Verified in Japan

Matsuyama, Ehime / 松山城

Matsuyama Castle

A castle whose construction began in 1602 and took about a quarter of a century, one of the 12 castles with an original keep built before the end of the Edo period. It is a hilltop castle with the main enclosure on the summit and the second and third enclosures at the foot; the top floor of the keep looks over the Matsuyama Plain and the Seto Inland Sea. The "nobori-ishigaki" climbing stone walls from the second to the main enclosure, a defence method of Japanese castles in Korea, survive almost intact on the south side (230 m, the largest in Japan). The whole of Shiroyama Park is a national historic site, and 21 buildings are Important Cultural Properties.

Last official check

26 Sept 2026

Traveler reports

0

Reports open in Phase 2

Next scheduled check

25 Dec 2026

Decide before you go

A short summary made from the official facts below. Check the rows for details.

Getting there
Train / Bus / Car
Admission
Paid (see the price below)
Closing days
Has closing days (see below)

Before you go

Only facts we confirmed on official sources are shown. Anything else is marked “Not checked yet”.

Opening hours

Keep and Ninomaru garden 9:00-17:00 (until 17:30 in August, 16:30 in December-January; last entry to the keep 30 minutes before closing).

Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Closed

Closed on the third Wednesday of December (cleaning).

Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Admission

Main-enclosure plaza free. Keep: adults 520 yen, children (elementary) 160 yen. Ropeway/chairlift return: adults 520 yen, children 260 yen.

Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Getting there

From the Ropeway-mae bus stop straight to the ropeway/chairlift, then about 10 minutes on foot from Chojagadaira summit station to the keep. Or tram from JR Matsuyama Station to Okaido, then about 5 minutes on foot to the ropeway.

Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Parking

Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.

Payment

Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.

Accessibility

Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.

Found wrong or outdated information? Let us know

Address: Matsuyama, Ehime (Japanese address: 愛媛県松山市丸之内)

Official site: http://www.matsuyamajo.jp/

Location

Approximate location: this pin is a nearby facility marked on an official page (such as a tourist information centre), not the place itself.

Smaller pins are other spots nearby.

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Nearby spots

Distances are straight-line distances, not travel distances. Some locations are approximate, so treat these distances as a rough guide.

Crowds

Crowd level

Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.

Best time to visit

It takes about 30 minutes from the ropeway station to the keep ticket office; allow about an hour.

Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Peak time

Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.

Busiest days

Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.

Busiest season

Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.

Latest traveler report
None yet

When the keep is crowded you may have to wait, and ticket sales may end before the last entry time.Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site

Traveler crowd data by time of day appears after 5 traveler reports (0 so far).

You can check typical busy hours in Google Maps ("Popular times" on the place's page). Open this spot in Google Maps

Visiting respectfully

  • RulesThe chairlift is for elementary age and older (does not run in rain).Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site

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