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Shimane · Matsue

Matsue Castle

松江城

Matsue, Shimane

CastleHilltop castle (hirayamajiro)Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 64

What makes this castle distinctive

Two prayer tablets dated "first month of Keicho 16" (early 1611) turned up, and that discovery helped make this keep a National Treasure.

Why?

Matsue's keep has stood since the Edo period, but for decades there was no document proving when it was completed, and it was not named a National Treasure. In 2012, prayer tablets inscribed with an auspicious day in the first month of Keicho 16 (1611) were found at Matsue Shrine. They pinned down the completion date and were key to the keep's designation as a National Treasure in 2015. The tablets themselves were designated along with it.^[10][14]

Three things not to miss

The dark keep, entered through its attached turret

Where: The keep in the honmaru (main enclosure), with its entrance turret projecting to the south.
What to look at: The black wooden siding, the attached turret (tsuke-yagura) that guards the door, and the stone-drop openings on the second floor.
Why it's interesting: This is a composite keep: a separate turret is attached, and you can only enter the keep through it, which made it harder for attackers to get in. Completed around 1611, it is one of only 12 original keeps left in Japan and a National Treasure, alongside keeps such as Hikone and Himeji.^[1][14]
Can you see it?: Visible from outsideThe exterior is visible from the honmaru (free; open during gate hours). Entry to the keep is paid.

Original pillars and steep stairs inside

Where: Inside the keep, from the basement to the fifth floor.
What to look at: The thick pillars and beams, the steep wooden staircases and the well in the basement.
Why it's interesting: Because the keep is original, its inner timber frame is still the Edo-period structure. From outside it looks four-tiered, but inside there are five floors plus a basement, which even contains a well. There is no elevator or toilet in the keep; you take off your shoes, carry them in a bag, and climb.^{[1][2][3][14]}
Can you see it?: Visible from outsideKeep admission required. The stairs are steep, so watch your step.

The large shachihoko on the roof

Where: Both ends of the keep's top roof.
What to look at: The pair of shachihoko (mythical tiger-headed fish), which differ in size.
Why it's interesting: Shachihoko were charms believed to spout water from their mouths to protect a building from fire. Matsue's pair differ in size, and the official site says the larger is 2.08 m tall. Fire is the greatest danger to a wooden keep, which is also why open flames are banned in the castle park.^[1][5]
Can you see it?: Visible from outsideVisible looking up from the honmaru.

At a glance for visitors

Nearest station: from JR Matsue Station
Climb: Some climbing
Time neededEditors' estimate: The official estimate is 40–50 minutes from the Otemae entrance up through the keep and back.
Admission: Adults 1,200 yen (groups of 30+ 960 yen); free for elementary and junior high students (from July 1, 2026). Free for holders of disability certificates and one caregiver.
Hours: April 1–September 30: 8:30–18:00 (last entry 17:30); October 1–March 31: 8:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30). Hours may change for events.
Access: Open to visitors
The honmaru is free during gate hours. The keep is paid, and you remove your shoes at the entrance. Since March 2026, the area from Kita-mon to Mizunote-mon has been closed after an earthquake loosened stones in the wall, and parts of Shiroyama Park are also closed. The Japan 100 Castles stamp is to the left of the reception counter inside the keep.

Checked: 2026-10-03

View on map Open in Google Maps Matsue Castle official website (Japanese)Visit Matsue (English)

The story of this castle

Historical record

Built by Horio Yoshiharu on Kameda hill

Matsue Castle was built by the Horio family after they became lords of Izumo and Oki provinces. The Japan Castle Foundation gives 1611 as the completion year and Horio Yoshiharu as the builder. Work on Kameda hill, near the shore of Lake Shinji, began around 1607.^[13][14]

Historical record

Ruled by three families

The Horio line ended without an heir after three generations, and Kyogoku Tadataka, who arrived in 1634, also left no successor. From 1638, when Matsudaira Naomasa arrived, the Matsudaira family ruled the Matsue domain (han) until the Meiji Restoration. The lords did not live in the keep but in palaces in the second and third enclosures.^[14][1]

Tradition

Only the keep was saved

After the Meiji Restoration, every building except the keep was sold off and torn down. The keep was also to be sold, but according to accounts, a wealthy local farmer, Katsube Motoemon, and a former retainer, Takagi Gonpachi, paid the same sum to buy it back and save it. That is how it survived as one of only 12 original keeps in Japan.^[14][1]

Historical record

Prayer tablets that settled the date

The keep was named a National Treasure under the old law in 1935 and reclassified as an Important Cultural Property in 1950. For years, a lack of evidence about its completion date kept it from becoming a National Treasure again. While the city searched for records, even offering a reward, prayer tablets dated to the first month of Keicho 16 (1611) were found in 2012. On July 8, 2015, the keep was formally designated a National Treasure.^[10][14]

Historical record

Rebuilt turrets and the Reiwa repairs

The keep was dismantled and repaired in 1950–1955. In the second enclosure, the Minami, Naka and Taiko turrets were rebuilt in wood in 2000–2001. Because roof tiles and wall boards are now wearing out, Matsue City plans a major "Reiwa Great Repair" from June 2027 to December 2030. The city is also offering a reward for old photos or plans that would allow it to rebuild the main gate, Ote-mon, torn down in the Meiji era.^{[14][7][11][12]}

People of this castle

Builder of the castle

Horio Yoshiharu

堀尾吉晴

1543–1611

A warrior who served Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After the Battle of Sekigahara his family became lords of Izumo and Oki, and he built Matsue Castle.

First Matsudaira lord of Matsue, whose family ruled until 1868

Matsudaira Naomasa

松平直政

1601–1666

A grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1638 he moved from Matsumoto in Shinano to Matsue and became the first Matsudaira lord of the Matsue domain.

Lord

Kyōgoku clan

京極氏

Lord

Matsudaira clan

松平氏

Built

Horio Tadauji

堀尾忠氏

1578–1604

Lord

Echizen-Matsudaira clan

雲州松平家

Rebuilt / expanded

Kyōgoku Tadataka

京極忠高

1593–1637

Timeline

1611
The keep is completed (the prayer tablets are dated to the first month of 1611)^[10][13]
1638
Matsudaira Naomasa arrives; his family rules thereafter^[14]
1934
Designated a National Historic Site^[14]
1955
The full dismantling repair of the keep is completed^[14][11]
2012
Prayer tablets dated 1611 are found at Matsue Shrine^[14]
2015
The keep is designated a National Treasure^[10]

Buildings and remains

The keep today

Original keep

An original Edo-period keep and a National Treasure since 2015. The Japan Castle Foundation describes it as a composite, watchtower-style wooden keep with four outer tiers, five floors and a basement.

The site today

The site is Shiroyama Park, with the keep, the rebuilt ninomaru turrets and Kounkaku, a Meiji-era Western-style building. Sightseeing boats (Horikawa cruise) run along the surrounding moats.

Main buildings

OriginalNational Treasure

Keep (with attached turret)

Four tiers, five floors and a basement, with an attached turret on the south. Prayer tablets are designated with it.^[10]

Rebuilt in wood

Ninomaru turrets: Minami, Naka and Taiko

Rebuilt in wood in 2000–2001 based on old drawings, photos and excavations.^[14]

Rebuilt in wood

Roka-mon bridge (Chidori Bridge)

Bridge linking the third and second enclosures, rebuilt in wood in 1994.^[14]

Site only

Ote-mon (main gate)

Torn down in the early Meiji era. Its footprint is marked after excavation, and the city is searching for records to rebuild it.^[12]

Key facts

Type: Castle
Setting: Hilltop castle (hirayamajiro)built on a low hill rising from the plainEditorial article
Period: Early modern (1570s–1871)Editorial article
Keep (tenshu): Original keepthe keep (tenshu) itself survives from before 1868Editorial article
Built by: Horio Yoshiharu, Horio TadaujiJapan Castle Foundation
Built: 1611Japan Castle Foundation
Main lords: Kyōgoku clan, Matsudaira clan, Echizen-Matsudaira clanJapan Castle Foundation
Abandoned: 1871Wikipedia (ja)
Remains to see: Stone walls, Moats, Turrets or turret bases, Gates, Earthen ramparts, Baileys / enclosures (kuruwa), Keep base (tenshudai), Fortified gateways (koguchi)Editorial article
Designation: National Treasure (Matsue Castle keep) (2015); National Historic Site (Matsue Castle) (1934)Editorial article
Selection: Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 64Japan Castle Foundation

Visiting

Access

Open to visitors

The honmaru is free during gate hours. The keep is paid, and you remove your shoes at the entrance. Since March 2026, the area from Kita-mon to Mizunote-mon has been closed after an earthquake loosened stones in the wall, and parts of Shiroyama Park are also closed. The Japan 100 Castles stamp is to the left of the reception counter inside the keep.

Address

Tonomachi, Matsue, Shimane^[14]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Nearest stations and how to get there

JR Matsue StationJR San'in Line

Some climbing

Take an Ichibata or city bus from stops 2–3 or 6, about 10 minutes. Nearby stops include Kokuho Matsue-jo (Ote-mae) on the Lake Line loop bus. For the return, Kencho-mae and Kenmin Kaikan-mae stops are about 10 minutes from Matsue Station.^[14][3]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Matsue Shinjiko Onsen Station (Ichibata Electric Railway)Ichibata Kita-Matsue Line

Some climbing

About 5 minutes by Ichibata or city bus from stops 1–3.^[14]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Hours and admission

Matsue Castle keep

Hours: April 1–September 30: 8:30–18:00 (last entry 17:30); October 1–March 31: 8:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30). Hours may change for events.
Closed: Open every day
Admission: Adults 1,200 yen (groups of 30+ 960 yen); free for elementary and junior high students (from July 1, 2026). Free for holders of disability certificates and one caregiver.^[2]

Checked: 2026-10-03

By car / parking

The main lots are Otemae and Shiroyama-nishi (both paid). On weekends and holidays the prefectural office lot is open free of charge. Motorcycles may enter the grounds only via Inari Bridge.^[3][4]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Grounds opening hours

The honmaru gates open 8:00–18:30 from April 1 to September 30 and 8:00–17:30 from October 1 to March 31 (free). Illumination runs 17:00–22:00 (October–March) and 18:00–22:00 (April–September).^[2][3]Checked: 2026-10-03

Time needed

The official estimate is 40–50 minutes from the Otemae entrance up through the keep and back.

Steps, slopes and footing

Paths are gravel, and you climb steps to reach the honmaru. The stairs inside the keep are steep.^[3]

Wheelchairs and strollers

Wheelchair users can reach the upper level of the ninomaru by a roundabout gravel route (expect bumps). From there to the honmaru there are steps, so a helper is needed. There is no elevator in the keep. Wheelchairs can be borrowed (two at the Buratto Matsue tourist information center, one at Kounkaku) and reserved.^[3]Checked: 2026-10-03

Toilets and rest

Accessible toilets in the grounds are next to the Buratto Matsue information center, near Ni-no-mon on the upper ninomaru (with a baby changing table), at Kounkaku and at Karamete-mon. There are no toilets inside the keep.^[3]

English signs / audio guide

The official site links to an English tourism site, Visit Matsue. English signage inside the keep is not confirmed.^[15]

Seasons

Cherry blossoms in spring, and the castle is lit up every evening.^[3]

Photography

Personal photos are fine, but professional shoots (commercial photos, videos for streaming and so on) require permission from Matsue City. Drones are banned in Shiroyama Park.^[5][6]

Works, closures and restrictions

A major repair of the keep is planned from June 2027 to December 2030; check the city's announcements for how visits will work during the work. Since March 2026, the area from Kita-mon to Mizunote-mon is restricted and parts of Shiroyama Park are closed because of a January earthquake and February snow damage. Keep admission prices changed on July 1, 2026.^[7][8][9][2]Checked: 2026-10-03

Around the castle

Museum

Matsue History Museum

City museum on the history of the Matsue domain. A combined ticket with the keep is available.^[2]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Castle town

Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum and Samurai Residence (Shiomi Nawate)

A memorial museum and a samurai residence in the Shiomi Nawate area near the castle. A three-site web ticket including the keep is available (sold online only).^[2][3]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Experience

Matsue Horikawa sightseeing boat

Small boats that tour the moats around the castle. Boarding points include one beside the Otemae parking lot.^[3]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Editors' guide

An editorial guide based on sources and confirmed information — not a first-hand visit report.

Who will enjoy it

For anyone who wants to walk inside a genuine Edo-period keep, and for travelers who like to enjoy the whole castle town, with moat boat rides and samurai houses.

What makes it interesting

Outside, look at the dark keep, its entrance turret and the shachihoko on the roof. Inside, note the Edo-period pillars, the steep stairs and the basement well.

Before you go

You remove your shoes inside the keep, the stairs are steep and there is no elevator. A major repair starts in June 2027, so check official notices if you plan to visit then. Admission changed in July 2026, and elementary and junior high students are now free.

Ways to enjoy it

Keep to the left in the castle grounds, a custom said to date back to samurai who wore their swords on the left and did not want scabbards to clash when passing. After the keep, take a Horikawa boat to see the stone walls from the water.

Photos

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Open questions

The 2012 discovery of the tablets at Matsue Shrine and the story of Katsube Motoemon and Takagi Gonpachi buying back the keep come from Wikipedia; the latter is treated as tradition.
Views differ on when construction began (around 1607) and on whether Horio Yoshiharu died before completion. The Japan Castle Foundation gives 1611.
Wikipedia calls the basement well the only surviving example in a castle building, but this could not be confirmed in official sources.
The street number, walking times from stations, how the keep will be opened during the repairs, and English signage inside could not be confirmed.