Matsumoto Castle hosts Joint Tea Ceremony on 12 October
Published on 10/04/2026 at 05:12 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Matsumoto Castle and its Joint Tea Ceremony bring a current cultural event to Matsumoto, Japan, on 12 October 2026. The gathering takes place in Honmaru Garden, placing five tea traditions beside one of the country’s oldest surviving castle keeps.
Matsumoto Castle hosts the Joint Tea Ceremony on 12 October
The Joint Tea Ceremony runs from 10am to 3pm on 12 October 2026, with registration closing at 2.30pm. The event page from the Matsumoto City tourism office places it in Honmaru Garden at Marunouchi 4-1.
Omotesenke, Urasenke, Undenshindo-ryu, the Greater Japan Tea Ceremony Society and Edo Senke are listed as participants. The castle’s own autumn events programme also lists a traditional gunnery performance for 18 October 2026 and a chrysanthemum exhibition from late October to early November.
Five historic structures frame the tea ceremony
The event is set in the Honmaru, the innermost castle enclosure, rather than inside the keep itself. That location connects the programme with the wider castle grounds while leaving the surviving timber structures as the architectural backdrop.
The castle was constructed in 1594 and is the oldest surviving example in Japan of a castle with five external stories and six internal floors. Its keep complex was designated a National Treasure, and the official history describes the site as one of Japan’s oldest castles.
The arrangement combines military architecture from the Warring States period with later additions from the Edo period. This helps explain why a tea gathering in the Honmaru has a different setting from the keep’s defensive interior: the programme uses the open garden within a complex shaped by several phases of Japanese history.
October events extend beyond the tea gathering
The 18 October performance is scheduled in Matsumoto Castle Park and features matchlock demonstrations by groups from Matsumoto, Aichi and Suruga. The official programme states that the performance is cancelled in rainy weather. The chrysanthemum exhibition is scheduled for late October to early November in the same park.
Visiting Matsumoto Castle: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Joint Tea Ceremony takes place on 12 October 2026 from 10am to 3pm in Honmaru Garden at Matsumoto Castle.
- The tea ceremony uses Honmaru Garden, while the keep remains the separate principal castle structure within the historic complex.
- Matsumoto Castle is at Marunouchi 4-1 in Matsumoto, Nagano. The event listing identifies Matsumoto City as the location.
- The keep has five external stories and six internal floors, so visiting the historic structure involves moving through a multi-level building rather than a single-floor museum.
- Japanese is the official language and the 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?
It takes place on 12 October 2026 in Honmaru Garden, from 10am to 3pm. Registration closes at 2.30pm.
What is Matsumoto Castle?
It is a historic castle in Matsumoto, Japan, constructed in 1594. The surviving structure has five external stories and six internal floors and is designated a National Treasure.
Where is Matsumoto Castle and how do you get there?
The castle is at Marunouchi 4-1 in Matsumoto, Nagano. The event listing identifies the venue as Matsumoto Castle Honmaru Garden.
