Matsumoto Castle Cherry Blossoms 2027 Dates TBA
松本城の桜 — Matsumoto, Nagano (Koshinetsu)
Last updated: Fri, October 30, 2026
✓ No booking needed
- Typical bloom
- Dates TBA (usually between Apr 1 and Apr 10)
- Venue
- Matsumoto Castle (松本城)
- Illumination
- “Yozakura-kai” evening illumination in the Honmaru Garden, typically early April (in 2026: Apr 2–9), 5:30pm–9:00pm, free — the keep itself is closed to climbing during the event.
- Scale
- ~300 cherry trees
- Official site
- visitmatsumoto.com
Around 300 cherry trees, mostly Someiyoshino and weeping varieties, frame Matsumoto Castle's black-and-white 'Crow Castle' keep and inner moat, with an evening illumination event held for about a week after the bloom declaration.
Background
Matsumoto Castle's keep, completed in the 1590s, is one of Japan's oldest surviving original castle towers and a National Treasure; its black exterior, rare among Japanese castles, makes the pink blossoms stand out with unusual contrast.
Getting there
About a 15-minute walk from JR Matsumoto Station, or a 10-minute ride on the Town Sneaker loop bus.
Tips
- Matsumoto's elevation and cooler climate mean the season runs a little later than Tokyo or Nagoya, typically the first half of April.
- The reflection of the black keep and cherry blossoms in the moat is the signature shot, best from the bridge on the castle's south side.
- During the Yozakura-kai (in 2026: Apr 2–9, 5:30pm–9:00pm) the keep itself is closed to climbing — the event is a ground-level illumination of the castle and moat from the Honmaru Garden, not an evening opening of the tower.
- It is free to attend, and the Kaichi car park just west of the castle opens without charge from 5:00pm to 10:30pm on event nights.
- The outer moat's cherry row is lit at the same time as the inner garden, so the walk around the perimeter is worth doing as well as the honmaru side.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Matsumoto Castle Cherry Blossoms 2027?
- The 2027 dates have not been published by the organiser yet. Matsumoto Castle Cherry Blossoms is usually held between Apr 1 and Apr 10, so that is the safe window to hold in an itinerary; this page is updated once the organiser publishes the dates.
- When is the best time to see Matsumoto Castle Cherry Blossoms?
- Cherry blossoms here usually peaks Apr 1 – Apr 10. Bloom moves north with the weather and shifts by a week or more between years, so book flexible dates and check a bloom forecast about ten days out.
Maintained by Tetsu Yamamoto · Last verified against the official source: Fri, October 30, 2026
More to see while you’re there
- Cherry Blossoms across Japan in April 2027 (23 events)