![Map]({"formatted_address":"Japan, 〒049-1511 Hokkaido Prefecture, Matsumae District, Matsumae, Matsushiro, １４４","geometry":{"location":{"lat":41.42990069999999,"lng":140.10841200000004},"viewport":{"south":41.42855171970849,"west":140.10706301970845,"north":41.43124968029149,"east":140.10976098029153}},"icon":"https://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/place_api/icons/generic_business-71.png","id":"0312d438beaa4066a71e102ea1c980d67591abc3","name":"Matsumae Castle","opening_hours":{"open_now":false,"weekday_text":[]},"photos":[{"height":2160,"html_attributions":["<a href=\"https://maps.google.com/maps/contrib/108064148531335781905/photos\">ようすけたぐり</a>"],"width":3840}],"place_id":"ChIJSeIB835JmV8RoOiqy23KS34","rating":4.1,"reference":"CmRRAAAAWilluINjpiVv72Or1_Y5EksrfcgTydF9_4jI_4x93cx5bCDFxLHb8UWaUA3Nq-8PQ1__4RTkU5HHGBAa-uDMZX8Gls6P1_hUmaUB7bwvZ-y6JUsN67KU9SuJFF0QFi84EhBQSl5qe4RUlJbbu3efi8rEGhRnPY0AD268S8_QZ3TFp9Au7HUWnw","types":["point_of_interest","establishment"],"html_attributions":[],"searchTerm":"Matsumae Castle"}){kind=link}
Castle
Castle
Description
Map
City
Rating
How to get there
Rating
Visited
Matsumae Castle
Description
Matsumae Castle (松前城 Matsumae-jō) is a castle located in Matsumae in Hokkaidō, Japan, and is the northernmost castle in Japan.[1] The only traditional style Edo period castle in Hokkaidō, it was the chief residence of the han (estate) of the Matsumae clan.
First built in 1606 by Matsumae Yoshihiro under orders from the Tokugawa shogunate requiring his clan to defend the area, and by extension the whole of Japan, from the Ainu 'barbarians' to the north, it burned down in 1637 but was rebuilt in 1639. It once controlled all passage through Hokkaidō to the rest of Japan.
How to get there
Matsumae is located near the southwestern tip of Hokkaido about 100 kilometers west of Hakodate. A train line used to run to Matsumae, but it was discontinued in 1988.
These days, Matsumae is reached by bus from Kikonai Station (95 minutes, 1370 yen one way, 7 buses/day, not covered by the Japan Rail Pass). Kikonai is served by the JR Hokkaido Shinkansen (covered by the Japan Rail Pass) and by the South Hokkaido Railway (1 hour, 1110 yen one way from Hakodate, not covered by the Japan Rail Pass). Alternatively, there are three direct buses per day between Hakodate Station and Matsumae (3.5 hours, 2150 yen one way, not covered by the Japan Rail Pass). The most central bus stop in Matsumae is Matsushiro (松代), a short walk from the castle.
The Seikan Tunnel Museum and Yokozuna Museum are located in Fukushima Town in between Kikonai and Matsumae and served by the bus to Matsumae. Get off at the Seikan Tunnel Kinenkan-mae bus stop (青函トンネル記念館前) and Fukushima bus stop (福島) respectively (about 55 minutes, 870 yen from Kikonai).
12 of 15
Table View