Which Nagano sights would you like to see?
Choose Matsumoto Castle for a wooden keep and moat, or Zenkoji in Nagano City for the temple approach. For art, compare Kusama at Matsumoto City Museum of Art, Higashiyama Kaii at the prefectural art museum and Obuse's Hokusai-kan exhibitions. Explore city history at Matsumoto City Museum or old-school architecture and education at Former Kaichi School. Match tickets, closures and access to your base.
Attraction fees and access
Matsumoto Castle
松本城
Choose a walk around the black keep and moat or a visit inside. If climbing the keep's stairs is difficult, you need not add paid interior viewing to your itinerary.
- FeesAn adult timed e-ticket costs JPY 1,200 and an on-site paper ticket costs JPY 1,300. Tickets cost JPY 400 for ages 6–15; children aged five and under enter free. If visiting both castle and City Museum over two days, compare the online-only adult combined ticket at JPY 1,500. A castle entry time is required; the combined ticket cannot be cancelled after purchase.
- HoursThe castle is usually open from 8:30 am to 5 pm, with last entry at 4:30 pm. The castle is closed from 29 to 31 December. Check notices for busy-period restrictions and extended hours. From 1 to 3 January, the castle is open from 10 am to 3:30 pm, with last entry at 3 pm.
- AccessFrom Matsumoto Station's eastern Oshiro exit, take North Route bus 21 to Matsumoto Castle/City Hall, then approach Kuromon Gate on the south side. The official Japanese guide allows about 20 minutes on foot from the station. The red bridge is not the Honmaru entrance.
Castle combined-ticket conditionsMatsumoto Castle: accessMatsumoto Castle: FAQsAlpico: Matsumoto Town Sneaker
Zenkoji Temple
善光寺
Distinguish walking the Nakamise approach and grounds from paid worship in the main hall's inner sanctuary and dark underground Okaidan passage. A ticket to the upper Sanmon Gate is a separate choice.
- FeesGrounds and main hall's outer worship area are free. A ticket for the inner sanctuary, Okaidan passage and history museum costs JPY 800 for adults, JPY 300 for secondary school students and JPY 100 for primary school children. This differs from the JPY 1,500 adult set ticket.
- HoursInner-sanctuary visits start one hour before the morning service and end at 4:30 pm from April to October, 4:15 pm in March and November and 4 pm from December to February. Morning-service times vary by date. On 28 December each year, visits end when the morning service finishes.
- AccessFrom Nagano Station's Zenkoji exit bus rotary stand 1, take a Zenkoji-bound bus to Zenkoji Daimon. Walk about five minutes to the main hall. The temple's roughly 15-minute bus estimate excludes waiting and walking.
Zenkoji: visiting guideZenkoji: seasonal inner-sanctuary hours and 28 December exceptionZenkoji: access
Hokusai-kan Museum
The Hokusai-kan Museum北斎館
Obuse's Hokusai-kan Museum displays festival-float ceiling paintings of waves, dragons and phoenixes. Check your date's special exhibition. This paid art museum is about a 12-minute walk from Obuse Station, reached by Nagano Dentetsu from Nagano City. Exhibition changeovers affect access and admission prices.
- FeesFor the special exhibition running from 8 August to 12 October 2026, admission costs JPY 1,800 for adults, JPY 800 for senior high school and university students and JPY 500 for primary and junior high school children. Apply the relevant guidance for other exhibition periods.
- HoursThe museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm, with last entry at 4:30 pm. The museum is closed on 31 December and is open from 10 am to 3 pm on 1 January. On 13 and 23 October 2026, only some areas, including the festival-float room, open, with adult admission listed as JPY 300. The full special exhibition is unavailable and discounts cannot be used on those dates. Check changeover notices.
- AccessTake Nagano Dentetsu from Nagano to Obuse Station, then walk the officially listed 12 minutes. Adult local-train single fare is JPY 870; limited-express and reserved-seat surcharges are separate. Check outward and return services for your date in the Nagano Dentetsu guidance below.
Hokusai-kan: 2026 RISD special exhibition dates and feesHokusai-kan: visiting guideExhibition changeover noticeNagano Dentetsu: Obuse fares and timetableNagano Dentetsu: Obuse local/limited-express fare table
Matsumoto City Museum
松本市立博物館
The permanent exhibition explores Matsumoto's history and daily life as a castle town. This differs from Matsumoto City Museum of Art; choose it for city history after the previous day's keep visit.
- FeesPermanent-exhibition admission costs JPY 500 for adults aged 18+ and JPY 250 for university students with student ID. Senior high school age and younger, or under 18, enter free. Special exhibitions are separate.
- HoursExhibition rooms are open from 9 am to 5 pm, with ticket sales until 4:30 pm. The museum is closed on Tuesdays, or the next weekday if Tuesday is a public holiday, and from 29 December to 3 January. Level 1 hours differ from exhibition-room hours.
- AccessThe museum is about 15 minutes on foot from Matsumoto Station. Check the official access map and eastern exit towards the castle.
City Museum: fees and closuresCity Museum: walk from the station
Nagano Prefectural Art Museum
長野県立美術館
East of Zenkoji, Nagano Prefectural Art Museum has main-building collections and Higashiyama Kaii's work. You can visit the temple and art museum on separate days; check each building's changeover dates.
- FeesCombined admission to the main-building and Higashiyama Kaii collections costs JPY 700 for adults and JPY 500 for university students and visitors aged 75+. Senior high school age and younger, or under 18, enter free. Prices change if one section is closed; special exhibitions are separate.
- HoursThe museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm, with exhibition entry until 4:30 pm. The museum is closed on Wednesdays, or the next weekday if Wednesday is a public holiday, and from 28 December to 3 January. Some rooms close for exhibition changeovers.
- AccessTake route 10 towards Zenkoji from Nagano Station's Zenkoji exit stand 1. On weekdays, alight at Zenkoji Daimon and walk about 10 minutes; on weekends and public holidays, alight at Shiroyama Koen-mae and walk about a minute. This differs from routes 11/16/17 to Zenkoji-kita, a three-minute walk away.
Prefectural art museum: fees and operationsPrefectural art museum: exhibition-room FAQPrefectural art museum: access by bus stopNagano Prefectural Art Museum: weekday, weekend and public-holiday bus stops and walks
Former Kaichi School
旧開智学校校舎
Former Kaichi School combines Western-style architecture with traditional Japanese materials. Look at angels and dragons on the facade and wooden corridors. Interior viewing is paid, with stairs between Levels 1 and 2.
- FeesRegular admission costs JPY 700 on site or JPY 600 with an e-ticket. The JPY 1,600 online castle and school combined ticket is valid for two days.
- HoursThe school is open from 9 am to 5 pm, with entry until 4:30 pm. The school is closed on the third Tuesday from March to November, every Tuesday from December to February (the following day if Tuesday is a public holiday), and from 29 December to 3 January. Check the official closure calendar for your date.
- AccessThe school is about 25 minutes on foot from Matsumoto Station. Address: 2-4-12 Kaichi. Stairs connect Levels 1 and 2; change into indoor slippers at the entrance.
- Entrance changeSite passage construction has finished. From 10 October 2026, the entrance and ticket office move to the north-west corner. Follow on-site signs for the new entrance on your date.
Former Kaichi School: fees, operations and accessCastle combined-ticket conditionsFormer Kaichi School: facility and temporary noticesFormer Kaichi School: April 2026–March 2027 closure calendarFormer Kaichi School: construction completion and 10 October north-west entrance change
Matsumoto City Museum of Art
松本市美術館
Matsumoto City Museum of Art's Kusama feature introduces the locally born artist's early works and later series. Collection admission is paid: adult e-ticket JPY 700 or on-site JPY 800. About a 12-minute walk from the station, it can be a separate day from the castle.
- FeesRegular collection admission costs JPY 700 with an e-ticket or JPY 800 at the counter. A two-day combined e-ticket for the castle and art museum costs JPY 1,700. Special exhibitions are separate.
- HoursThe museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm, with entry until 4:30 pm. The museum is closed on Mondays, or the first following weekday if Monday is a public holiday. Additional closures in the checked 2026 calendar are 22 December and 28 December 2026–4 January 2027. Recheck the official operating calendar for your date.
- AccessThe official walk is about 12 minutes from Matsumoto Station or the bus terminal. Address: 4-2-22 Chuo. Distinguish the Level 1 entrance hall from Level 3 collection displays.
City Museum of Art: fees and operationsCastle combined-ticket conditionsCity Museum of Art: operating calendarCity Museum of Art: English access guideCity Museum of Art: floor guide
Frequently asked questions
Do I enter Matsumoto Castle over the red bridge?
The Honmaru entrance is Kuromon Gate on the south side. You cannot enter Honmaru from the red Uzumibashi bridge.
Are the City Museum and Nagano Prefectural Art Museum in the same city?
No. The City Museum is in Matsumoto City and the prefectural art museum in Nagano City. Walk about 15 minutes from Matsumoto Station to the former; the latter has a bus route from Nagano Station. Check intercity travel and each facility's closures if visiting both.
City Museum: fees and closuresCity Museum: walk from the stationPrefectural art museum: fees and operationsPrefectural art museum: access by bus stop
Official sources and check dates
- Matsumoto Castle: access ·
- Matsumoto Castle: FAQs ·
- Alpico: Matsumoto Town Sneaker ·
- Zenkoji: visiting guide ·
- Zenkoji: access ·
- Exhibition changeover notice ·
- Hokusai-kan: visiting guide ·
- Nagano Dentetsu: Obuse fares and timetable ·
- City Museum: fees and closures ·
- City Museum: walk from the station ·
- Prefectural art museum: fees and operations ·
- Prefectural art museum: access by bus stop ·
- Prefectural art museum: exhibition-room FAQ ·
- Former Kaichi School: fees, operations and access ·
- Former Kaichi School: facility and temporary notices ·
- Former Kaichi School: April 2026–March 2027 closure calendar ·
- City Museum of Art: English access guide ·
- City Museum of Art: fees and operations ·
- City Museum of Art: operating calendar ·
- City Museum of Art: floor guide ·
- Castle combined-ticket conditions ·
- Hokusai-kan: 2026 RISD special exhibition dates and fees ·
- Nagano Dentetsu: Obuse local/limited-express fare table ·
- Nagano Prefectural Art Museum: weekday, weekend and public-holiday bus stops and walks ·
- Zenkoji: seasonal inner-sanctuary hours and 28 December exception ·
- Former Kaichi School: construction completion and 10 October north-west entrance change ·