Matsumoto Castle, a designated National Treasure, stands on a plain in Nagano Pref. encircled by rugged mountains. The black-lacquered keep from 1590 comprises five structures and resembles a bird ...

MATSUMOTO, Nagano Prefecture--Towering Matsumoto Castle, one of the grandest feudal fortresses in Japan, welcomed a record number of foreign visitors during the recently ended Golden Week holidays.

around 900,000 tourists visited the castle last fiscal year, about the same as pre-pandemic levels. Foreign visitors accounted for about 160,000 of the total, a record high. Matsumoto city is ...