Matsumoto brings together two threads of Japanese tradition: the stone and timber of defensive architecture, and the rice and water of sake brewing.
This tour starts at Matsumoto Castle, one of Japan's most striking original castles before moving through historic Nakamachi street, once the main commercial artery of Matsumoto's castle town and pauses at Kurassic-kan, a former sake brewery dating to 1888.
Then the route leads to a small sake brewery where spring water has defined local craft for generations. Matsumoto has long supported sake production, fed by a network of spring wells drawing from mountain runoff that surrounds the city. A glimpse into how Matsumoto's past still lives in t...
Highlights
3 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
3 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Entry/Admission – Matsumoto Castle
Entry/Admission – Guided Sake Tasting
English Speaking Guide
Sake Brewery Tour
Miscellaneous fees during the activity (snacks, souvenirs, etc.)
Tour begins at Matsumoto Station at the front of the JR Line ticket office / Starbucks
Coffee inside the station (2F)
Return
Important Information
•
Public transportation options are available nearby
•
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
•
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
•
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
•
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
•
This is a walking tour and includes a moderate walk.
•
Please note that the stairs to reach the top of Matsumoto Castle’s tower are steep and narrow.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
•
For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
•
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
•
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
•
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
•
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Become our Lokal Curator
Are you ready to turn your hobbies into a business?
Matsumoto Castle, known for its black lacquered exterior. Built in the 1590s during Japan's Warring States period, the fortress was designed for defense: steep stairs, narrow passages, and gun ports throughout the main keep. Its purpose shifted after the wars ended. Around 1633, feudal lord Naomasa Matsudaira added the tsukimi yagura, a moon-viewing room, transforming part of this military fortress into a space for contemplation and ceremony.
1 hour and 30 minutes
2
Nakamachi Kurassic-kan
Kurassic-kan is a former sake brewery dating to 1888 and a well-preserved example of late 19th-century architecture combined with early Meiji-era design elements that reflect Japan's gradual opening to Western influence.
The building combines traditional kura storehouses (thick-walled, fireproof structures built to protect valuable goods) with Meiji-era design elements that marked Japan's opening to foreign trade and ideas.
Matsumoto brings together two threads of Japanese tradition: the stone and timber of defensive architecture, and the rice and water of sake brewing.
This tour starts at Matsumoto Castle, one of Japan's most striking original castles before moving through historic Nakamachi street, once the main commercial artery of Matsumoto's castle town and pauses at Kurassic-kan, a former sake brewery dating to 1888.
Then the route leads to a small sake brewery where spring water has defined local craft for generations. Matsumoto has long supported sake production, fed by a network of spring wells drawing from mountain runoff that surrounds the city. A glimpse into how Matsumoto's past still lives in t...
Highlights
3 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
3 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Entry/Admission – Matsumoto Castle
Entry/Admission – Guided Sake Tasting
English Speaking Guide
Sake Brewery Tour
Miscellaneous fees during the activity (snacks, souvenirs, etc.)
