Nagano · Core city
Matsumoto
松本市まつもとしMatsumoto-shiCastle town at the foot of the Northern Alps
Matsumoto is the second city of Nagano Prefecture, a castle town in the Matsumoto Basin beneath the Northern Alps. Its black-walled castle keep, one of five designated National Treasures, is among the finest original castles in Japan, and since its 2005 mergers the city also includes Kamikōchi and the eastern slopes of Hotaka and Norikura.
Overview
Matsumoto lies in the centre of the Matsumoto Basin, a broad valley between the Northern Alps to the west and the Utsukushigahara plateau to the east. From the city the snow-capped ridge of the Alps is visible for much of the year, and since 2005 the municipality has stretched all the way to the Hida border, taking in Kamikōchi, Norikura Kōgen and the hot springs of Shirahone.
The city's centrepiece is Matsumoto Castle, whose five-tiered, six-storey main keep, finished in black lacquered boards, dates from the 1590s. It is one of only twelve castles with an original keep and one of five whose keeps are National Treasures. The castle town around it keeps its merchant streets, storehouses with diamond-patterned walls, and a network of wells fed by groundwater from the Alps.
Matsumoto was once the seat of Chikuma Prefecture and remains the commercial and cultural centre of central Nagano. It has a strong craft tradition revived by the mingei (folk craft) movement, a music festival founded by the conductor Ozawa Seiji and his colleagues, and it is the birthplace of the artist Kusama Yayoi.
Landmarks
Matsumoto Castle
松本城Matsumoto-jōOriginal keep of the 1590s with a moon-viewing turret added in the Edo period; a National Treasure.
Former Kaichi School
旧開智学校Kyū Kaichi GakkōPseudo-Western school building of 1876 with an octagonal tower, a National Treasure.
Nakamachi-dōri
中町通りNakamachi-dōriMerchant street of white storehouses with namako-kabe diamond tiling, now craft shops and cafés.
Nawate-dōri
縄手通りNawate-dōriRiverside lane of small shops beside the Metoba River and Yohashira Shrine.
Matsumoto City Museum of Art
松本市美術館Matsumoto-shi BijutsukanMuseum with a permanent collection of works by Kusama Yayoi.
Japan Ukiyo-e Museum
日本浮世絵博物館Nihon Ukiyoe HakubutsukanLarge private collection of woodblock prints assembled by a Matsumoto merchant family.
- 上高地Kamikōchi
Alpine valley within the city limits, with Kappa Bridge and views of the Hotaka peaks.
Districts
Castle and Nakamachi
城下町jōkamachiThe compact old centre between the station and the castle.
Asama Onsen
浅間温泉Asama onsenHot-spring quarter on the north-eastern edge of the city.
Utsukushigahara
美ヶ原UtsukushigaharaHigh plateau east of the city with pastures and an open-air sculpture museum.
Azumi (Kamikōchi and Norikura)
安曇AzumiMountain district reaching the Northern Alps, with Norikura Kōgen and Shirahone onsen.
History
In the sixteenth century the Ogasawara clan held Fukashi Castle on the site; after the fall of the Takeda, Ogasawara Sadayoshi recovered it in 1582 and renamed it Matsumoto. Ishikawa Kazumasa and his son Yasunaga built the present keep in the 1590s. The castle passed through several daimyo families before the Toda ruled Matsumoto until 1871.
In 1871 Matsumoto became the seat of Chikuma Prefecture, which was merged into Nagano in 1876. The keep was saved from demolition in the Meiji era by local citizens and designated a National Treasure. The Kaichi School, built in 1876 with local funds, became a symbol of the Meiji enthusiasm for education and was designated a National Treasure in 2019.
1504
Fukashi Castle is built by the Ogasawara on the site of the later castle.
1582
Ogasawara Sadayoshi recovers the castle and renames it Matsumoto.
1593–1594
The main keep is completed under Ishikawa Kazumasa and Yasunaga.
1871
Matsumoto becomes the seat of Chikuma Prefecture.
1876
The Kaichi School opens; Chikuma Prefecture is merged into Nagano.
1907
Matsumoto is incorporated as a city.
1936
The castle keep is designated a National Treasure.
1992
The Saitō Kinen Festival, later the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival, is founded.
2005
Mergers bring Kamikōchi and the Azumi area into the city.
2019
The Kaichi School becomes the first modern school building designated a National Treasure.
Culture
Matsumoto is known as a city of crafts and music. After the Second World War local makers revived traditional furniture under the influence of the mingei movement, and the annual Craft Fair Matsumoto, held in spring, draws hundreds of artisans. The Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival brings orchestral music and opera each summer, and the Suzuki Method of violin teaching, developed by Suzuki Shin'ichi, is based in the city. The castle town's many wells, fed by snowmelt from the Alps, are still used by residents.
Festivals
Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival
セイジ・オザワ松本フェスティバルSeiji Ozawa Matsumoto FesutibaruClassical music festival in late summer, founded in 1992 as the Saitō Kinen Festival.
Matsumoto Bonbon
松本ぼんぼんMatsumoto BonbonSummer dance festival in early August with tens of thousands of dancers in the streets.
Takigi Nō at the castle
松本城薪能Matsumoto-jō Takigi-nōNoh performed by torchlight in front of the castle keep in summer.
Craft Fair Matsumoto
クラフトフェアまつもとKurafuto Fea MatsumotoOpen-air craft fair in Agata no Mori park in late May.
Food
Shinshū soba
信州そばShinshū sobaBuckwheat noodles served by many shops around the castle.
Sanzoku-yaki
山賊焼sanzoku-yakiWhole chicken thigh marinated in garlic and soy and deep-fried.
Basashi
馬刺しbasashiRaw horse meat served with ginger and garlic.
Azumino wasabi
安曇野わさびAzumino wasabiFresh wasabi from the spring-fed fields of neighbouring Azumino.
Local sake and wine
地酒jizakeSake brewed with Alpine groundwater and wines from the eastern hills.
Getting around
- Matsumoto Station is served by Azusa limited expresses from Shinjuku (about two and a half hours) and Shinano limited expresses from Nagoya and Nagano.
- The castle, Nakamachi and Nawate are within 20 minutes' walk of the station; town sneaker buses loop through the centre.
- The Alpico Kamikōchi Line runs west to Shin-Shimashima, where buses continue to Kamikōchi in season; the Ōito Line runs north to Azumino, Ōmachi and Hakuba.
- Shinshū Matsumoto Airport lies south-west of the city, and express buses connect Matsumoto with Takayama, Tokyo and Osaka.
Day trips
- 上高地Kamikōchi
Alpine valley below Okuhotaka-dake, reached by train and bus in about two hours.
Azumino
安曇野AzuminoPlain of wasabi farms, dōsojin stones and art museums north of the city.
Narai-juku
奈良井宿Narai-jukuLong, well-preserved post town on the Kiso Nakasendō, about an hour south.
- 高山Takayama
Old merchant town of Hida across the Alps, about two and a half hours by bus.
- 乗鞍岳Norikura-dake
Volcano with a road to over 2,700 m, one of the easiest 3,000-metre-class summits.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
Why is Matsumoto Castle called the Crow Castle?
Because of the black lacquered boards on its keep; it is one of five castles in Japan whose keeps are National Treasures.
How do I get from Matsumoto to Kamikōchi?
Take the Alpico Kamikōchi Line to Shin-Shimashima and a connecting bus to Kamikōchi, about two hours in total; the road is closed to private cars and the valley is accessible from late April to mid-November.
Is Matsumoto a good base for the Japanese Alps?
Yes. It is the main gateway to Kamikōchi and Norikura, and the Ōito Line leads to Ōmachi for the Alpine Route and to Hakuba.
How far is Matsumoto from Tokyo?
About two and a half hours by limited express from Shinjuku, or around three hours by express bus.
Related
Sources
- 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
- 2.松本市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 松本市
- 3.文化遺産オンライン (opens in a new tab) — 文化庁
- 4.中部山岳国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省