Matsumoto castle locates closely from Matsumoto train station. The castle itself was beautiful, but also Matsumoto city was an interesting place to visit. One thing about Matsumoto castle was that the stairs inside were a bit slippery (polished well) and steep, and each stair was huge. I felt a bit scared when I was going down the stairs.

Learnt so much if you get the opportunity use the free guide. Didn’t realise how steep the steps and angle of rise of step. Need to be fit and healthy. Stunning contrast of black castle against snow covered grounds

This castle is wow !! A truly awesome building, especially when lit at night. You can pay to enter the castle & access the floors via step wooden ladders - wear thick socks the day you visit, as shoes have to be left at the door. There is information within telling the history of the castle & exhibits. On reaching the top you get a great view over the gardens, moat & the town. Watch out for a variety of events that take place during the year.

We stopped here on a whim, and I am so glad we did! We arrived about an hour before closing. All of the samurai and other photo op characters seemed to be done for the day, but the castle was really the star. When we went, they were having their evening illuminations , which was a fun contrast compared to the castle during the day. My son was just tall enough to handle going up and down the very large and narrow steps inside the castle, something to keep in mind if you're traveling with young or short statured children, they have a hard time on the steps.

Really beautiful castle with views of the surrounding mountains. Our free guide, K, which can be found just inside the grounds off the main street (coming from train station), really made the visit. She was very friendly and provided interesting information. To be fair, everyone at the castle was very friendly and worked to ensure you had a good trip.

We came to the castle as part of a tour of Japan. It’s a beautifully preserved Japanese castle. Most of it is the original materials and architecture. Full of history and interesting information. To go inside and up the tower is quite a climb with very steep and high steps. I didn’t manage it but the people on the tour said it was well worth visiting. Just be careful as you have to take your shoes off and it could be a bit slippy in stocking feet. The grounds are lovely and there were a couple of men dressed as Samurai Warriors who were very happy to have their picture taken with you (and didn’t ask for money!). Well worth a visit and great photo opportunities.

The beating heart of this town. I left a part of me in Matsumoto. This place sincerely enchanted me. I experienced the castle in the evening, with the period of projections and music directly on the structure and walls. It's an open-air magic show. The next day, I visited the (snow-covered) gardens and the interiors, slightly bare compared to other castles, but pleasant. The view from the top floor is worth the visit (watch your head, the operators, they will remind you until you are exhausted). I repeat, perhaps emotions have made this 6th trip the most beautiful place I have seen, the castle is therefore part of the Matsumoto package. Worth visiting (needless to say, at the ticket office, I made one of my usual jokes and they had fun as always at the mini cabaret).

Matsumoto Castle is one of the best three castles in Japan. The other two castles are Himeji and Kumamoto. There were a lot of castles in the Edo period, but most of them were torn down. Matsumoto Castle was supposed to be broken down. But it was saved. As a result. the tourists can enjoy the beauty of the wooden structure.

Matsumoto Castle was beautiful both inside and out. It opens at 8:30 in the morning, but I recommend going at that time on weekends as it's less crowded. Also, the stairs inside the castle are very steep. People with disabilities or difficulty bending and straightening their knees may find it difficult.

IMHO this is THE reason to visit Matsumoto for tourists. But you needn't make the effort to enter (and climb) the castle itself. It's enough to view the castle from the surrounding gardens and moat. I highly recommending visiting twice - during daylight hours and then, again, at night. The view is beautiful at night when the castle is illuminated.