What would you like to see in Nagano?
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 Nagano Prefectural Art Museum and Obuse’s Hokusai exhibitions. City history is at Matsumoto City Museum; historic school architecture and education materials at Former Kaichi School. Check tickets, closures and access before matching visits to your base.
Attraction fees and directions
Matsumoto Castle
松本城
Choose a walk outside the black keep and moat or an interior visit. If climbing the keep stairs is difficult, you can leave the paid interior out of your itinerary.
- FeesAn adult electronic timed ticket costs JPY 1,200 and an on-site paper ticket costs JPY 1,300. Admission for ages 6–15 costs JPY 400; ages five and below enter free. For castle and City Museum visits across two days, compare the online-only adult combined ticket at JPY 1,500. A castle entry time is required and combined tickets cannot be cancelled after purchase.
- HoursUsual hours are 08:30–17:00, with admission until 16:30. Closed 29–31 December. Check notices for busy-period restrictions and extended hours. On 1–3 January, hours are 10:00–15:30, with admission until 15:00.
- DirectionsFrom the east-side Oshiro Exit, take North Route bus 21 to Matsumoto Castle/City Hall and continue to southern Kuromon Gate. The official Japanese guide gives about 20 minutes on foot from the station. The red bridge is not the main-enclosure entrance.
Castle combined-ticket conditionsMatsumoto Castle: directionsMatsumoto Castle: FAQsAlpico: Matsumoto Town Sneaker
Zenkoji
Zenkoji Temple善光寺
Distinguish a walk along Nakamise and the grounds from paid worship in the main hall’s inner sanctuary and dark underground Okaidan passage. A ticket for the upper Sanmon Gate floor is a separate choice.
- FeesThe grounds and outer main-hall sanctuary are free. The ticket for the inner sanctuary, Okaidan and history museum costs JPY 800 for adults, JPY 300 for junior and senior high school students, and JPY 100 for primary school children. This differs from the adult JPY 1,500 set ticket.
- HoursInner sanctuary opens one hour before morning prayers; closes 16:30 April–October, 16:15 March/November and 16:00 December–February. Prayer starting times vary by date. On 28 December each year, inner-sanctuary visiting ends with the morning service.
- DirectionsTake a Zenkoji-bound bus from stand 1 in the station’s Zenkoji Exit bus area to Zenkoji Daimon. Walk about five minutes to the main hall. The temple’s roughly 15-minute bus estimate excludes waiting and walking.
Zenkoji: visitor guideZenkoji: seasonal inner-sanctuary hours and 28 December exceptionZenkoji: directions
Hokusai Museum
The Hokusai-kan Museum北斎館
See festival-float ceiling paintings of waves, the dragon and the phoenix at Obuse’s Hokusai Museum. Explore your date’s special exhibition as well. This paid museum is about a 12-minute walk from Obuse Station, reached by Nagano Electric Railway from Nagano City. Display changes affect access and fees.
- FeesFor the special exhibition running 8 August–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 students. Other exhibition periods use their own guidance.
- HoursHours are 09:00–17:00, with admission until 16:30. Closed 31 December; shortened hours on 1 January are 10:00–15:00. On 13 and 23 October 2026, only some areas, including the festival-float room, open, with adult admission at JPY 300. The full special exhibition is unavailable and discounts do not apply on those dates. Check display-change notices.
- DirectionsTake Nagano Electric Railway to Obuse Station, then walk 12 minutes according to the official guide. The adult local one-way fare is JPY 870; limited-express supplements and reserved seats cost extra. Check outward and return services for your date in the railway guide below.
Hokusai Museum: 2026 RISD special-exhibition dates and feesHokusai Museum: visitor guideDisplay-change noticesNagano Electric Railway: Obuse fares and timetableNagano Electric Railway: Obuse local/limited-express fares
Matsumoto City Museum
松本市立博物館
Explore Matsumoto’s history and life as a castle town in the permanent exhibition. This differs from the City Museum of Art and suits a separate city-history day after the keep visit.
- FeesPermanent-exhibition admission costs JPY 500 at the general rate for ages 18 and above, and JPY 250 for university students with student ID. Senior high school students and younger visitors, or anyone under 18, enter free. Special exhibitions charge separately.
- HoursExhibition rooms open 09:00–17:00, with ticket sales until 16:30. Closed Tuesdays, or the next weekday if Tuesday is a public holiday, and 29 December–3 January. Ground-floor hours differ from exhibition-room hours.
- DirectionsAbout a 15-minute walk from Matsumoto Station. Check the official access map and castle-facing east exit.
City Museum: fees and closuresCity Museum: walking from the station
Nagano Prefectural Art Museum
長野県立美術館
East of Zenkoji, Nagano Prefectural Art Museum displays its main collection and Higashiyama Kaii’s works. Give temple worship and art separate days, checking each building’s display-change dates.
- FeesCombined admission for the main-building and Higashiyama Kaii collections costs JPY 700 for adults and JPY 500 for university students and visitors aged 75 and above. Senior high school students and younger visitors, or anyone under 18, enter free. Fees change if one display room is closed; special exhibitions charge separately.
- HoursHours are 09:00–17:00, with exhibition admission until 16:30. Closed Wednesdays, or the next weekday if Wednesday is a public holiday, and 28 December–3 January. Some rooms close during display changes.
- DirectionsTake route 10 towards Zenkoji from Zenkoji Exit stand 1. Weekdays: alight at Zenkoji Daimon and walk about ten minutes. Weekends/public holidays: Joyama Koen-mae and about one minute on foot. This differs from routes 11/16/17 via Zenkoji Kita and a three-minute walk.
Prefectural Art Museum: fees and operationPrefectural Art Museum: exhibition-room FAQPrefectural Art Museum: access from each stopNagano Prefectural Art Museum: weekday/weekend/public-holiday stops and walking access
Former Kaichi School
旧開智学校校舎
Former Kaichi School uses traditional Japanese materials in a Western-style school building. Examine front-facing angel and dragon carvings and wooden corridors. Interior visiting is paid; stairs connect the first and second floors.
- FeesGeneral admission costs JPY 700 on site or JPY 600 electronically. The online combined ticket for the castle and school costs JPY 1,600 and is valid for two days.
- HoursHours are 09:00–17:00, with admission until 16:30. Closed on the third Tuesday March–November and every Tuesday December–February, or the following day if Tuesday is a public holiday, and 29 December–3 January. Check the official closure calendar for your date.
- DirectionsAbout 25 minutes on foot from Matsumoto Station. Address: Kaichi 2-4-12 (開智2-4-12). Stairs connect the first and second floors; change into indoor slippers at the entrance.
- Entrance changeGrounds passage works have ended. From 10 October 2026, the entrance and ticket office move to the north-west side. Follow on-site signs to the new entrance on your date.
Former Kaichi School: fees, hours and accessCastle combined-ticket conditionsFormer Kaichi School: facilities and temporary noticesFormer Kaichi School: April 2026–March 2027 closure calendarFormer Kaichi School: works completed and 10 October north-west entrance change
Matsumoto City Museum of Art
松本市美術館
Matsumoto City Museum of Art’s Yayoi Kusama display introduces early works and later series by the artist born here. Paid collection admission is JPY 700 electronically/JPY 800 on site. The museum is about a 12-minute walk from the station and can have a separate day from the castle.
- FeesGeneral collection admission costs JPY 700 electronically or JPY 800 on site. The two-day electronic combined ticket for the castle and art museum costs JPY 1,700. Special exhibitions charge separately.
- HoursHours are 09:00–17:00, with admission until 16:30. Closed Mondays, or the first following weekday if Monday is a public holiday. The checked 2026 calendar also lists closures on 22 December and 28 December 2026–4 January 2027. Recheck the official calendar for your date.
- DirectionsOfficial walking estimate about 12 minutes from Matsumoto Station or the bus terminal. Address: Chuo 4-2-22 (中央4-2-22). Distinguish the ground-floor entrance hall from third-floor collection displays.
Matsumoto City Museum of Art: fees and hoursCastle combined-ticket conditionsMatsumoto City Museum of Art: opening calendarMatsumoto City Museum of Art: English access guideMatsumoto City Museum of Art: floor guide
Frequently asked questions
Do I enter Matsumoto Castle via the red bridge?
Enter the main enclosure through southern Kuromon Gate. The red Uzumibashi bridge does not provide entry into the enclosure.
Are the City Museum and Nagano Prefectural Art Museum in the same city?
No. The City Museum is in Matsumoto and the prefectural art museum in Nagano City. Walk about 15 minutes from Matsumoto Station to the former; use a bus from Nagano Station for the latter. To see both, allow intercity travel and check each facility’s closure dates.
City Museum: fees and closuresCity Museum: walking from the stationPrefectural Art Museum: fees and operationPrefectural Art Museum: access from each stop
Official sources and confirmation dates
- Matsumoto Castle: directions ·
- Matsumoto Castle: FAQs ·
- Alpico: Matsumoto Town Sneaker ·
- Zenkoji: visitor guide ·
- Zenkoji: directions ·
- Display-change notices ·
- Hokusai Museum: visitor guide ·
- Nagano Electric Railway: Obuse fares and timetable ·
- City Museum: fees and closures ·
- City Museum: walking from the station ·
- Prefectural Art Museum: fees and operation ·
- Prefectural Art Museum: access from each stop ·
- Prefectural Art Museum: exhibition-room FAQ ·
- Former Kaichi School: fees, hours and access ·
- Former Kaichi School: facilities and temporary notices ·
- Former Kaichi School: April 2026–March 2027 closure calendar ·
- Matsumoto City Museum of Art: English access guide ·
- Matsumoto City Museum of Art: fees and hours ·
- Matsumoto City Museum of Art: opening calendar ·
- Matsumoto City Museum of Art: floor guide ·
- Castle combined-ticket conditions ·
- Hokusai Museum: 2026 RISD special-exhibition dates and fees ·
- Nagano Electric Railway: Obuse local/limited-express fares ·
- Nagano Prefectural Art Museum: weekday/weekend/public-holiday stops and walking access ·
- Zenkoji: seasonal inner-sanctuary hours and 28 December exception ·
- Former Kaichi School: works completed and 10 October north-west entrance change ·