SAT • 26 OCT
COST BY AGE GROUP:
$65 (16 & Up)
$55 (12–15)
$45 (6–11)
$35 (4–5)
$30 (3 & Under if a seat is needed)
ITINERARY:
Depart 7 a.m.
Matsumoto 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
Museums 2:30–4 p.m.
Return 7:30 p.m.
The tour cost includes bus transportation as well as admissions to the castle and museum. Please be prepared for a lot of walking on this tour. There are over 140 flights of stairs in the castle, and you’ll need to remove your shoes inside. Matsumoto Castle is one of the castles designated as National Treasures of Japan and is the oldest castle donjon remaining in the country. Construction began in 1592 on this elegant black and white structure with three turrets. Due to its distinctive black roof, Matsumoto Castle is sometimes called the Crow Castle. Inside the castle, you’ll encounter steep stairs and low ceilings as you pass displays of armor and weapons from the Sengoku (“Warring States”) period, when the castle was built. The narrow wooden windows, once used by archers and gunmen, offer stunning views of the Japanese Alps and Matsumoto City. The Ukiyo-e Museum showcases the private collection of the Sakai family. With more than 100,000 prints, it is believed to be the largest collection of its kind in the world, featuring representative masterpieces from all known Ukiyo-e artists. The Matsumoto Open Air Architectural Museum displays a collection of government buildings from the late Edo to the Showa period.