Matsumoto Castle hosts joint tea ceremony on 12 October
Published on 09/27/2026 at 10:35 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Matsumoto Castle will host its Joint Tea Ceremony in Matsumoto on 12 October 2026, with the autumn programme set in Honmaru Garden. The event is part of the castle's 2026 autumn programme and gives visitors a scheduled cultural event at the National Treasure site.
The castle is also known locally as Matsumoto-jo, but the internationally established English name is Matsumoto Castle.
Matsumoto Castle sets Joint Tea Ceremony for 12 October
The Joint Tea Ceremony takes place on Monday 12 October 2026 in Honmaru Garden, the enclosed inner garden of the castle complex. The official visitor listing confirms the date, venue and address at Marunouchi 4-1 in Matsumoto City, Nagano, while the event listing confirms the venue and date.
The castle operator lists the programme from 10am to 3pm, with reception until 2.30pm. Five tea schools are named for the gathering: Urasenke, Omotesenke, Unshinkai, Dai Nippon Chad? Gakkai and Edosenke. The event places those schools against the castle's keep and garden rather than in a separate city venue.
Matsumoto Castle links tea culture with a 1594 keep
The castle was constructed in 1594 and is described by its custodian as the oldest surviving example of a castle with five external stories and six internal floors. Its black keep, connected towers and surrounding moat form the setting for the October ceremony, linking a living tea programme with a surviving structure from Japan's Warring States and early Edo periods.
The complex contains five designated National Treasure structures: the main keep, the Inui small keep, Watari Tower, Tatsumitsuke Tower and Tsukimi Tower. The official history records that the site was nearly demolished during the Meiji era before local residents helped preserve it, and the custodian's history of the 1594 construction places the ceremony within a monument with a documented preservation story.
Visiting Matsumoto Castle: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Joint Tea Ceremony is scheduled for 12 October 2026 in Matsumoto Castle's Honmaru Garden, from 10am to 3pm, with reception until 2.30pm.
- The event is held in the Honmaru Garden, so visitors should check the castle operator's latest instructions for access to the garden and the keep on 12 October 2026.
- Matsumoto Castle stands at Marunouchi 4-1 in Matsumoto City, Nagano. From Matsumoto Station, the site is about a 15-minute walk, or reachable on the Town Sneaker North Course bus from the Oshiroguchi stop.
- The castle is a flatland site at 590 metres above sea level, but the keep has multiple connected structures and internal levels. Visitors should expect stairs and narrow passages inside the historic keep.
- Japan's official language is Japanese and its national currency is the yen.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Matsumoto Castle
When does the Joint Tea Ceremony take place at Matsumoto Castle?
The Joint Tea Ceremony takes place on 12 October 2026 in Honmaru Garden, from 10am to 3pm. Reception is scheduled until 2.30pm.
Where is Matsumoto Castle and how do you get there?
The castle is at Marunouchi 4-1 in Matsumoto City, Nagano. It is about a 15-minute walk from Matsumoto Station or accessible by the Town Sneaker North Course bus.
What is Matsumoto Castle?
Matsumoto Castle is a National Treasure constructed in 1594. It is the oldest surviving castle with five external stories and six internal floors.
