Samurai Experience: Matsumoto Castle Tour & Sword Fighting

Explore Matsumoto Castle and master samurai sword fighting in an immersive historical experience. Learn, dress, and fight like a true samurai!

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Matsumoto Castle - Matsumoto Castle is one of five castles designated as ‘National Treasures of Japan’ and the oldest castle donjon remaining in Japan. Construction began in 1592 of the elegant black and white structure with its three turrets. Because of the elegant black walls, Matsumoto Castle is sometimes called ‘Crow Castle’.
    Please note that…
What's Included
  • Samurai outfits and swords rental during the activity
  • Entry/Admission – Matsumoto Castle
  • Entry/Admission – Samurai Experience Activity
  • English Speaking Guide
What's Not Included
  • Miscellaneous fees during the activity (meals, snacks, souvenirs etc.)
  • Insurance (Travel Insurance, Private Insurance, etc…)
Additional Information

Your chance to become a Samurai while visiting Matsumoto Castle!
What better place to have your samurai experience than in a city with an authentic castle from the feudal era?
First take a tour of Matsumoto Castle designated a “National Treasure” of Japan due to its well-preserved original structure! During the tour, you will learn about the Matsumoto…

Location
Matsumoto Station
Tour begins at Matsumoto Station at the front of the JR Line ticket office / Starbucks Coffee inside the station.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(45 Ratings)
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Yerriyong
Apr 5, 2025
Edo experience - Awesome experience, Saiyuko was very friendly and knowledgeable. Recommend for couples, family or small group. On the day it was just my wife and I so, we had all the one on one attention you could ask for.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chioi
Apr 4, 2025
Samurai Warrior Transformation - The castle was beautiful but the highlight was the Samurai Experience. Our amazing instructor, Miharu, was highly skilled and turned us into Samurai Warriors. We were chuffed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tracey_j
Apr 4, 2025
Samurai Transformation! - The castle tour was great but the Samurai experience was the highlight. It was an absolute thrill and our instructor, Miha, was highly instructive. She turned us into Samurai Warriors.
Review provided by Viator
Hdadcheshire
Mar 23, 2025
Matsumoto must do! - What a brilliant morning! Our guide, Matt was extremely knowledgeable and engaging - not just the facts but also the context of how the castle’s role evolved through the centuries. A beautiful building really brought to life with passion. On to the second part of the morning and again we were blessed with a welcoming and engaging teacher who helped us learn the basics (and more) of handling a traditional samurai sword. Great fun and we came away with fantastic memories and photos. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Matsumoto.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andrew_g
Mar 22, 2025
Great guide and instructor - Great tour of the Matsumoto castle which is a very old castle with unique black coloring. The guide was flexible when we asked to change the meet-up spot. We then finished with a samurai experience where we learned some basic maneuvers with the samurai sword while wearing traditional clothing. The instructor was great with my children even with my very chatty 9 year old! I highly recommend this activity to families visiting the Matsumoto area.
Review provided by Viator
Norma_c
Mar 14, 2025
Fun and informative! - Before reaching Matsumoto Castle our guide showed us points of interest along the way, and the castle was beautiful from the outside and in. The highlight for a teenager with interest in samurai was the sword-handling lesson at the end. Instructor had a great sense of humour, and he and our castle guide made a smooth team. It was a great morning!
Review provided by Viator
T7493nubrianl
Jan 8, 2025
Fun! - The tour was great and the guide was super informative. Matsumoto castle is beutiful and definitely worth visiting. The Samurai Experience was very fun! Big shout out to the Samurai Master for making it very engaging. Would recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ikaaldonza
Dec 10, 2024
A must to do when in Matsumoto! - Mr shin was our guide. The tour is easy to follow and He is very informative on the agenda for the day. He spokes good english and he is very on time. He is patient with all of us, ensuring that we are not being left behind. A tour recommended for all if you are intending to learn more about the history of Matsumoto. As for the samurai experience, it is fun! We really like engaging in this, the instructor is so cool and it is an experience not to be missed out!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paniti_t
Dec 10, 2024
Great experience - I was on a trip solo and thanks for Kei, the guide for that day. He was very informative. We started the tour with Samurai experience a community learning center in Nakamachi street for an hour. I couldn't remember my sensei but her performance was the best. What I learnt was stage combatant which was very satisfying. The later two hours was walking around and inside Matsumoto castle. Kei was comprehensive and informative.
Review provided by Viator
Rob
Feb 8, 2025
Matsumoto Castle and Samurai experience - The English speaking guide was very informative. He came prepared with slippers to wear inside the castle. The Samurai experience was a lot of fun and the teacher gave a very good demonstration after the lesson.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 12 guests
1 Adult
April 2025
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