippersThe steps inside are fairly steep as well. Many artifacts can be found in and out of the castle. Plenty of English signage.Would also recommend visiting the outer castle grounds at night for stellar night views.The castle is easily walkable from matsumoto station.

We visited the castle end of November, and the visit looked actually more like and endless queue in between two floors, rather than a visit. Nothing to watch when you’re waiting in the line, except a few weapons at the beginning of the route. Weather was quite chilly and we were freezing inside... You have to remove your shoes when entering the castle, no slippers are provided - take your warmest socks ! Better to enjoy the surrounding park and walk around rather than getting into the castle itself. The view from the 6th floor is not worth it. Great disappointment.

No doubt one of the best castles in Japan. I visited in the autumn. The autumn leaves in the castle park, and a background full of hills make this castle stand out among all the castles of Japan. The color combination of chocolate and white is pretty beautiful on the castle as well.

What an incredible place.Went to Nagano for a day trip to check out Matsumoto Castle (AKA “Crow Castle” for its black exterior), one of the oldest original castles in Japan, dating to the late 1500s. Highly recommended🙏🏼

Beautiful exterior and grounds. Not much to see on the inside of the castle but has a nice view of the surrounding areas from the top. Best to arrive early if you want to enter the castle. One of the men dressed up in historical costume was very friendly and made it fun to pose for pictures with.

Really beautiful castle grounds, even on a rainy and cold day. It’s really cool that you can go inside, but before for a lot of super steep steps and low ceilings. But otherwise, it is very cool. Be prepared that you will need to take off your shoes before entering. If the fall and winter, the wood floors can get very cold, maybe bring and extra pair of socks if you get cold easily.

Its a really beautiful castle. So nice that you need to put of the shoes before going inside. In this way the castle staying clean! Love Japanese culture

Matsumoto city is beautiful. Small city, but so full of charm. It’s easy to get there, but if you mistake trains it’s gonna be a long time to the city. You should definitely plan ahead since touristic spots close at 5pm, last chance to go in being 4:30pm. The castle is breathtaking, and it still has its original design and parts. I think it’s definitely a must while visiting Japan. I think it’s one of the most awesome ones. Definitely top place. Plus, it’s a good spot if you’re someone who gets tired of overcrowded places.

The no.1 attraction in Matsumoto city, very great place. Also historical place where you can learn the history of the town. The castle itself very attractive with the beautiful and old style of architecture. From the top level of the castle can observe the above of the city. The castle really not far from the station you can walk easily within 15-20 minutes, during the cold weather is a good walk cause the way to castle passing other attraction in town.

This is a great castle with amazing history. It’s free to enter and explore however, on the day we went you couldn’t go inside. Known as Crow Castle because of its black exterior, it’s well worth reading up about it before you go.The fish in the moat were amusing as they looked for me to feed them. Mths site is very clean and there are toilets.This is also not far from other interesting sites around Matsumoto.Wheelchair accessible. Stroller friendly. Kid friendly. Great photo opportunities.

Well this is one of the few attractions in the city but it really worth’s the trip here. The castle is one of the oldest in Japan and it has unique architectural features.Mind your steps as you climb upstairs, because there are really rough.Also don’t forget to walk at the park around the castle

My first castle ever! Dubbed the "Crow Castle" due to its black exterior, Matsumoto Castle is located in Nagano Prefecture, in the city of Matsumoto.This beautiful castle still maintains its original wooden interiors and external stonework. Its hard to imagine samurai in full gear roaming the inside of this castle. A little FYI: for those with bad knees, beware. The steps going to each floor are steep. If your familiar with jump boxes, just imagine trying to step onto one...thats how some of these steps feel. And climbing back down...whoa, Nelly. and watch your head!Otherwise, a must see if you are visiting!!

Beautiful and very well maintained castle in the heart of Matsumoto city. Buying castle ticket gives you access to the inside of the castle which is highly recommended from my perspective. It was fascinating how they design and build the place.A walk garden and pond sons castle perimeter was also nice and soothing. Apparently, we heard that clapping or snapping next to the pond will call fishes to swim to you. So we tried it and it worked. Maybe they were just hungry. :)

This is a historical castle, great appearance.There were so many foreigners when I went here.I waited for about 20 minutes by entering this castle.Be careful to go up and down the stairs.

Walked to the castle as its close to the city centre. The impressive castle sits surrounded by a moat .This timber structure is over 400 years old .A fascinating visit .However a word of warning ...there are numerous steep stairs to climb to see the different levels .At the top the steps are almost ladder like .In some parts coming down seems more difficult .Anyone with knee issues or with mobility compromised ask questions first as our guide did not make mention of this

The stairs inside the castle are VERY steep and dangerous, and the crowds dont always make for the most leisurely experience. But the outside is gorgeous and the artifacts and notes inside make for a really neat historical experience. If youre in the area Matsumoto Castle is a must visit, but not really worth an entire trip in itself.

The scenery here is truly breathtaking. Also breathtaking (in a more literal senseare the crazy-steep stairs heading up to the top. I cannot imagine samurai going up and down those things in full armor. Gift shop had a guy dressed as a ninja outside for pictures. Just really cool all around!

Really nice view of the castle.You can go in the castle for a fee (410 yens).No drones allowed.1 hour train ride from Nagano and a 15 minute walk from the train station.I recommend walking around the castle for nice little shops. There is a lot of items related to frogs.

What an impressive castle! The grounds are well maintained and the path to get to the castle lets you take beautiful pictures.Inside, the castle has a collection of rifles and lots of information about how the castle was defended.They warn you that the stairs are steep and they arent joking! The staircases are very small and very steep but staff are nearby if you need any help. I saw one staff member help an elderly woman down the stairs with her bags.A really cool place to visit! And in walking distance from so many other places.

That is a historical place . It was made a long time ago but still be protected and still in a good condition until now. The scene around the castle is beautiful with very fresh air. And if you want to go inside, you have buy a ticket but its quite cheap so dont mind. You can see the beauty of a castle that all made of wood, and its stair is very sloping but The guides is very helpful, and they always take care of you .there for, dont worry

Matsumoto castle have stunning structure from external and Nice garden around. For internal have small museum shows weapons and some painting work described about this building function in the pass. The castle worst visit and have to be careful for steep floor between each floor. Many tourists come to visit so quite crowded. And it is walk distance to old building market and frog road.You can try or take course for fresh soba around that road. Very yummy inside old market and have cute coffee shop and many Cake and snack to try. You will Enjoy it ^^

Great fun with the Hospitality team! The castle has some seriously steep stairs, but you will get a great view from the top of the castle. The gardens are beautiful and when you meet the Hospitality Team and take some pictures with them you will feel like a fierce warrior.

I had the chance to visit many castles in Japan, and in my opinion, this ones can be considered as one of the most beautiful and well-reserved among them. The admission fee is quite expensive compared to other local tourist spot but its worth the value. The architecture is very unique, and it has very steep wooden stairs. But what Im impressed the most is the observation deck at the top, which can help visitors to look at the views over the surrounding city. I recommend you visit the castle in spring (around early Aprilto take advantage of cherry blossom spot in the castle grounds, where you can have a hanami and take good pictures.

The best castle we visited in Japan and well worth the entrance fee. Very good access right to the top floor where you have great views of the moat and gardens. Appears to be mostly in geniune original condition. Great architecture, timbers and joinery.