A Museum with More Than a Century of History
The origins of Matsumoto City Museum date back to 1906, when the Meiji Thirty-Seven and Thirty-Eight War Memorial Museum was established within the boys’ division of Matsumoto Jinjo Higher Elementary School, the former Kaichi School. The facility was later renamed Matsumoto Memorial Museum and came under the administration of Matsumoto City in 1931.
In 1937, the museum moved to the Ninomaru area of Matsumoto Castle. It was relocated again in 1948 to the Jizo Shimizu district, where it adopted its present name, Matsumoto City Museum. In 1952, it was registered under Japan’s Museum Act and returned to the Ninomaru area of Matsumoto Castle later that year.
As the museum’s collection continued to grow, its role gradually expanded from preserving historical materials to introducing the wider folk culture and traditions of the Matsumoto region. In 1966, materials were donated to the Japan Museum of Folk Culture, and after that museum opened in 1968, the two institutions operated under associated names for many years. Following the dissolution of the Japan Museum of Folk Culture in 2005, the museum once again operated under the name Matsumoto City Museum.
A New Museum for a New Generation
After decades of use, the museum was temporarily closed in 2021 as part of a major renewal project. A new museum building was constructed in the Ote district of Matsumoto, providing modern exhibition facilities and a more comfortable environment for visitors.
The new Matsumoto City Museum opened on October 7, 2023. While continuing the museum’s long-standing mission of preserving local history, the new facility presents Matsumoto’s cultural heritage through updated displays and contemporary museum design.
Exploring Matsumoto on Three Floors
First Floor: Welcome, Relaxation, and Hands-On Learning
The first floor serves as an inviting entrance to the museum, with a general reception area, museum shop, auditorium, and community exchange spaces. The museum shop offers original goods and traditional Shinshu sweets, and visitors can enter the shop without visiting the exhibition areas.
Families with children can also enjoy Asobiba!, an interactive space where children can learn through play. The area is intended for children up to elementary-school age, with younger children particularly encouraged to visit with a parent or guardian. It provides an easygoing introduction to the museum and its educational activities.
Second Floor: Special Exhibitions and Local Information
The second floor contains special exhibition galleries and a library and information room. Special exhibitions cover a wide range of subjects, including history, art, folk culture, and other aspects of regional heritage. Because the themes change over time, repeat visitors may discover something new on each visit.
The library and information room provides access to books and reference materials related to Matsumoto and its surrounding region, making the museum useful not only as a sightseeing destination but also as a place for deeper research into local history and culture.
Third Floor: Matsumoto as a Whole Museum
The third floor is home to the permanent exhibition, presented under the concept of “Matsumoto Marugoto Museum”, or “Matsumoto as a Whole Museum.” Rather than focusing on a single period or subject, the exhibition brings together different aspects of the region to create a broad picture of Matsumoto and the people who have shaped it.
The permanent exhibition is organized around eight themes: a town with a castle, a thriving commercial city, an open basin, mountains shared with the community, traditions handed down through generations, the strength to live, a changing society, and passing heritage on to the future.
These themes help visitors understand how Matsumoto developed as a castle town and commercial center, how its mountain environment influenced local life, and how traditions have been preserved and adapted over time.
Valuable Cultural Properties and Folk Materials
One of the museum’s greatest strengths is its extensive collection of historical and folk materials. Among the objects presented are the Important Cultural Property “Kujakumon Keisho”, a collection of 45 Tanabata dolls, 79 agricultural implements, and 293 objects associated with popular religious beliefs.
Such objects offer a particularly vivid way of learning about the past. Rather than simply reading about Matsumoto’s history, visitors can see the tools, objects, decorations, and religious materials that were actually used by people living in the region.
Understanding the Castle Town of Matsumoto
Matsumoto developed around its castle and grew into an important center of commerce, transportation, culture, and administration. The museum places this history within a much broader regional context, showing how the castle town was connected to surrounding villages and mountain communities.
The story also extends beyond samurai and castles. Traditional agriculture, religious customs, festivals, crafts, commerce, and everyday household life all form part of Matsumoto’s cultural heritage. This wider perspective allows visitors to see the city as a living community rather than simply a historic castle town.
Exhibitions That Connect Past and Present
The museum regularly organizes special exhibitions in addition to its permanent displays. Approximately four special exhibitions are held each year, covering subjects that range from history and art to folk culture and other themes connected with the region.
Collection exhibitions are also held using materials from the museum’s extensive holdings. Together, the permanent and temporary exhibitions create a changing program that introduces both well-known aspects of Matsumoto and lesser-known stories from the region.
A Place for Children and the Local Community
Matsumoto City Museum is not designed solely for visitors interested in history. Education and community activities are also important parts of its mission. Through hands-on programs, lectures, workshops, and children’s activities, the museum encourages people of different generations to engage with art, history, and local culture.
The museum’s community-oriented approach reflects the idea that cultural heritage is not simply something preserved behind glass. It is something that can be explored, discussed, experienced, and passed on to future generations.
A Museum Connected to Matsumoto’s Cultural Network
Matsumoto City Museum operates together with a number of branch facilities throughout the city. These include the Former Kaichi School, a National Treasure, as well as the Matsumoto Folkcraft Museum, Matsumoto City Museum of Timepieces, and Matsumoto City Historic Village.
Each facility focuses on a different aspect of the region’s heritage. Visiting several of them can provide a much richer understanding of Matsumoto, from education and architecture to folk crafts, timekeeping, traditional buildings, and everyday life.
A Convenient Stop in Central Matsumoto
The museum is located in central Matsumoto and is easy to include in a sightseeing itinerary. It is approximately a 20-minute walk from JR Matsumoto Station.
Visitors can also take the Town Sneaker East Course, Matsumoto’s sightseeing loop bus, and get off at the Matsumoto City Museum bus stop, which is immediately near the museum. The museum can also be reached from the Matsumoto Bus Terminal.
Its central location makes it particularly convenient to combine with sightseeing around Matsumoto Castle and the historic streets of the city center.
Discover Matsumoto Through Its People and Stories
Matsumoto City Museum offers much more than a collection of old objects. It is a place where the history of a castle town, the traditions of mountain communities, the everyday lives of local people, and the changing face of modern Matsumoto come together.
The museum’s approximately 100,000-item collection, engaging permanent exhibition, special exhibitions, and hands-on programs make it accessible to both first-time visitors and those who want to explore the region in greater depth.
For travelers visiting Matsumoto, a stop at the museum is an opportunity to look beyond the city’s famous sights and discover the stories that have shaped the community. Combined with Matsumoto Castle, the Former Kaichi School, and the city’s historic streets, it provides an ideal introduction to the cultural character of Matsumoto.