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Taiko-mon Gate with its wooden bridge over the inner moat (September 2010): the 11.8 m turret gate behind and the Hashizume-mon gate in front, both restored in 2004.
baku13CC BY-SA 2.1 jpWikimedia Commons

Nagano · Nagano

Matsushiro Castle

松代城

Nagano, Nagano

CastleFlatland castle (hirajiro)Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 24

What makes this castle distinctive

Takeda Shingen built it as his front line in the Kawanakajima wars, and the Sanada family later lived here for 250 years.

Why?

Matsushiro Castle began as Kaizu Castle, built as a Takeda base during the Kawanakajima wars between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. After passing through many hands, it received Sanada Nobuyuki, who moved here from Ueda in 1622, and for about 250 years, until the Meiji era, it was home to ten generations of Sanada lords. A frontline fortress of the Warring States period became the heart of the Sanada family's castle town in the Edo period.[1][2][4]

Three things not to miss

01
Taiko-mon Gate with its wooden bridge over the inner moat (September 2010): the 11.8 m turret gate behind and the Hashizume-mon gate in front, both restored in 2004.baku13CC BY-SA 2.1 jpWikimedia Commons

Taiko-mon Gate and its wooden bridge, restored in 2004

Where
The front (south side) of the honmaru, the main enclosure.
What to look at
The 11.8 m turret gate, the smaller koraimon-style gate (Hashizume-mon) in front of it, and the wooden bridge over the inner moat.
Why it's interesting
It was the largest of the three turret gates of the main enclosure. Its name comes from the drum (taiko) kept here to tell retainers when to report for duty and to send urgent signals. Nagano City restored it from Edo-period plans and excavations, aiming at the castle's appearance between its rebuilding after the great fire of 1717 and its abandonment.[1][3]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideFree. Open 9:00–17:00 April–October and 9:00–16:30 November–March.
02
The Inui corner turret base and a stone monument in the northwest of the main enclosure (April 2006), the highest turret base in the castle.ELKCC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons

Inui corner turret base, possibly meant for a keep

Where
The northwest corner of the main enclosure.
What to look at
The stone walls of the main enclosure's highest turret base, and the view across the Kawanakajima plain.
Why it's interesting
Old plans show a two-story turret here, which probably commanded a wide view over the Kawanakajima plain. It may have been built as a base for a keep (tenshu), but no excavation results or documents confirm that a tall keep ever stood here. The walls are nozura-zumi, local Shiba stone and stone from Mount Minakami stacked in their natural shapes.[1][3]
Can you see it?
Partly visibleSome areas are closed for conservation work, according to the Sanada Treasure Museum.
03
The main entrance of Sanada-tei, the New Palace (July 2013), hung with a curtain bearing the Sanada family's six-coin crest.QurrenCC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons

Sanada-tei, the palace built outside the castle

Where
South of the castle ruins, next to the Bunbu Gakko domain school.
What to look at
The formal entrance with its shikidai step platform, the smaller side entrance even senior retainers had to use, the garden designed to be viewed while seated with the mountains as a borrowed backdrop, and the storehouses.
Why it's interesting
In 1862 the shogunate relaxed the alternate-attendance rules and allowed daimyo wives and children to return home, so the ninth lord, Sanada Yukinori, built this "New Palace" for his stepmother. It preserves late-Edo palace architecture well and is designated a National Historic Site together with the castle. Castle-related palaces rarely survive, which makes it especially valuable.[5][6][7]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideAdmission charged (see the official fee table). Open 9:00–17:00 April–October, 9:00–16:30 November–March.

At a glance for visitors

Nearest station
5 min walk from Nagano Station (by bus)
Climb
No climb
Time neededEditors' estimate
About 40 minutes for the main enclosure alone; 2.5 to 3 hours with Sanada-tei and the Sanada Treasure Museum.
Admission
Free
Hours
April–October 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); November–March 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00)
Access
Open to visitors

The castle ruins (main enclosure) are free to visit during opening hours, but closed from December 29 to January 3. Part of the area around the Inui corner turret is closed for conservation work. Events that take over the park, and commercial photo shoots, need permission in advance.

Checked:

View on mapOpen in Google MapsSanada Treasure Museum: Matsushiro Castle ruinsNagano City: History of Matsushiro Castle (Japanese)

The story of this castle

01
Historical record

A natural fortress moated by the Chikuma River

Matsushiro Castle was a natural fortress using the Chikuma River as its outer moat. The river lay to the north and large moats to the east and south; the main and second enclosures stood on a natural levee along the river, and the outer moats were dug into the marshy ground behind it. It is a flatland castle (hirajiro) that made clever use of the terrain.[1][4]

02
Tradition

Kaizu Castle, the Takeda base at Kawanakajima

The castle is said to have begun as Kaizu Castle, built by Takeda Shingen against Uesugi Kenshin during the Kawanakajima wars (1553–1564), and tradition says it was completed around 1560. The Agency for Cultural Affairs suggests work began around 1556 and was probably finished by the fierce battle of 1561. The first Kaizu Castle is thought to have been a simple, fort-like structure.[2][4][7]

03
Historical record

Many lords, then the Sanada from 1622

After the Takeda fell, the castle passed through Oda and Uesugi hands, and after the Battle of Sekigahara lords such as Mori Tadamasa and Matsudaira Tadateru held it, renaming it Machi-jo and then Matsu-jo. From 1622, when Sanada Nobuyuki moved here from Ueda, it was the Sanada family seat for about 250 years, and in 1711, under the third lord Yukimichi, it was renamed Matsushiro Castle by order of the shogunate.[2][4]

04
Historical record

A castle troubled by floods and fires

The Chikuma River flooded often, most severely in the Inu no Mansui flood of 1742. Fires also broke out inside the castle, including in 1625, 1717 and 1853; the great fire of 1717 burned the main, second and third enclosures. Because the main enclosure was prone to flooding, from the mid-Edo period the Hananomaru palace southwest of it became the lord's place of government and daily life.[2]

05
Historical record

Mulberry fields after 1872, until the Sanada bought back the core

When the castle was abandoned in 1872, its land and buildings were sold off, the stone walls broken up and the moats filled, and most of the site became mulberry and wheat fields. Concerned at the ruin, the Sanada family bought the main enclosure site in 1886 and donated it to the town of Matsushiro, which opened it as a public park. Of the castle's buildings, only a few survive, chiefly the New Palace (Sanada-tei) outside the castle walls.[2][4]

06
Historical record

National Historic Site and the Heisei restoration

In 1981 part of the castle centered on the main enclosure was designated a National Historic Site together with the New Palace, and in 2015 the southeastern second enclosure, the crescent moat and a round umadashi were added. From 1995 to 2004 Nagano City restored the Taiko-mon and Kita-Akazu-mon gates, repaired the stone walls and re-created the earthen ramparts and moats, bringing back the castle as it looked in the late Edo period. The main-enclosure palace was not marked out on the ground; its excavated foundation stones were reburied for protection.[2][3][4][7]

People of this castle

Timeline

  1. around; traditional date

    Takeda Shingen's Kaizu Castle is said to be completed[2][4]

  2. Sanada Nobuyuki moves from Ueda; the castle becomes the Sanada seat[2][8]

  3. Renamed Matsushiro Castle by shogunate order[4]

  4. A great fire burns the main, second and third enclosures[2][3]

  5. The castle is abandoned and its land and buildings sold off[2]

  6. Designated a National Historic Site together with the New Palace[2][7]

  7. Restoration of the Taiko-mon and Kita-Akazu-mon gates, wooden bridges, stone walls, ramparts and moats is completed[1][3]

Buildings and remains

The keep today

Not yet confirmed

The Japan Castle Foundation lists it as "only the keep base remains." Nagano City says the Inui corner turret base may have been built as a keep base, but neither excavations nor documents have confirmed that a tall keep ever stood there.

The site today

The area around the main enclosure is a historic park with restored gates and wooden bridges, open free of charge. Much of the second, third and Hananomaru enclosures has been lost to the town and a former railway. The New Palace (Sanada-tei) and the Sanada Treasure Museum lie to the south.

Main buildings

Rebuilt in wood

Taiko-mon Gate (turret gate and Hashizume-mon)

Restored 2004: an 11.8 m turret gate with a koraimon gate and connecting walls.[3][1]

Rebuilt in wood

Kita-Akazu-mon Gate

The rear gate on the north of the main enclosure, restored in 2004 with its turret gate, koraimon and walls. Until the early 1700s it faced the riverbed of the Chikuma and was also called the Mizunote Gate.[3][1]

Site only

Inui corner turret base

The highest turret base of the main enclosure; partly closed for conservation work.[1][4]

OriginalNational Historic Site (as part of Matsushiro Castle ruins)

New Palace (Sanada-tei)

A late-Edo palace built outside the castle; the main house, front gate, storehouses and garden survive.[5][7]

Key facts

Type
Castle
Setting
Flatland castle (hirajiro)built on flat ground, defended by moatsEditorial article
Period
Medieval (c.1185–1570s), Early modern (1570s–1871)Editorial article
Keep (tenshu)
Not yet confirmedwhether a keep existed is still being checkedEditorial article
Built by
Takeda ShingenJapan Castle Foundation
Built
1560Japan Castle Foundation
Main lords
Uesugi clan, Matsudaira clan, Mōri clan, Sakai clan, Oda clan, Takeda clan, Sanada clanJapan Castle Foundation
Abandoned
1873Wikipedia (ja)
Remains to see
Stone walls, Earthen ramparts, Moats, Gates, Baileys / enclosures (kuruwa), Keep base (tenshudai)Editorial article
Designation
National Historic Site (Matsushiro Castle ruins, with the New Palace site) (1981)Editorial article
Selection
Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 24Japan Castle Foundation

Visiting

Access

Open to visitors

The castle ruins (main enclosure) are free to visit during opening hours, but closed from December 29 to January 3. Part of the area around the Inui corner turret is closed for conservation work. Events that take over the park, and commercial photo shoots, need permission in advance.

Address

44 Matsushiro, Matsushiro-machi, Nagano, Nagano[1]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Nearest stations and how to get there

Nagano Station (by bus)JR Hokuriku Shinkansen, Shin'etsu Line and others

about 5 min walk · No climb

From bus stop 3 at Nagano Station's Zenkoji Exit, take the Alpico bus for Matsushiro (route 30), about 30 minutes, to the Matsushiro-eki stop, then walk about 5 minutes. ("Matsushiro-eki" is the name of the bus stop.)[1]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Hours and admission

Matsushiro Castle ruins (main enclosure)
Hours
April–October 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); November–March 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00)
Closed
December 29 – January 3
Admission
Free[1]
Checked: 2026-10-03
Sanada-tei (New Palace)
Hours
April–October 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); November–March 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00)
Closed
Not confirmed
Admission
Admission charged (amount not confirmed; see the fee table on the Sanada Treasure Museum website)[5][10]
Checked: 2026-10-03
Sanada Treasure Museum
Hours
Through October 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); from December 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00)
Closed
Tuesdays (open if a holiday)
Admission
Admission charged (amount not confirmed)[6][11]
Checked: 2026-10-03

By car / parking

About 10 minutes from Nagano IC. The car park by the castle holds about 7 buses and 23 cars, and the Matsushiro Castle North car park (5 minutes' walk north) about 10 buses and 60 cars (fees not confirmed). Accessible spaces: 2 at the municipal lot, 1 in front of the Sanada Treasure Museum and 2 at the north car park.[1]

Checked: 2026-10-03
Grounds opening hours
Main enclosure: 9:00–17:00 April–October, 9:00–16:30 November–March[1]Checked: 2026-10-03
Time neededEditors' estimate
About 40 minutes for the main enclosure alone; 2.5 to 3 hours with Sanada-tei and the Sanada Treasure Museum.
Steps, slopes and footing
A flatland castle with no major slopes. There is a ramp at the main enclosure entrance.[1]
Wheelchairs and strollers
Ramp at the entrance to the main enclosure, a multipurpose restroom, and accessible parking (2 at the municipal lot, 1 at the Sanada Treasure Museum, 2 at the north car park).[1]Checked: 2026-10-03
Toilets and rest
Multipurpose restroom available.[1]
English signs / audio guide
The Sanada Treasure Museum website has English, Chinese, Korean and Thai pages. English signage on site is not confirmed.[1]
Seasons
A well-known cherry blossom spot; best around mid-April.[1]
Photography
Commercial photo shoots and other uses that take over the park require prior permission (about a week to process).[12]
Works, closures and restrictions
Part of the area around the Inui corner turret is closed for conservation work. The Sanada Treasure Museum's special exhibition "Matsushiro Castle Hananomaru: The Sanada Family Palace" runs until December 14, 2026 (second half from September 16).[1][11]Checked: 2026-10-03

Around the castle

Museum

Sanada Treasure Museum

Museum holding some 50,000 items, including armor, furnishings and letters, donated in 1966 by the 12th head of the Sanada family. Highlights include Sanada Masayuki's armor and letters from Takeda Shingen, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu; displays change four times a year. Closed Tuesdays.[6]

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

Ideal for fans of the Kawanakajima wars between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, or of the Sanada family. It is free and flat, so easy to explore. Add Sanada-tei and the Sanada Treasure Museum to see how life in the castle town worked.

What makes it interesting

Start by viewing Taiko-mon head-on from the wooden bridge to take in the scale of the turret gate. Inside, look at the rough nozura-zumi stone walls and the Inui corner turret base that may have been meant for a keep. On the way out, look from Kita-Akazu-mon toward the Chikuma River and imagine when the river was the castle's moat.

Before you go

The gates and bridges were restored in 2004; no original castle buildings remain inside (Sanada-tei outside the castle dates from the 1860s). Part of the Inui turret area is closed for conservation work, and the main enclosure is closed over New Year.

Ways to enjoy it

Mid-April cherry blossom season is especially popular. Seeing the Sanada Treasure Museum's special exhibition on the Hananomaru palace (until December 14, 2026) before your walk helps you picture the lost palace.

Photos

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Open questions

Sources

  1. 1
    松代城跡真田宝物館(長野市)officialChecked:
  2. 2
    松代城の歴史長野市(文化財課)municipalChecked:
  3. 3
    松代城跡第1期整備長野市(文化財課)municipalChecked:
  4. 4
    松代城跡太鼓門(長野市文化財データベース)長野市municipalChecked:
  5. 5
    真田邸真田宝物館(長野市)officialChecked:
  6. 6
    真田宝物館真田宝物館(長野市)officialChecked:
  7. 7
    松代城跡 附 新御殿跡文化遺産オンライン(文化庁)heritageChecked:
  8. 8
    真田家とは真田宝物館(長野市)officialChecked:
  9. 9
    日本100名城 一覧公益財団法人日本城郭協会jokakuChecked:
  10. 10
    入館料について真田宝物館(長野市)officialChecked:
  11. 11
    特別展「松代城 花の丸ー真田家の御殿ー」真田宝物館(長野市)officialChecked:
  12. 12
    松代城跡(公園)利用許可について真田宝物館(長野市)officialChecked:
  13. 13
    List of Japan's 100 Fine Castles and the Next 100公益財団法人日本城郭協会jokakuChecked:
  14. 14
    Wikipedia「松代城」Wikipedia日本語版wikipediaChecked:
  15. 15
    Wikidata Q11104236WikidatawikidataChecked:
  16. 16
    OpenStreetMap node/5217915021© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)osmChecked:

Listing status

  1. Candidate foundChecked
  2. Confirmed as a castle siteChecked
  3. Basic informationChecked
  4. In-depth articleChecked
  5. Photo rights checkedChecked
  6. Visit info checkedChecked

Castles nearby

Namiu Castle4.4 km · No keep was builtYokota Castle4.5 km · Not yet confirmedYashiro Castle6.9 km · Not yet confirmedHaruyama Castle7.6 km · Not yet confirmedKurita Castle8 km · Not yet confirmedShiozaki Shin Castle9.1 km · No keep recorded

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