Matsumoto Castle hosts tea ceremony on 12 October 2026
Published on 10/11/2026 at 07:11 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSKey points in brief
- Matsumoto Castle will host the Joint Tea Ceremony in its Honmaru Garden on 12 October 2026.
- The ceremony will run from 10am to 3pm on 12 October 2026, with registration closing at 2.30pm.
- Five tea schools and organisations are scheduled to take part at Matsumoto Castle on 12 October 2026.
- Matsumoto Castle was constructed in 1594 and is recognised as a National Treasure of Japan.
Matsumoto Castle and its Joint Tea Ceremony will bring five tea schools and organisations to the Honmaru Garden in Matsumoto on 12 October 2026. The public programme is scheduled from 10am to 3pm, with registration closing at 2.30pm.
The event gives visitors a specific cultural programme at one of Japan's best-known historic sites during the autumn travel season. It will take place in the castle's innermost garden, rather than in the keep itself.
Joint Tea Ceremony brings five schools to Matsumoto Castle
The Joint Tea Ceremony is organised around tea gatherings presented by Omotesenke, Urasenke, Undenshindo-ryu, the Greater Japan Tea Ceremony Society and Edo Senke. The official programme describes the event as a series of tea settings offered against the castle as a backdrop.
The date is Monday 12 October 2026, a public holiday in Japan. The organiser lists the venue as Honmaru Garden at Matsumoto Castle and gives the programme time as 10am to 3pm. The castle notice for 12 October also states that registration ends at 2.30pm.
The event is listed by the Matsumoto tourism office with the same date, venue and programme hours. Its listing names the five participating tea traditions and places the ceremony at Marunouchi 4-1 in Matsumoto City, Nagano.
1594 keep gives the tea programme its setting
The keep and its connected structures were constructed in 1594, according to the castle's English-language history. The site is recognised as a National Treasure of Japan, and the keep is the oldest surviving example in Japan with five external stories and six internal floors.
The Honmaru Garden sits within the castle's main enclosure, beside the keep and the remains of the Honmaru Palace. That setting connects the 12 October 2026 tea programme with both the site's surviving architecture and the garden spaces that form part of its visitor experience.
The present complex also includes the Kuromon, or Black Gate, the Taiko-mon, or Drum Gate, and the ruins of the Ninomaru Palace. The castle was nearly dismantled during the Meiji era, but local preservation efforts helped keep its principal structures standing. The official history of the castle records these features and the 1594 construction date.
Visiting Matsumoto Castle: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Joint Tea Ceremony takes place on 12 October 2026 from 10am to 3pm in Honmaru Garden at Matsumoto Castle. Registration closes at 2.30pm.
- The ceremony is held in the Honmaru Garden, while the castle keep and its historic structures remain the main architectural setting around the programme.
- Matsumoto Castle stands at Marunouchi 4-1 in Matsumoto City, Nagano. It is about a 15-minute walk from JR Matsumoto Station, or reachable by the Town Sneaker North Course to the Matsumoto Castle and City Hall Front stop.
- The keep contains steep, narrow historic stairways and has five external stories but six internal floors. Visitors should expect a physically demanding climb inside the keep.
- Japan's official language is Japanese and its national currency is the yen.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Matsumoto Castle
When does the Joint Tea Ceremony take place at Matsumoto Castle?
The Joint Tea Ceremony takes place on 12 October 2026 in the Honmaru Garden, from 10am to 3pm. Registration closes at 2.30pm.
What is Matsumoto Castle?
Matsumoto Castle is a National Treasure of Japan whose principal keep structures were constructed in 1594. It has five external stories and six internal floors.
Where is Matsumoto Castle and how do you get there?
The castle is at Marunouchi 4-1 in Matsumoto City, Nagano. It is about a 15-minute walk from JR Matsumoto Station or reachable by the Town Sneaker North Course.
