Matsumoto Castle Tour & Samurai Experience
Description
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!
Tour Options
Itinerary
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).
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
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
- Please note that the stairs to reach the top of Matsumoto Castle’s tower are steep and narrow.
- In Japan, authentic katanas are classified as illegal weapons under strict licensing laws. Tourists can see them in museums or specialty shops, but theatrical swords are widely used in performances, training, and during our samurai experience.
- 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.
- There is no minimum age requirements
- Children less than 6 years old can participate for free (kid’s outfits and foam swords are included at no additional fees)
Reviews(86)
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!
We both really enjoyed this trip immensely. Our knowledgable guide showed us round Matsumoto Castle. The highlight of the trip though was being able to dress up as and practice various sword moves. Highly recommended.
Thank you for joining us! We're glad you enjoyed the castle tour and that the samurai experience was the highlight. Practicing with the sword in full gear makes for a different kind of visit. Hope to welcome you again soon!
We had a great time touring the castle and practicing samurai moves. Our tour guide was very informative and happily answered all our questions. We learned much about the city on our way walking to the castle and then to the samurai experience. He also gave us great local restaurant and hike recommendations. We learned a lot and had fun!
Thank you very much for your review! We are pleased to hear that you were able to enjoy your experience both at the castle and also at the samurai experience. We are glad you were able to get some restaurant and hike recommendations; the hiking in our area is top-notch! We hope to welcome you to Matsumoto again someday in the future!
The first part of the experience was a walking tour of part of the town and then the castle. Colin, our guide, was knowledgeable and amusing. The castle was a true highlight of our entire trip. The second half, the samurai experience was a huge amount of fun. Our teacher was engaging and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend recommend
Thank you for your kind review! We are pleased to hear you enjoyed your tour. The castle is a great way to experience our history and pairing it with the Samurai Experience really allows you to step back in time and experience our culture first-hand. We hope to see you again in Matsumoto in the future!
