Matsumoto city is known for its most famous landmark, Matsumoto Castle. But what you might not know is that there are plenty of fun and interesting things to do in Matsumoto. Let’s see what this city has to offer!
Matsumoto Castle is a destination almost every tourist makes a visit while in Matsumoto. It is one of the national treasures of Japan, with over 400 years of history. The castle looks like it has only 5 floors but actually has a hidden floor inside, making it a six-story castle.
Although it was built to defend against invaders, it has never really been under attack before. This is the reason that Matsumoto Castle is still in its original shape, unlike most other rebuilt castles in Japan, including the famous Osaka Castle.
Due to its black exterior, Matsumoto Castle was nicknamed as the “Crow Castle”.
Matsumoto is a city that offers you both cultural and natural attractions. From downtown of Matsumoto, it takes less than 2 hours to get to Kamikochi by Alpico’s train and bus. Kamikochi is one of the most picturesque valleys in the Japanese Alps area. It is a must-visit you don’t want to miss!
Read more about Kamikochi here.
Updated for 2022: A Complete Guide to Visiting Kamikochi (Best Time to Visit, Access, Opening, Hiking Routes and more)
Matsumoto has many hot spring towns to soothe your mind, body, and soul! Each of them has different characteristics and atmospheres. Here are our recommendations.
Asama Onsen is another hot spring town near downtown Matsumoto and full of Japan’s nostalgic atmosphere. This hot spring town has several restaurants, cafes, and a day-visit hot spring, recommended for both a day-visit and an overnight stay.
Asama Onsen is only 20 minutes from Matsumoto Bus Terminal by Alpico bus (no. 32). Get off at Hot Plaza Asama, the nearest bus stop to everything. The buses depart every 15-60 minutes depending on the hours.
Awano no Yu, the most famous ryokan in Shirahone Onsen and its mixed-gender outdoor bath.
Public hot spring bath (520 yen) and Okayu (rice porridge) made from hot spring with salt
Hours: Weekdays 10:00～16:00, Weekends 09:00～17:00
Closed: Every Wednesday
Bus timetables to Shirahone Onsen
Bus from Matsumoto to Shirahone Onsen >
Bus from Kamikochi to Shirahone Onsen >
Bus from Norikura to Shirahone Onsen >
Together with the Matsumoto castle, the Former Kaichi School is the latest national treasure in town. This place is where you can enjoy the mixture of Japanese and Western styles of architecture. If you like visiting beautiful buildings with cultural and historic values, this place is a must for you.
Read also:
Matsumoto’s New National Treasure! The Former Kaichi School
Coffee lovers, tea fans and café hoppers… Good news to you! From a book café to an antique café – Matsumoto is full of unique and stylish cafés for you to hop around. It is a perfect rest stop for you to put in between your itinerary! Here are some of our recommendations.
After sunset, Matsumoto city is no longer the city of cafes, but the “City of Bars”!
There are about 20 bars in Matsumoto city. Considering the population of only 240,000, Matsumoto is called the “City of Bars”. Each bar has its individual uniqueness but the most famous one goes to the “Main Bar Coat”. Its antique wooden interior gives this warm and welcoming atmosphere. And of course, the cocktails taste and look fabulous, too!
Yayoi Kusama: The Place for My Soul
Schedule: 2022/4/21 – 2023/4/9
Yayoi Kusama: Print Works
Schedule: 2022/7/23 – 2022/9/25
(*Please check the museum website for the closing dates.)
Yayoi Kusama, The Visionary Flowers,2002; To the Future, from Matsumoto, 2016
The Japan Ukiyo-e Museum has the world’s largest collection of ukiyo-e. There are more than a hundred thousand ukiyo-e prints and paintings in this museum. All the pieces are the personal collection of the Sakai family, who has been an art patron since around late Edo period.
The museum is a little far from downtown. We recommend using a taxi or riding a Town Sneaker (west course) to get there.
Japan Ukiyo-e Museum and a humorous Ukiyo-e wood print exhibited in the museum
Read also:
Discover the World’s Largest Collection of Ukiyo-e – Pictures of the Floating World
Just walking in the land of rising sun itself is the way of experiencing the culture. However, there are some things we can’t experience unless joining a tour. If you want to learn more about traditional Japan, take a look at Matsumoto Experience website. They provide many cultural tours and activities, here are some of our recommendations.
Don’t be shy we know some of you have a dream of becoming a ninja or samurai. 😊 Joining this activity, not only that you can dress yourself as a samurai, but they will also teach you some sword techniques, too.
Samurai cosplay and sword learning ©Photo credit: Matsumoto Experience
Book a Samurai Cosplay and Sword Fighting Tour >
Each season offers its own advantages and experience so there isn’t really the “best” time to visit. But we can tell you how it is like in each season.
The most popular season in Matsumoto is spring, from mid-April to the early of May, where you can enjoy cherry blossoms blooming. It is especially crowded on weekends as the locals also go out to enjoy the moments with their family.
(Note: The peak season for Sakura viewing is around the middle of April.)
Matsumoto castle surrounded by pinkish cherry blossoms.
The reason why we love Matsumoto in summer is because it has relatively pleasant hot and dry weather, not as hot and humid as other places in Japan. And if you go to the mountain, it is a paradise full of lush green, colorful flowers, and summer breeze. That’s why there are so many summer houses in Nagano.
Matsumoto in autumn is beautiful and enchanting. It is the perfect season for a city walk. While the best time for autumn leaves viewing in the mountainous area starts from late September until early of November, the best time to enjoy the autumn color in downtown area is around the middle of November.
Yohashira Shrine near Matsumoto castle in autumn season
The only way to get to Kamikochi in winter is by snowshoeing!
One of the highlights of staying in ryokan is the dinner that is served in Kaiseki style, where nakai-san (waitress dressed in kimono) come and serve you course by course.
Book Utsukushigahara Onsen Shoho >
Hotel Buena Vista is the best city hotel in Matsumoto, highly rated for its fantastic hospitality. It is located near the JR Matsumoto station and the bus terminal, less than 10-minute walk. However, they also provide a free shuttle service from the station, as well!
After waking up from a good sleep, there is nothing better than to start your day with a good breakfast! Here at this hotel, you can enjoy a hearty breakfast with both western and Japanese dishes.
Hotel’s breakfast buffet at La Café Terraza
Breakfast picnic plan on the 14th floor of the hotel with the Japanese Alps views (reservation required)
Alpico Plaza Hotel is a standard city hotel with a reasonable price on an unbeatable location. The hotel is right next to the bus terminal and just across the street from Matsumoto station.
Next to Alpico Plaza Hotel is “Matsumoto Tsunagu Yokocho”, which is a food hall packed with eateries and Izakayas, Japanese-style bars. (Don’t worry. You don’t need to order alcohols if you don’t like to.) If your priority is convenience, this hotel is the top pick!
09:00 Visit Matsumoto Castle
10:30 Try samurai cosplay
13:00 Have lunch around Nakamachi or Nawate Street
15:00 Visit Matsumoto city Museum of Arts
17:30 Get back to hotel to freshen up yourself
18:00 Have a Kaiseki dinner at a ryokan
21:00 Enjoy a good onsen before a good night sleep!
Day 1 (*Assume that you are already in Matsumoto the day before.)
09:30 Visit Kamikochi
15:15 Visit Shirahone Onsen
18:30 Return to Matsumoto
19:00 Try Izakaya-style dinning at Matsumoto Tsunagu Yokocho
Day 2
09:00 Visit Matsumoto Castle
10:30 Try samurai cosplay
13:00 Have Lunch around Nakamachi or Nawate Street
15:00 Visit Matsumoto city Museum of Arts
17:30 Go back to hotel to fresh up yourself
20:30 Have a good drink at one of many bars in Matsumoto
Check bus passes to travel in and around Matsumoto here >
If you have a JR pass (All area or East Pass (Nagano, Niigata area)), you can ride a JR Azusa express train to Matsumoto in about 2hr 40min (6,620 yen for one-way ticket).
But if you don’t have one, or want to save your budget for other experiences, you can ride an Alpico’s express bus from Shinjuku bus terminal to Matsumoto in about 3hr 20min. Bus fare costs from 4,100 to 4,500 yen.
From Nagoya, you can travel to Matsumoto by JR Shinano express train in about 2 hours (6,140 yen). Another option is to travel by Alpico’s express bus. It takes 3 hours 45 minutes but costs less than the train (3,400 ~ 4,800 yen).
See bus timetable from Nagoya to Matsumoto >
Book Nagoya-Matsumoto bus ticket online here >
It takes about 4 hours from Osaka to Matsumoto by shinkansen followed by express train, and cost around 10,800 yen for a one way. You can also choose to use an express bus that costs only between 4,500 – 7,300 yen, depending on the travel date and how early you book for the ticket.
By the way, there is a night bus on this route, recommended for those who don’t want to waste time traveling or just want to save the budget for other travel expenses.
See bus timetable from Osaka to Matsumoto >
Book Osaka-Matsumoto bus ticket online here >
You can either ride a JR Shinonoi Line (1,170 yen, 1hr 15min), or Alpico bus (1,600 yen, 1hr 15min) from Nagano station to Matsumoto station. However, please note that this bus operates on weekdays only.
See bus timetable from Nagano to Matsumoto >
(No reservation required)
Many tourists travel from Takayama to Matsumoto, and vice versa. Alpico and Nohi bus operate 4 round trips a day between the two cities. (3,500 yen, 2hr 30min)
See bus timetable from Takayama to Matsumoto >
(No reservation required)
Major attractions in Matsumoto, such as the Matsumoto castle, the Former Kaichi School, Nawate/Nakamachi street, and the Matsumoto city Museum of Arts, are all within a walking distance. But you can also use a free rental bicycle to travel around, or ride on the city sightseeing bus, “Town Sneaker”.
The hot spring towns like Asama and Utsukushigahara Onsen are accessible by the Alpico’s local bus that depart from the bus terminal, near the JR Matsumoto station. It takes only about 20 minutes to those two hot spring towns.