What would you like to see in Nagano?
Choose Matsumoto Castle for its wooden keep and moat, or Zenkoji in Nagano City for a temple-approach walk. For art, compare Yayoi Kusama's works at Matsumoto City Museum of Art, Kaii Higashiyama's works at Nagano Prefectural Art Museum, and the exhibitions at Hokusai-kan Museum in Obuse. Matsumoto City Museum covers city history; Former Kaichi School offers old school architecture and education materials. Check each facility's tickets, closures, and access before matching it to your base.
Attraction admission and access
Matsumoto Castle
松本城
Choose between a walk around the black keep and moat or a visit inside the castle. If climbing the keep's stairs would be difficult, you can leave the paid interior visit out of your itinerary.
- AdmissionAdults: ¥1,200 for an electronic timed-entry ticket or ¥1,300 for a paper ticket at the castle; ages 6–15: ¥400; ages 5 and under: free. If you plan to visit both the castle and Matsumoto City Museum over two days, compare the online-only ¥1,500 adult combined ticket. You must select a castle entry time, and combined tickets cannot be canceled after purchase.
- HoursRegular hours are 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m., with last admission at 4:30 p.m. The castle closes December 29–31. Check notices for extended hours and admission restrictions during busy periods. January 1–3 has separate hours: 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m., with last admission at 3 p.m.
- Getting thereFrom Matsumoto Station's Oshiro Exit (east side), take North Route bus 21 to Matsumoto Castle/City Hall and walk to Kuromon on the south side. The Japanese official guide gives a walking time of about 20 minutes from the station. The red bridge is not the entrance to the castle's main enclosure.
Castle combined-ticket conditionsMatsumoto Castle accessMatsumoto Castle FAQAlpico Matsumoto Town Sneaker
Zenkoji
Zenkoji Temple善光寺
Choose a walk through the Nakamise approach and temple grounds or a paid visit to the main hall's inner sanctuary and the dark underground Okaidan passage. A ticket to climb to the upper level of the Sanmon gate is a separate choice.
- AdmissionThe grounds and main hall's outer sanctuary are free. Admission to the inner sanctuary, Okaidan passage, and history museum is ¥800 for adults, ¥300 for junior high and high school students, and ¥100 for elementary school students. This is separate from the ¥1,500 adult ticket set.
- HoursThe inner sanctuary opens one hour before the morning service. It closes at 4:30 p.m. April–October, 4:15 p.m. in March and November, and 4 p.m. December–February. Morning service times vary by date. On December 28 each year, inner sanctuary visits end when the morning service finishes.
- Getting thereTake a Zenkoji-bound bus from stop 1 outside Nagano Station's Zenkoji Exit and get off at Zenkoji Daimon. The main hall is about a five-minute walk away. The temple's approximately 15-minute bus ride does not include waiting or walking.
Zenkoji visiting guideZenkoji inner sanctuary seasonal hours and December 28 exceptionZenkoji access
Hokusai-kan Museum
The Hokusai-kan Museum北斎館
The Hokusai-kan Museum in Obuse displays festival-float ceiling paintings of waves, a dragon, and a phoenix. Check the special exhibition for your visit date as well. Admission is charged. From Nagano City, take Nagano Electric Railway to Obuse Station, then walk about 12 minutes. Exhibition changeover dates have different admission prices and viewing areas.
- AdmissionDuring the August 8–October 12, 2026 special exhibition, admission is ¥1,800 for adults, ¥800 for high school and college students, and ¥500 for elementary and junior high school students. Use the relevant exhibition's admission information for other dates.
- HoursThe museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last admission at 4:30 p.m. It closes December 31; January 1 has shorter hours of 10 a.m.–3 p.m. On October 13 and 23, 2026, only parts of the museum, including the festival-float exhibition room, are open; general admission is ¥300. The full special exhibition is unavailable on those dates, and discounts do not apply. Check the exhibition changeover notices.
- Getting thereTake Nagano Electric Railway from Nagano Station to Obuse Station; the museum's official guide gives a 12-minute walk from there. The adult local-train fare is ¥870 one way. Limited-express supplements and reserved-seat fees are separate. Check the linked Nagano Electric Railway information for outbound and return services on your travel date.
Hokusai Museum 2026 RISD special-exhibition dates and pricesHokusai Museum visiting guideExhibition-change noticeNagano Dentetsu Obuse Station fares and timetableNagano Dentetsu Obuse Station ordinary and limited express fares
Matsumoto City Museum
松本市立博物館
Explore Matsumoto's history and everyday life in the permanent exhibition, including the city's development around its castle. This is a different facility from Matsumoto City Museum of Art. You can make it a city-history day after visiting the castle keep the day before.
- AdmissionPermanent-exhibition admission is ¥500 for adults age 18 and over and ¥250 for college students with student ID. Admission is free for high school students and younger, or visitors under 18. Special exhibitions cost extra.
- HoursExhibition rooms are open 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; ticket sales end at 4:30 p.m. The exhibition rooms close on Tuesdays (the next weekday if Tuesday is a public holiday) and December 29–January 3. The first floor and exhibition rooms have different operating hours.
- Getting thereAbout a 15-minute walk from Matsumoto Station. Check the official access map and use the east exit toward the castle.
City Museum admission 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 offers collection exhibitions in its main building and displays of works by Kaii Higashiyama. You can give the temple and museum separate days. Check exhibition changeover dates for both the main building and Higashiyama Kaii Gallery.
- AdmissionThe collection ticket for the main building and Higashiyama Kaii Gallery is ¥700 for adults and ¥500 for college students and visitors age 75 and over. Admission is free for high school students and younger, or visitors under 18. Prices change when one exhibition area is closed. Special exhibitions cost extra.
- HoursThe museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with exhibition-room admission until 4:30 p.m. It closes on Wednesdays (the next weekday if Wednesday is a public holiday) and December 28–January 3. Some exhibition rooms close during changeovers.
- Getting thereTake Route 10 toward Zenkoji from stop 1 outside Nagano Station's Zenkoji Exit. On weekdays, get off at Zenkoji Daimon and walk about 10 minutes. On Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, get off at Joyama Koen-mae and walk about one minute. This differs from Routes 11, 16, and 17, which stop at Zenkoji Kita for a three-minute walk.
Prefectural art museum admission and hoursPrefectural art museum gallery operation FAQPrefectural art museum access by bus stopNagano Prefectural Art Museum weekday, Saturday, Sunday, and holiday bus stops and walking access
Former Kaichi School
旧開智学校校舎
Former Kaichi School combines Western-style school architecture with traditional Japanese materials. Look for the angel and dragon carvings on the facade and the wooden corridors inside. Indoor admission is charged, and stairs connect the first and second floors.
- AdmissionGeneral admission is ¥700 at the site or ¥600 electronically. The ¥1,600 online combined ticket for the castle and school is valid for two days.
- HoursThe school is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with admission until 4:30 p.m. It closes on the third Tuesday of each month March–November, every Tuesday December–February (the following day if Tuesday is a public holiday), and December 29–January 3. Check the official closure calendar for your visit.
- Getting thereAbout a 25-minute walk from Matsumoto Station, at 開智2-4-12. Stairs connect the first and second floors. Change into indoor slippers at the entrance.
- Entrance changeWork on the site paths has finished. From October 10, 2026, the entrance and ticket office move to the northwest side of the site. Follow the signs to the new entrance on your visit.
Former Kaichi School admission, hours, and accessCastle combined-ticket conditionsFormer Kaichi School facilities and temporary noticesFormer Kaichi School closure calendar: April 2026–March 2027Former Kaichi School construction completion and October 10 northwest entrance change
Matsumoto City Museum of Art
松本市美術館
Matsumoto City Museum of Art's Yayoi Kusama feature presents works from the Matsumoto-born artist's early years through later series. Collection admission is ¥700 electronically or ¥800 at the counter. The museum is about a 12-minute walk from Matsumoto Station, so you can give it a separate day from the castle.
- AdmissionAdult collection admission is ¥700 electronically or ¥800 at the counter. The electronic combined ticket for the castle and art museum is ¥1,700 and valid for two days. Special exhibitions cost extra.
- HoursThe museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with admission until 4:30 p.m. It closes on Mondays (the next weekday if Monday is a public holiday). Additional closures in the reviewed 2026 calendar are December 22 and December 28, 2026–January 4, 2027. Recheck the official operating calendar for your visit.
- Getting thereThe official guide gives a walk of about 12 minutes from Matsumoto Station or the bus terminal, to 中央4-2-22. The entrance hall is on the first floor; collection displays are on the third floor.
Matsumoto City Museum of Art admission 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 over the red bridge?
The Honmaru entrance is Kuromon on the south side. You cannot enter the Honmaru from the red Uzumibashi side.
Are the City Museum and Nagano Prefectural Art Museum in the same city?
No. The City Museum is in Matsumoto, while Nagano Prefectural Art Museum is in Nagano city. Walk about 15 minutes from Matsumoto Station to the museum; for the prefectural art museum, there is a bus route from Nagano Station. To visit both, check intercity travel and each facility's closures.
City Museum admission and closuresCity Museum walk from the stationPrefectural art museum admission and hoursPrefectural art museum access by bus stop
Official sources and dates checked
- Matsumoto Castle access ·
- Matsumoto Castle FAQ ·
- Alpico Matsumoto Town Sneaker ·
- Zenkoji visiting guide ·
- Zenkoji access ·
- Exhibition-change notice ·
- Hokusai Museum visiting guide ·
- Nagano Dentetsu Obuse Station fares and timetable ·
- City Museum admission and closures ·
- City Museum walk from the station ·
- Prefectural art museum admission and hours ·
- Prefectural art museum access by bus stop ·
- Prefectural art museum gallery operation FAQ ·
- Former Kaichi School admission, hours, and access ·
- Former Kaichi School facilities and temporary notices ·
- Former Kaichi School closure calendar: April 2026–March 2027 ·
- Matsumoto City Museum of Art English access guide ·
- Matsumoto City Museum of Art admission 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 prices ·
- Nagano Dentetsu Obuse Station ordinary and limited express fares ·
- Nagano Prefectural Art Museum weekday, Saturday, Sunday, and holiday bus stops and walking access ·
- Zenkoji inner sanctuary seasonal hours and December 28 exception ·
- Former Kaichi School construction completion and October 10 northwest entrance change ·