Explore Matsumoto’s rich heritage with a castle tour and sake tasting, blending history and flavor in a unique cultural experience.
Explore Matsumoto’s rich heritage with a castle tour and sake tasting, blending history and flavor in a unique cultural experience.
- Matsumoto Castle - Renowned for its striking black lacquered exterior, Matsumoto Castle was constructed in the 1590s during Japan’s Warring States period. The fortress was strategically designed for defense, featuring steep stairs, narrow passages, and gun ports throughout the main keep. After the wars concluded, its role evolved. Around 1633,…
- Matsumoto Castle - Renowned for its striking black lacquered exterior, Matsumoto Castle was constructed in the 1590s during Japan’s Warring States period. The fortress was strategically designed for defense, featuring steep stairs, narrow passages, and gun ports throughout the main keep. After the wars concluded, its role evolved. Around 1633, feudal lord Naomasa Matsudaira added the tsukimi yagura, a moon-viewing room, converting part of this military stronghold into a space for reflection and ceremony.
- Nakamachi Kurassic-kan - Kurassic-kan, a former sake brewery established in 1888, is a well-preserved example of late 19th-century architecture. It combines traditional kura storehouses—thick-walled, fireproof structures designed to safeguard valuable goods—with Meiji-era design elements that reflect Japan’s gradual embrace of Western influence.
- Entry/Admission – Matsumoto Castle
- Entry/Admission – Guided Sake Tasting
- English Speaking Guide
- Entry/Admission – Matsumoto Castle
- Entry/Admission – Guided Sake Tasting
- English Speaking Guide
- Sake Brewery Tour
- Miscellaneous fees during the activity (snacks, souvenirs, etc.)
- Insurance (Travel Insurance, Private Insurance, etc…)
- Sake Brewery Tour
- Miscellaneous fees during the activity (snacks, souvenirs, etc.)
- Insurance (Travel Insurance, Private Insurance, etc…)
Matsumoto beautifully merges two aspects of Japanese heritage: the stone and wood of its defensive structures, and the rice and water integral to sake production.
The tour begins at Matsumoto Castle, one of Japan’s most impressive original fortresses, then proceeds along the historic Nakamachi street, which was once the main commercial hub of Matsumoto’s…
Matsumoto beautifully merges two aspects of Japanese heritage: the stone and wood of its defensive structures, and the rice and water integral to sake production.
The tour begins at Matsumoto Castle, one of Japan’s most impressive original fortresses, then proceeds along the historic Nakamachi street, which was once the main commercial hub of Matsumoto’s castle town, and stops at Kurassic-kan, a former sake brewery established in 1888.
The journey continues to a small sake brewery where the use of spring water has been a cornerstone of local craftsmanship for generations. Matsumoto has a rich history of supporting sake production, thanks to a network of spring wells that draw from the mountain runoff encircling the city. This offers a glimpse into how Matsumoto’s history is still alive in the city today.
The guide will lead a tasting session of various sake types, each showcasing different rice varieties, fermentation techniques, and aging processes. Between tastings, they will explain how factors like water quality, seasonal brewing cycles, and rice polishing ratios influence the sake in your glass.
- 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.
- please note, the legal drinking age in Japan is 20 years and over. Persons under that age are not allowed to consume alcohol on this tour.
- There is no minimum age requirements.
- Children less than 6 years old can participate for free (soft drinks for children’s can be arranged)
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
