Your chance to become a Samurai while visiting Matsumoto Castle! What better place to have your samurai experience than in a city with an authentic castle from the feudal era? First take a tour of Matsumoto Castle designated a “National Treasure” of Japan due to its well-preserved original structure! During the tour, you will learn about the Matsumoto Samurai lords, the history of Matsumoto City and even some of the castle's defensive strategies. Then experience a live hands-on Samurai Sword Fighting activity! A Master Samurai will teach you some of these ancient fighting techniques. You can choose your own colors for your outfit which consists of a yukata (light kimono), hakama (wide-leg pants), and obi (belt). You can even select your swords! The stage and the atmosphere of the place is bound to take you on a realistic journey back in time. The perfect setting for a complete immersion into this slice of Japanese history!
Matsumoto Castle is one of five castles designated as ‘National Treasures of Japan’ and the oldest castle donjon remaining in Japan. Construction began in 1592 of the elegant black and white structure with its three turrets. Because of the elegant black walls, Matsumoto Castle is sometimes called ‘Crow Castle’. Please note that the stairs to reach the top of Matsumoto Castle’s tower are steep and narrow.
Here is the Samurai Experience Activity! Learn how to handle the sword (Katana) as well as some basic samurai movement (Kamae).
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Matsumoto Castle Tour & Samurai Experience lasts about 3 hours. The itinerary has 2 stops.
Prices start at $88 per person for this Matsumoto experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Tour begins at Matsumoto Station at the front of the JR Line ticket office / Starbucks Coffee inside the station (2F). Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 15 participants.
Children less than 6 years old can participate for free (kid’s outfits and foam swords are included at no additional fees)
This activity focuses on proper sword techniques and kata accessible to all including families. It does not involve any type of slicing or cutting of objects.
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.9 out of 5 across 89 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Welcome Matsumoto.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Great experience. Guide was excellent. The castle was well worth the visit. Just be aware. there are a lot of steep awkward stairs to the top of the castle
Thank you very much for the review! We are glad that you had a great experience. It is nice to hear that you found our guide excellent. Thank you once again, and safe travels.
More than lived up to the high praise for this activity on Trip Advisor. Our samurai experience was both educational and entertaining thanks to skill of our coach Koi (I hope I’ve spelt that right). At the castle our guide Akikio was delightfully informative as she steered us up and backdown 140 steep steps. Akikio provided some excellent and much appreciated ideas for other activities and dining.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful review! We are truly delighted to hear that your experience more than lived up to your expectations. It is fantastic to know that you found the Samurai experience both educational and entertaining. We will be sure to pass your kind words along to our samurai instructor and guide, they will find your compliments to be very rewarding. Thank you again for choosing us, and we hope to welcome you back to Matsumoto in the future!
The Matsumoto Castle and Samurai experience was really good, would recommend to those thinking about visiting.
Thank you so much for the review and your recommendation! We are happy to hear you enjoyed our Matsumoto Castle and Samurai Experience. Thank you again for booking with us! Enjoy the rest of your time in Japan.
Naomi was great and the samurai experience was a lot of fun. A great way for a family to enjoy Matsumato!
Thank you for your review! We are happy knowing that you were pleased with your guide and the entire experience. We look forward to seeing you again in Matsumoto on your next trip to Japan!
Very educational and very good teacher. Better than Kyoto museum experience, where clothes were smelly and very large group to understand. Here was a clean and calm environment. Excellent teacher!
Thank you for taking the time to write this positive review! We are proud to offer an informative and understandable Samurai Experience whilst still keeping it fun. Thanks again and we wish you a safe trip home.
Fantastic experience of the castle and Matsumoto history with our guide Taisei. We also did samurai experience which was such a fun addition to the whole day. Our samurai sensei was very cool and really engaging. Thank you both!
Thank you for joining us! We're glad the castle visit and samurai experience made for a full and enjoyable day in Matsumoto. Hope your travels bring you back this way.
Amazing experience! Beautiful castle surrounded by a fun little town. Our tour guide was so kind, knowledgeable and fun. The addition of a samurai class was awesome and the Sensei was the coolest. We all laughed and learned a lot. Highly recommend!!
Thank you for joining us! We're glad the day gave you a good look at Matsumoto, and that the samurai class added something extra to the visit. Hope your travels bring you back this way.
Excellent tour, learned a ton about Japanese history. Samari experience was fantastic and very authentic. Excellent tour
Thank you for joining us! We're glad the tour gave you plenty of historical context and that the samurai portion was a highlight. Hope to welcome you back to Matsumoto soon!
Lots of fun. Our guide did a great job. The castle was incredible and the Samurai experience was so much fun.
Thank you for the great review! We appreciate you taking the time to write it. We are very happy to hear that you enjoyed your tour. We’re glad that you had fun at the Samurai Experience. We hope you made some great memories in Matsumoto!
Akiko took us on a walking tour of Matsumoto, explaining various landmarks on the way to the castle. The castle itself was incredible and, as someone who was in the military, had a great appreciation for the tactics used in the building of this castle. The stairs are no joke! As someone who is currently overweight, I found them challenging at times, especially the 40 cm stairs, but still doable. The samurai experience is definitely the main draw! It is easy to lose track of time there. My son and I would have easily stayed all day training. However, Akiko was very aware of our train schedule and she took great care to ensure we not only got back to the station on time but to make sure we were headed for the right line and platform. Akiko was very easy to talk to and I wish we didn’t have to go as quickly as we did. This is a must do!
Thank you very much for the wonderful review! It is great that your guide was able to use the walk to the castle to introduce you to various landmarks in Matsumoto. We are happy to hear that you found the castle so interesting. The stairs can definitely be a challenge, but we’re glad that you managed them. We are very pleased that you and your son enjoyed the Samurai Experience so much and that your guide was really helpful. She will be happy to hear that you enjoyed your time with her. Thank you for the recommendation!
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matsumoto Castle Tour & Samurai Experience | 3 hours | 4.9 (89) | $88 | |
 1-Day Tour from Nagano and Matsumoto Kamikochi & Matsumoto Castle | 9 hours | 5.0 (140) | $181 | View |
 Matsumoto Everything Tour: Castle, Miso, Wasabi, Wine & Ukiyo-e | 6h 15min–8h 30min | 5.0 (6) | $173 | View |
 Nagano: Matsushiro Samurai Life Tour with Castle, Villa & School | 2 hours | — | $86 | View |
 Kamikochi & Matsumoto Castle: A Perfect Nature & Heritage Day | 7h 30min–9h | 5.0 (5) | $210 | View |
 Private Matsumoto Castle and Azumino Craft Immersive Culture Tour | 8 hours | 5.0 (2) | $1,452 | View |
 Private Edo Period Tour Matsumoto Castle and Nakasendo Trail | 6–10 hours | 4.0 (2) | $196 | View |