Best Castle Tours in Japan: Matsumoto Castle & Other Must-See Castles

1. Matsumoto Castle — Best for a Castle + Old Town Experience

Location: Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture
Best for: First-time visitors, samurai history, photography, Japanese Alps itineraries
Recommended time: 1.5–2 hours for the castle; half a day with the old town

Matsumoto Castle is one of the easiest Japanese castles to recommend. It has almost everything international visitors picture when they imagine a samurai castle:

• an original wooden keep;
• black-and-white walls;
• a broad moat;
• steep historic staircases;
• gun and arrow openings;
• mountain scenery;
• an old castle town around it.

The current castle dates mainly from the late 16th century, and its main keep is the oldest surviving Japanese castle keep with five external tiers and six internal floors. Five connected structures within the castle complex are designated National Treasures.

It’s also extraordinarily photogenic. The dark exterior gives Matsumoto a completely different character from Himeji’s famous white walls.

Why Take a Matsumoto Castle Tour?

You can visit independently, but Matsumoto is one of the castles where a guide adds a great deal, because many of its most interesting details aren’t obvious unless you know what you’re looking for. A guide can point out:

• firearm openings;
• defensive architecture;
• hidden floor arrangements;
• stone-dropping positions;
• the Moon Viewing Turret;
• differences between Sengoku and Edo-period construction;
• the wider layout of the former castle town.

Matsumoto Castle was built at the end of the Warring States period, while parts including the Tatsumi and Moon Viewing turrets were added in the early Edo period. The castle physically reflects Japan’s transition from warfare toward Tokugawa-era stability — our guide to Matsumoto Castle’s samurai history walks through that story floor by floor.

What Makes Matsumoto Different From Other Japanese Castles?

Three things stand out.

The black exterior

Matsumoto uses black lacquered weatherboards on the lower parts of the keep, which create the dark appearance the castle is famous for. The boards also helped protect the walls from rain.

The flatland location

Many dramatic Japanese castles occupy hills or other high ground. Matsumoto is a hirajiro, or flatland castle, built in the Matsumoto basin. Historically it was protected by multiple moats, earthworks and stone walls.

The mountain backdrop

On clear days, the Northern Alps rise beyond the castle. The combination of black castle, water and mountains gives Matsumoto one of Japan’s most distinctive castle settings, and JNTO singles out the moat, the original stonework and the Northern Alps backdrop.

Best Matsumoto Castle Tour

For a first visit, we’d choose a Matsumoto Castle + Nawate Street + Nakamachi walking tour over a castle-only visit. Matsumoto is best understood as a castle town: after seeing the fortress, you walk into the historic commercial districts around it and see how different parts of the town grew up around the feudal center.

The version we track is the Matsumoto Castle Town Walking Tour — about three hours covering the castle, Nawate Street and Nakamachi with an English-speaking guide, meeting at Matsumoto Station with castle admission included, at $62 per person and 4.91★ from 77 reviews (read our breakdown). Our self-guided Matsumoto walking route covers the same ground if you’d rather go it alone.

2. Himeji Castle — Best Overall for a First Castle Visit

Location: Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture
Best for: First-time Japan trips, architecture, large castle complexes
Recommended time: 2–4 hours

If Matsumoto is Japan’s great black castle, Himeji is its great white one. Himeji Castle is often called White Heron (or White Egret) Castle because of its bright white appearance. It is also both a Japanese National Treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

JNTO describes Himeji as Japan’s best-preserved castle and one of the country’s 12 remaining original castles, with a surviving keep around 400 years old. If you’re going to visit only one major castle in western Japan, Himeji should be a leading candidate.

Why Is Himeji Castle So Famous?

Scale. Matsumoto feels like exploring a powerful but relatively compact fortress; Himeji feels like entering an enormous defensive landscape. The approach to the keep deliberately twists through:

• gates;
• walls;
• courtyards;
• passages;
• defensive positions.

That makes Himeji especially good for understanding how complex Japanese castle design could be. Its white walls also create one of the most recognizable architectural silhouettes in Japan.

Matsumoto Castle vs Himeji Castle

This is probably the most useful castle comparison for first-time visitors.

Choose Matsumoto if:

• you’re traveling through Nagano;
• you want Japanese Alps scenery;
• you like smaller historic cities;
• you want castle + old town;
• black castles appeal to you.

Choose Himeji if:

• you’re traveling between Osaka and Hiroshima;
• you want the most impressive large-scale castle;
• you’re interested in fortifications;
• you’re based in Kyoto or Osaka.

Our recommendation

Visit both if your itinerary allows it. They are different enough that seeing one doesn’t make the other redundant.

3. Hikone Castle — Best Castle Day Trip From Kyoto

Location: Hikone, Shiga Prefecture
Best for: Kyoto-based travelers, history enthusiasts
Recommended time: 2–3 hours

Hikone Castle fits naturally into a Kansai itinerary without drawing quite the same level of international attention as Himeji. Its keep is original and designated a National Treasure: JNTO notes that Hikone is one of only five Japanese castles whose original main keep has that status. The castle was home to the Ii family from the early 17th century until the end of the feudal era.

It is also easy to reach by rail. From JR Hikone Station, allow around 15–20 minutes on foot.

Why Visit Hikone?

Hikone works well if:

• you’ve already visited Himeji;
• you’re interested in original castles;
• you’re traveling around Kyoto;
• you’d like fewer international tour groups;
• you want to explore Lake Biwa as well.

The castle is smaller than Himeji, which is not necessarily a disadvantage. Smaller original castles often feel more intimate, because you can focus on the historic architecture instead of navigating an enormous tourist complex.

4. Inuyama Castle — Best Small Original Castle

Location: Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture
Best for: Nagoya travelers, an intimate castle experience, views
Recommended time: 1–2 hours

Inuyama Castle proves that a castle doesn’t need to be enormous to be memorable. The keep stands on a hill overlooking the Kiso River, and its scale is far smaller than Himeji’s — which is part of the appeal.

JNTO includes Inuyama among Japan’s surviving original castles, alongside Matsumoto, Himeji, Hikone and Matsue in the small group of exceptional historic keeps. The experience is more intimate: you climb through the historic wooden building and eventually reach views across the surrounding landscape.

5. Matsue Castle — Best for Samurai Atmosphere

Location: Matsue, Shimane Prefecture
Best for: Samurai history, quieter travel, western Japan itineraries
Recommended time: 2–3 hours

Matsue Castle is one of the strongest choices for travelers who want an original Japanese castle without the crowds of the best-known Golden Route destinations. JNTO describes Matsue as one of Japan’s 12 surviving original castles and one of the small group of original castles classified as National Treasures.

Its dark wooden exterior gives it a more austere look than Himeji, and you can climb through the keep to panoramic views from the upper floor.

What Makes Matsue Castle Special?

The castle combines well with Matsue’s wider historic atmosphere. Nearby you’ll find:

• former samurai districts;
• historic residences;
• shrines;
• canals;
• Horikawa sightseeing boats.

JNTO specifically highlights the Horikawa boat tours around the castle moats. That makes Matsue a good destination for travelers who want more than one isolated castle attraction.

6. Matsuyama Castle — Best Hilltop Castle

Location: Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture
Best for: Views, Shikoku itineraries, historic architecture
Recommended time: 2–3 hours

Matsuyama Castle has a very different setting. Instead of sitting on flat land like Matsumoto, it stands high on Mt. Katsuyama above Matsuyama city. You can reach the castle area by:

• ropeway;
• chairlift;
• walking.

JNTO identifies Matsuyama as one of Japan’s 12 surviving original castle keeps, and the climb up makes the approach part of the experience.

7. Kochi Castle — Best for Seeing an Original Castle Complex

Location: Kochi, Shikoku
Best for: Architecture enthusiasts, Shikoku travel
Recommended time: 1.5–2 hours

Kochi Castle gets less attention from first-time overseas visitors than it deserves. It belongs to Japan’s surviving original-castle tradition — and it is the only castle in Japan where both the original keep and the main-enclosure palace buildings survive — which makes it especially interesting once you start noticing the differences between reconstructed and historic castle architecture.

If you’re already traveling through Shikoku, Kochi and Matsuyama make an excellent mini castle itinerary. You probably wouldn’t cross Japan just to see Kochi Castle on a first visit, but for repeat travelers that is exactly the point: Japan’s castle landscape becomes much more interesting once you look past the three or four most famous names.

8. Osaka Castle — Best Easy Castle Visit

Location: Osaka
Best for: First-time city visitors, convenience, park scenery
Recommended time: 1.5–3 hours

Osaka Castle is enormously famous, but there’s one important distinction: the present keep is a modern reconstruction, not an original feudal-period wooden keep like Matsumoto or Himeji.

That doesn’t make Osaka Castle a poor choice. The huge stone fortifications, the moat and the site’s historical importance make the castle grounds a good visit. It also fits very easily into an Osaka sightseeing day. Choose Osaka Castle if:

• you’re already staying in Osaka;
• you want an introduction to Japanese castle history;
• convenience matters;
• you enjoy large parks and fortifications.

If your aim is to walk through original historic castle architecture, though, put Matsumoto, Himeji, Hikone or another surviving keep first.

Original Castle vs Reconstructed Castle: Does It Matter?

This matters more and more once you’ve visited several Japanese castles.

Original castle

You’re physically entering historic architecture. The wooden floors, stairs, beams, walls and defensive openings are all part of the historical experience.

Reconstructed castle

The exterior may reproduce the historical appearance, but the interior may work more like a modern museum. That can mean:

• elevators;
• modern exhibition galleries;
• climate control;
• easier accessibility.

Neither experience is automatically better for every visitor, and a reconstructed castle may even have more thorough exhibitions. But they feel very different. If historic buildings fascinate you, original keeps are much more rewarding.

The 12 Original Japanese Castles

A good long-term Japan castle project is to work through the country’s surviving original keeps. The 12 commonly recognized original castles are:

1. Hirosaki Castle
2. Matsumoto Castle
3. Maruoka Castle
4. Inuyama Castle
5. Hikone Castle
6. Himeji Castle
7. Matsue Castle
8. Bitchu Matsuyama Castle
9. Marugame Castle
10. Matsuyama Castle
11. Uwajima Castle
12. Kochi Castle

For serious castle enthusiasts, visiting all 12 makes a far more interesting project than ticking off every famous reconstruction.

The Five National Treasure Castle Keeps

Among the original castles, five stand out because their keeps are designated National Treasures:

• Matsumoto Castle
• Himeji Castle
• Hikone Castle
• Inuyama Castle
• Matsue Castle

JNTO groups Hikone with Himeji, Matsumoto, Inuyama and Matsue as Japan’s five National Treasure castles. If you’re building a Japan castle bucket list, these five are the obvious core.

Best Japanese Castle for First-Time Visitors

Our choice: Himeji Castle. It offers the most complete “great Japanese castle” experience:

• enormous scale;
• original architecture;
• complex fortifications;
• a famous historic keep;
• convenient rail access.

But there’s a close second.

Best Castle for a More Atmospheric Visit

Our choice: Matsumoto Castle. Matsumoto feels more intimate — the combination of black castle + moat + old town + mountains creates a strong sense of place, and you can see most of the city’s essential sights on foot.

For travelers who don’t enjoy enormous tourist complexes, Matsumoto may be the more enjoyable of the two. Our one day in Matsumoto itinerary shows how the castle and old town fit into a single day.

Best Castle Near Tokyo

Matsumoto isn’t exactly “near” Tokyo, but it is one of the best major original castles you can reach on a single direct train from the capital. Limited Express services from Shinjuku make a Tokyo to Matsumoto day trip possible, although you’ll spend roughly five hours on trains over the course of the day.

For a serious castle visit, that can be a fair trade; for a casual half-day excursion, it isn’t. Our Tokyo to Matsumoto Castle day trip guide has the train times and a sample schedule.

Best Castle Near Kyoto

Our choice: Himeji for the biggest experience, or Hikone for something quieter. Himeji is very easy to fit into a conventional Kyoto–Osaka itinerary, while Hikone appeals most to repeat visitors and castle enthusiasts.

Best Castle Near Nagano

Easy: Matsumoto Castle. Nagano and Matsumoto are connected directly by train, which makes Matsumoto one of the most logical historical day trips from Nagano city. Our Nagano to Matsumoto Castle day trip guide covers the route.

Best Castle for Samurai History

It’s difficult to choose only one, but our shortlist is:

• Matsumoto;
• Matsue;
• Himeji;
• Hikone.

For the easiest combination of samurai history + guided tours + surviving architecture, Matsumoto is especially strong. A good guide can explain the castle’s:

• firearm defenses;
• hidden floor;
• steep staircases;
• samurai-era construction;
• castle-town layout.

If you want the history and something hands-on, the Matsumoto Castle Tour & Samurai Experience follows a guided castle visit with an hour of katana instruction from a samurai master — $87, 4.86★ from 181 reviews, the highest review count of any tour we track (read our breakdown).

Best Japanese Castle for Photography

Again, Matsumoto and Himeji lead the field.

Matsumoto

Best for:

• reflections;
• mountains;
• black architecture;
• cherry blossoms;
• fall colors.

Himeji

Best for:

• white architecture;
• scale;
• cherry blossoms;
• long approach views.

For dramatic contrast, seeing both on the same Japan trip is ideal. Our guide to the best time to visit Matsumoto Castle covers when the blossoms and fall colors usually arrive there.

Best Castle in Winter

Our pick: Matsumoto Castle. The Northern Alps can provide a spectacular snow-covered backdrop, and the dark castle looks especially dramatic against white mountains, blue winter skies and snow. Winter also brings a completely different mood from the busy spring season.

Do You Need Guided Tours of Japanese Castles?

Usually not. Most major Japanese castles can be visited independently. A guide becomes worthwhile when:

• you’re especially interested in history;
• this is your first Japanese castle;
• architectural details matter to you;
• you want to understand the castle town;
• you want cultural context, not only photographs.

Matsumoto is a good example. Without a guide, you might notice an unusual hole in a wall; with one, you learn how it related to firearms and defensive strategy. That changes the experience. Our English guided tour options compares the free volunteer guides with the paid and private tours.

How Many Japanese Castles Should You Visit?

For a first trip:

One castle

Choose Himeji or Matsumoto.

Two castles

Visit Himeji + Matsumoto. Their contrast is excellent.

Three castles

Add Hikone, Inuyama or Matsue, depending on your route.

Serious castle enthusiast

Start working through the 12 original keeps. You don’t need to visit five reconstructed castles just because they sit in famous cities — aim for variety.

Best Two-Castle Japan Itinerary

Our recommendation: Matsumoto + Himeji. These castles complement each other exceptionally well.

If you visit both, you’ll have experienced two radically different versions of the Japanese castle.

Best Three-Castle Japan Itinerary

Add Hikone. A possible route is:

Tokyo → Matsumoto Castle → Nagoya / Kyoto → Hikone Castle → Kyoto / Osaka → Himeji Castle

This works best for travelers moving west through Japan, instead of returning to Tokyo again and again.

Matsumoto Castle: Guided or Self-Guided?

Both work.

Choose self-guided if:

• you’re on a budget;
• you want photography flexibility;
• you’ve researched the history;
• your train schedule is tight.

Choose a guided Matsumoto Castle tour if:

• you want to understand samurai history;
• you want an English-speaking guide;
• you want to explore the old town as well;
• architecture interests you.

For a first visit, we especially like a castle + old town walking tour such as the Castle Town Walking Tour. Our guided versus self-guided comparison sets out what each version costs you in time and money.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best castle in Japan?

Himeji Castle is probably the strongest overall choice because of its scale, preservation and original architecture. Matsumoto Castle is a close alternative for travelers who prefer a smaller historic city and a dramatic mountain setting.

Is Matsumoto Castle one of the best castles in Japan?

Yes. Matsumoto has an original late-16th-century keep, five National Treasure structures and one of Japan’s most distinctive castle settings.

What are the five National Treasure castles in Japan?

They are Matsumoto, Himeji, Hikone, Inuyama and Matsue.

How many original castles remain in Japan?

Twelve castles are generally recognized as retaining their original historic main keeps.

Is Matsumoto Castle original?

Yes. Matsumoto’s main keep survives as historic architecture, not a modern concrete reconstruction. The castle’s main structures date mainly from the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Is Himeji or Matsumoto Castle better?

Himeji is larger and more elaborate. Matsumoto is more compact and atmospheric, with its famous black exterior, moat and mountain backdrop. If possible, visit both.

Which Japanese castle is best near Tokyo?

Matsumoto is one of the strongest major original-castle options you can reach from Tokyo, although it is a full-day trip, not a short excursion.

Which castle is best near Kyoto?

Himeji is the obvious major choice. Hikone is an excellent quieter alternative.

Are Japanese castle tours worth it?

Yes, if you’re interested in history or architecture. Otherwise, most castles are easy to visit independently.

Which castle should a samurai-history fan visit?

Matsumoto is an excellent choice because its surviving architecture clearly reflects late Sengoku-period warfare, including features associated with firearms and defensive design.

Which Japanese Castle Should You Choose?

Use this simple guide.

Our Top Recommendation: Start With Matsumoto and Himeji

If you’re new to Japanese castles, don’t try to visit ten. Start with two: Matsumoto Castle and Himeji Castle.

Himeji shows you the scale, complexity and grandeur of a major Japanese fortress. Matsumoto gives you something more intimate: a dark wooden keep surrounded by water, a walkable castle town and the mountains of central Japan behind it. Together, they show why Japanese castles can’t be treated as one generic type of attraction. They were built:

• in different landscapes;
• for different lords;
• during different political circumstances;
• with different defensive priorities.

Once you’ve seen those two, adding Hikone, Inuyama, Matsue or the other surviving original castles becomes much more rewarding, because you’ll start noticing the differences yourself.

For travelers heading through Nagano or the Japanese Alps, Matsumoto Castle is the obvious place to begin — the Castle Town Walking Tour covers the castle and old town in about three hours for $62, or compare every Matsumoto Castle tour before you book.

Sources: Matsumoto Castle official site — the castle tower, Matsumoto Castle official site — the main keep, JNTO — Himeji Castle, JNTO — Matsumoto Castle, JNTO — Hikone Castle, JNTO — Matsue Castle, JNTO — Matsuyama Castle, JNTO — Japan’s finest landscapes (Inuyama), JNTO — National Treasure castles.