is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

located in

Nagano Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the ...

, Japan. Matsumoto is designated as a

core city In urban planning, a core city, principal city metropolitan core, or central city, is the largest or most important city or cities of a metropolitan area. A core city is surrounded by smaller satellite cities, towns, and suburbs. A central city ...

since 1 April 2021. , the city had a

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...

of 239,466 in 105,207 households and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

of 240 persons per km². The total area of the city is .

Geography

Matsumoto is located in the Matsumoto Basin of central Nagano Prefecture surrounded by mountains and is acclaimed for its beautiful views. It is approximately 75 kilometers south of the prefectural capital at Nagano City, and 167 kilometers from central Tokyo. The 3000 meter

Hida Mountains The , or , is a Japanese mountain range which stretches through Nagano, Toyama and Gifu prefectures. A small portion of the mountains also reach into Niigata Prefecture. William Gowland coined the phrase "Japanese Alps" during his time in Japa ...

are to the west of the city, with 3190 meter

Mount Hotakadake , also known as Mount Hotakadake, is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains as coined by the media, reaching a height of . Mount Hotaka is situated in Japan's Hida Mountains and all its major peaks except Mount Maehotaka, lie on the border ...

on the border of Matsumoto with

Takayama, Gifu Takayama City Hall is a city located in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 88,473 in 35,644 households, and a population density of 41 persons per km2. The total area of the city was making it the largest city ...

as the highest point within the city limits.

Surrounding municipalities

*Nagano Prefecture ** Okaya ** Shiojiri **

Azumino is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 97,761 in 39744 households. and a population density of 290 persons per km2. Its total area is . Etymology of Azumino Azumino is a combination of two ...

** Yamagata ** Asahi ** Ōmachi ** Chikuhoku ** Ueda ** Nagawa ** Aoki ** Shimosuwa ** Kiso-mura ** Kiso-machi *

Gifu Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, ...

** Takayama

Climate

Matsumoto has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

: ''Dfa'') bordering on a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(

: ''Cfa''), with hot summers and cold winters. Precipitation is quite high in summer, but the weather is somewhat drier in winter. The average annual temperature in Matsumoto is . The average annual rainfall is with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around .

History

Matsumoto is located in former

Shinano Province or is an old province of Japan that is now Nagano Prefecture. Shinano bordered on Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces. The ancient capital was located near modern-day Matsumoto, w ...

and was the

provincial capital A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the g ...

from the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japan ...

onwards. The area developed as the

castle town A castle town is a settlement built adjacent to or surrounding a castle. Castle towns were common in Medieval Europe. Some examples include small towns like Alnwick and Arundel, which are still dominated by their castles. In Western Europe, a ...

Matsumoto Domain 250px, Matsumoto Castle, administrative headquarters of Matsumoto Domain was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. It is located in Shinano Province, Honshū. The domain was centered at Matsumoto Castle, located in ...

under the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...

of the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was character ...

. Modern Matsumoto Town was established with the creation of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was raised to city status on May 1, 1907. On February 1, 1925 Matsumoto absorbed the village of Matsumoto (from Higashichikuma District). The city expanded further by annexing the Kanda hamlet of the village of Nakayama from Higashichikuma District on April 1, 1943, the villages of Nakayama, Shimadachi and Shimauchi (all from Higashichikuma District) on April 1, 1954, the villages of Wada, Niimura, Kanbayashi, Sasaga, Yoshikawa, Kotobuki, Okada, Iriyamabe, Satoyamabe and Imai (all from Higashichikuma District) on August 1, 1954. Kitauchida and Gakenoyu hamlets were annexed from the Minamiuchida ward of the village of Kataoka in the city of Shiojiri on April 1, 1960 and April 1, 1961. The village of Hongo (from Higashichikuma District) on May 1, 1974 and parts of Seba hamlet (the hamlet of Kukohigashi) were annexed from Shiojiri on April 1, 1982. Between the days of June 27 and June 28, 1994, the Matsumoto Incident

sarin Sarin (NATO designation GB G-series, "B"">Nerve_agent#G-series.html" ;"title="hort for Nerve agent#G-series">G-series, "B" is an extremely toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound.special city with increased local autonomy on November 1, 2000. Matsumoto annexed the villages of Azumi, Azusagawa and Nagawa (all from Minamiazumi District), and the village of

Shiga is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,412,916 (1 October 2015) and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to the northe ...

(from Higashichikuma District) on April 1, 2005. This was followed by the town of Hata (from Higashichikuma District,) on March 31, 2010. Matsumoto was proclaimed a

with increased local autonomy on April 1, 2021.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Matsumoto has recently plateaued after a long period of growth.

Government

Matsumoto has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multi ...

city legislature of 31 members. The city contributes six members to the Nagano Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, Matsumoto is grouped with Ōmachi,

Higashichikuma District, Nagano is a district located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of October 1, 2011, the district has an estimated population of 23,044. The total area is 268.42 km2. Northern Higashichikuma is increasing its population, while the Southern Higashichiku ...

, Kitaazumi District, Nagano, Kamiminochi District, Nagano and part of the city of Nagano to form Nagano 2nd District in the

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

of the

National Diet The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paral ...

List of Matsumoto Mayors (since 1937)

*Yorinaga Ori (小里頼永) July 1937 to August 1937 *Okimasa Momose (百瀬興政) August 1937 to April 1939 *Wataru Momose (百瀬　渡) April 1940 to April 1944 *Morito Hirabayashi (平林盛人) May 1944 to March 1945 *Yasushi Hirayama (平山　泰) July 1945 to March 1946 *Ikuichi Akahane (赤羽幾一) June 1946 to December 1946 *Naohisa Tsutsui (筒井直久) April 1947 to April 1951 *Bunshichiro Matsuoka(松岡文七郎) April 1951 to January 1957 *Tokuya Furuhata (降旗徳弥) March 1957 to March 1969 *Matsumi Fukasawa (深沢松美) March 1969 to March 1976 *Shoji Wago (和合正治) March 1976 to March 1992 *Tadashi Aruga (有賀　正) March 1992 to March 2004 *Akira Sugenoya (菅谷昭) March 2004 to March 2020 *Yoshinao Gaun (臥雲義尚) March 2020 to present

Economy

Matsumoto is a regional commercial center and noted for traditional woodworking and silk spinning, electronics and its dairy industry. Seasonal tourism to the surrounding mountains and ''

onsen In Japan, are the country's hot springs and the bathing facilities and traditional inns around them. As a volcanically active country, Japan has many onsens scattered throughout all of its major islands. There are approximately 25,000 hot ...

'' hot spring resorts is also an important source of local income.

Education

Universities and colleges

Shinshu University , abbreviated to , is a Japanese national university located in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As the only university in Japan bearing the name of a former Japanese province, it bears the name "Shinshu" (alternative name for Shinano Pro ...

Matsumoto University is a private university in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, established in 2002. Matsusho Gakuen Junior College is a private junior college in Matsumoto, Nagano is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Matsumoto is designa ...

* Matsusho Gakuen Junior College * Matsumoto Junior College

Primary and secondary education

Matsumoto has 29 public elementary schools operated by the city government, one operated by the national government and one private elementary school. The city also manages 19 public middle schools, with one more middle school shared between Matsumoto and neighbouring Asahi. There is one public middle school operated by the national government and one private middle school. The city has seven public high schools operated by the Nagano Prefectural Board of Education and six private high schools. The city also has a Korean school, .

Transportation

Airport

Matsumoto Airport Matsumoto Airport (松本空港) , also known as Shinshu-Matsumoto Airport, is an airport located southwestAIS Japan
of c ...

Railway

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters ar ...

–

Shinonoi Line The is a railway line in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Shinonoi Station in Nagano with Shiojiri Station in Shiojiri. The line is a corridor between the Shinetsu Main Line and th ...

** – – – * JR logo (east)

–

Ōito Line The is a railway line in Japan which connects Matsumoto Station in Nagano Prefecture with Itoigawa Station in Niigata Prefecture. There are two operators on the line: East Japan Railway Company (JR East) operates the section north of Mina ...

** – – – * Alpico Kōtsū –

Kamikōchi Line The is a railway line operated by the Japanese private railway operator Alpico Kōtsū in the western suburbs of Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. The line connects with , the transportation gateway to Kamikōchi and the Hida Mountains. Stations ...

** – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Highway

* Nagano Expressway * * * * * *

Sister city relations

Domestic

Fujisawa, Kanagawa is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 439,728 and a population density of 6300 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Fujisawa is in the central part of Kanagawa Prefecture. ...

, from July 29, 1961 *

Himeji, Hyōgo 260px, Himeji City Hall is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km². The total area of the city ...

, from November 17, 1966 *

, from November 1, 1971

International

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

, United States, from 1958 *

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

, Nepal, from November 17, 1989 *

Langfang Langfang () is a prefecture-level city of Hebei Province, which was known as Tianjin Prefecture until 1973. It was renamed Langfang Prefecture after Tianjin became a municipality and finally upgraded into a prefecture-level city in 1988. Lang ...

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, and ...

, China, friendship city from March 21, 1995 *

Grindelwald , neighboring_municipalities = Brienz, Brienzwiler, Fieschertal (VS), Guttannen, Innertkirchen, Iseltwald, Lauterbrunnen, Lütschental, Meiringen, Schattenhalb , twintowns = Azumi, now Matsumoto (Japan) Grindelwald is a village and ...

Canton of Bern The canton of Bern or Berne (german: Kanton Bern; rm, Chantun Berna; french: canton de Berne; it, Canton Berna) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland. ...

, Switzerland, from April 20, 1972

Local attractions

Matsumoto is attractive to travellers not only because of the traditional culture but also its moderate climate and local products. Matsumoto

soba Soba ( or , "buckwheat") is a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. The noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or hot in a noodle soup. The variety ''Nagano soba'' includes wheat flour. In Japan, soba noodles can be found ...

is famous for its delicate taste. Local attractions include: *

Matsumoto Castle , originally known as Fukashi Castle, is one of Japan's premier historic castles, along with Himeji and Kumamoto. The building is also known as the due to its black exterior. It was the seat of Matsumoto Domain under the Edo Period Tokugawa ...

, built more than 400 years ago. It is a Japanese National Treasure *

Kaichi School Museum The in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture was one of the first schools in Japan. It opened in a temporary building in May 1873, the year after the first major education reforms were introduced by the new Ministry of Education. The school moved to new ...

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

building housing the first middle school in Japan * Asama Onsen * Kōbōyama Kofun,

Kofun period The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...

burial mound Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

, a National Historic Site * Hayashi Castle,

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

castle ruins, a National Historic Site *

Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto The , formerly known as the , is an annual classical music festival held in August and September in Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan, founded in 1992 by conductor Seiji Ozawa. The festival's resident orchestra is the renowned Saito Kinen Orchestra The ...

, held every August by conductor Seiji Ozawa and featuring the

Saito Kinen Orchestra The Saito Kinen Orchestra is an orchestra formed annually during the Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto, which is held every August and September in Matsumoto city, Nagano, Japan. The orchestra is managed by the Saito Kinen Foundation. History In S ...

Kamikōchi is a remote mountainous highland valley within the Hida Mountains range, in the western region of Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It has been preserved in its natural state within Chūbu-Sangaku National Park. It is designated as one of Japan's Natio ...

mountain area *The Kiso Valley, a valley located Southwest of Matsumoto along which the historic Nakasendo route of the

went through Outside the rail station is also a statue of a little girl with a violin, remembering the Suzuki method of teaching music, created by Shinichi Suzuki who lived in the city in his later life.

Sports

Matsumoto is represented in the J. League of

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

with its local club,

Matsumoto Yamaga FC or Simply Matsumoto Yamaga FC (松本山雅, ''Matsumoto Yamaga Efu Shī'') is the Japanese football (soccer) club based in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. The club currently play in the J3 League after relegation from J2 League at the end of the ...

based at the Alwin Stadium in Kambayashi. It was one of the host cities of the official Women's Volleyball World Championship for its

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

and

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

editions. Yoshinori Ueda was born here.

In popular culture

* – series of television dramas starting in 1996. * Orange – manga series written by Ichigo Takano * Perfect World – manga series written by Rie Aruga

Gallery

File:FourPillarsShrine.jpg, Four Pillars Shrine File:Former Kaichi School.jpg, Kaichi School File:Kyusei matsumoto kotogakko03s2048.jpg, Garden in former Matsumoto High School (present day of Shinshu University) File:ALWIN7.jpg, Matsumoto Alwin football stadium File:Matsumoto-centre.jpg, View of downtown Matsumoto from Mount Koubou File:150920 Kappa-bashi Kamikochi Japan02n.jpg, Kappa Bridge in Kamikōchi File:Matsumoto city museum of art07nt3200.jpg, Matsumoto City Museum of Art File:MatsumotoJapanUkiyoeMuseum.jpg, Matsumoto

Ukiyoe Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock prints and paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes from history and folk ta ...

Museum File:150920 Mt Hotaka-dake Kamikochi Japan01s3.jpg, Azusa River in Kamikōchi File:Taisho Pond 2011-09.jpg, Taisho Pond in Kamikōchi

References

External links

Official Website

Matsumoto City Tourism Website
{{Authority control Cities in Nagano Prefecture