The approach to the castle couldn't be more picturesque. Surrounded by a moat with loads of huge koi carp, the castle is really a wooden defensive fortress. It absolutely looks the part. We were lucky & went straight in, but as we came out there were growing queues for entry. inside it's a bit dark and gloomy, but very interesting. if you want to, you can climb all the way to the top for some great views, but be warned that the stairs are very hard work - steep, uneven and with people coming down as you go up. Not for those with mobility problems. Definitely worth a visit.

Pretty amazing structure and museum. You have to be pretty aglie to make it to the top. The steps and floors are highly polished from the many millions of socks which have graced its floors. I took a bit of a slip so be careful.

"The Crow" - a gorgeous black castle with many original elements, in a beautiful park near the center of Matsumoto, itself a gem on the center of Japan. Well worth a trip to the city. I especially liked the "secret floor".

For me, Matsumoto-jo is right up there with Himeji-jo, except fewer crowds... that's always good! It is great to visit with lots of armour type gubbins and steep staircases and is original. On the day we visited, we were able to have a local goodwill guide free of charge, without booking, who was very knowledgeable. It is definitely a must visit, in my opinion. I've been probably 6 or 7 times... I love it here!

Was stopping over in Matsumoto for only 3 hours, so just had time for a photo-tour around the moat. From Matsumoto Station, caught the local Oito Line train one stop north to Kita-Matsumoto Station (lonely station master), and walked East to the castle. The castle and the surrounding grounds looked beautiful in the late morning sun, and because of the higher elevation, I was able to see some autumn leaf colors in the foliage that had yet to happen in the bigger cities (at that time). Overall, nice experience without the tourist crowds, and very peaceful area too.

Matsumoto castle locates closely from Matsumoto train station. The castle itself was beautiful, but also Matsumoto city was an interesting place to visit. One thing about Matsumoto castle was that the stairs inside were a bit slippery (polished well) and steep, and each stair was huge. I felt a bit scared when I was going down the stairs.

Learnt so much if you get the opportunity use the free guide. Didn’t realise how steep the steps and angle of rise of step. Need to be fit and healthy. Stunning contrast of black castle against snow covered grounds

This castle is wow !! A truly awesome building, especially when lit at night. You can pay to enter the castle & access the floors via step wooden ladders - wear thick socks the day you visit, as shoes have to be left at the door. There is information within telling the history of the castle & exhibits. On reaching the top you get a great view over the gardens, moat & the town. Watch out for a variety of events that take place during the year.

We stopped here on a whim, and I am so glad we did! We arrived about an hour before closing. All of the samurai and other photo op characters seemed to be done for the day, but the castle was really the star. When we went, they were having their evening illuminations , which was a fun contrast compared to the castle during the day. My son was just tall enough to handle going up and down the very large and narrow steps inside the castle, something to keep in mind if you're traveling with young or short statured children, they have a hard time on the steps.

Really beautiful castle with views of the surrounding mountains. Our free guide, K, which can be found just inside the grounds off the main street (coming from train station), really made the visit. She was very friendly and provided interesting information. To be fair, everyone at the castle was very friendly and worked to ensure you had a good trip.