HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Matsue Castle in Matsue City
Matsue Castle: Unique history, culture, and beauty
Matsue City
A beloved symbol of the city, Matsue Castle is a designated National Treasure and one of only twelve remaining original castles in Japan. Ascending within the castle, one can appreciate the defensive ingenuities of its architecture firsthand while learning about its history, from its construction to the present day, through a variety of small exhibits and historical artifacts.
While a charming sight any time of year, Matsue Castle is especially lovely after a snowfall. Long, fresh bursts of camellia and plum blossoms in the outer ring herald the arrival of spring, and the cherry blossoms in the inner ring follow not far behind. Other castle specialties include a week-long illumination festival of locally designed lanterns and surprise run-ins with time-slipping ninjas.
How to get there
From Shin-Osaka Station, take the Sanyo Shinkansen to Hiroshima Station (about 1 hour 30 minutes). From Hiroshima Station, take the highway bus to Matsue Station (about 3 hours). From Matsue Station, take the Matsue Lakeline Loop Bus to the Matsue Castle (Ota-mae) stop (about 10 minutes).
1-5 Tonomachi, Matsue-shi, Shimane-ken
