Matsuyama Castle
Matsuyama Castle (松山城) is a hilltop castle begun by Kato Yoshiaki in 1602 on Mt. Katsuyama, 132 metres high, in Marunouchi, Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, with the main bailey on the summit, the second bailey on the slope and the third bailey at the western foot (Matsuyama City). Its 21 Edo-period buildings, including the keep, are Important Cultural Properties, and 16 buildings rebuilt in timber in the Showa era are Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
According to Matsuyama City, the second bailey was completed in the time of Gamo Tadatomo. Under the Matsudaira family it then served as the seat of the Iyo-Matsuyama domain, assessed at 150,000 koku, until the Meiji Restoration, and it escaped demolition under the Meiji government.
The 37 Buildings
The 21 Important Cultural Properties are 1 keep, 6 turrets, 7 gates and 7 walls; the Agency records their designation on May 13, 1935, under the former law. The keep has three storeys under three roofs and a basement, and according to Matsuyama City it was rebuilt in 1854. The Inui and Nohara turrets, the Hidden Gate and its turret are dated to the early Edo period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The keep is linked to the small keep and turrets by passages (Matsuyama City). Of the reconstructed buildings, nine around the keep were registered in 2019, the Tsutsui Gate and its two turrets in 2022, and the Taiko Gate, its two turrets and the Taiko Turret in 2024 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Each building is described on its own page.
Fires and Timber Reconstruction
According to Matsuyama City's conservation plan, arson in 1933 destroyed the small keep, the two corner turrets, the Ten-Bay Corridor and other buildings; the air raids of 1945 took the Taiko Gate, the Taiko Turret and others; and arson in 1949 destroyed the Tsutsui Gate and its turrets.
The lost buildings were rebuilt in timber between 1968 and 1973 (Matsuyama City). The nine around the keep follow basic designs and specifications drawn up by the Ministry of Education in 1935. The north turret of the Taiko Gate had disappeared before the war, but the shape of the stone wall and other evidence showed where it had stood, and it was rebuilt too (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
According to Matsuyama City, the keep is open from 9:00 to 17:00 (17:30 in August, 16:30 in December and January), with last entry 30 minutes before closing; admission is 520 yen for adults and 160 yen for elementary school children, and it closes on the third Wednesday of December. The summit plaza is free and open from 5:00 (5:30 from November to March) to 21:00.
From JR Matsuyama Station, take the tram to Okaido, walk 5 minutes to the ropeway station, and walk 10 minutes from the top of the ropeway (Matsuyama City). The paths up the hill are steep, the thresholds of the gates and turrets remain high, and the stairs inside the Edo-period keep are steep (Matsuyama City).
References
- Matsuyama Castle Keep (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/3318
- About Matsuyama Castle (Matsuyama City FAQ, Japanese)
- https://info-faq.city.matsuyama.ehime.jp/faq/show/1042?site_domain=default
- Conservation and Utilization Plan for the Historic Site of Matsuyama Castle, Chapter 1 (Matsuyama City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.matsuyama.ehime.jp/shisetsu/koen/riyou-iji/hozonkatuyoukeikaku.files/Matsuyamajo-01.pdf
- Conservation and Utilization Plan for the Historic Site of Matsuyama Castle, Chapter 3 (Matsuyama City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.matsuyama.ehime.jp/shisetsu/koen/riyou-iji/hozonkatuyoukeikaku.files/Matsuyamajo-05.pdf
- Registration of Matsuyama Castle buildings as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Matsuyama City press material, Japanese)
- https://www.city.matsuyama.ehime.jp/hodo/h30/201903/kunibunkazaitouroku.files/shiro_shintoroku.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.19
Basic Information
| Name | Matsuyama Castle |
|---|---|
| Location | Marunouchi, Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture |
| Owner | Matsuyama City |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (1) · Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (16) |
| Coordinates | 33.84472, 132.76610 |
