is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

located in

Nagano Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,007,682 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture ...

, Japan. Matsumoto is designated as a

core city In urban planning, a historic core city or central city is the municipality with the largest 1940 population in the present metropolitan area (metropolitan statistical area). This term was retired by the US census bureau and replaced by the term ...

since 1 April 2021. , the city had a

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 239,466 in 105,207 households and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

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

History

Matsumoto is located in the former

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

and was the provincial capital 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 Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

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, ...

Matsumoto Domain file:Matsumoto Castle, administrative headquarters of Matsumoto Domain.jpg, 250px, Matsumoto Castle, administrative headquarters of Matsumoto Domain was a Han (Japan), feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. It is locat ...

under the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

of the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

. Modern Matsumoto Town was established with the creation of the municipalities system on 1 April 1889. It was raised to city status on 1 May 1907. On 1 February 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 1 April 1943, the villages of Nakayama, Shimadachi and Shimauchi (all from Higashichikuma District) on 1 April 1954, the villages of Wada, Niimura, Kanbayashi, Sasaga, Yoshikawa, Kotobuki, Okada, Iriyamabe, Satoyamabe and Imai (all from Higashichikuma District) on 1 August 1954. Kitauchida and Gakenoyu hamlets were annexed from the Minamiuchida ward of the village of Kataoka in the city of Shiojiri on 1 April 1960 and 1 April 1961. The village of Hongo (from Higashichikuma District) on 1 May 1974 and parts of Seba hamlet (the hamlet of Kukohigashi) were annexed from Shiojiri on 1 April 1982. On 27 June 1994, the Matsumoto sarin attack occurred. Matsumoto was proclaimed a special city with increased local autonomy on 1 November 2000. Matsumoto annexed the villages of Azumi, Azusagawa and Nagawa (all from Minamiazumi District), and the village of Shiga (from Higashichikuma District) on 1 April 2005. This was followed by the town of Hata (from Higashichikuma District) on 31 March 2010. Matsumoto was proclaimed a

with increased local autonomy on 1 April 2021.

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 are to the west of the city, with 3190 meter Mount Hotakadake 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 cit ...

as the highest point within the city limits.

Surrounding municipalities

Gifu Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,910,511 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture ...

** Takayama *Nagano Prefecture ** Okaya ** Aoki **

Asahi Asahi (Japanese 朝日, 旭, or あさひ 'morning sun') may refer to: Places in Japan Cities * Asahi, Chiba (旭市; ''Asahi-shi'') Wards * Asahi-ku, Osaka (旭区; ''Asahi-ku'') * Asahi-ku, Yokohama (旭; ''Asahi-ku'') Towns * Asahi, Aichi ...

** Azumino ** Chikuhoku ** Kiso-machi ** Kiso-mura ** Nagawa ** Ōmachi **

Shimosuwa is a town located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 20,055 in 8864 households, and a population density of 300 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Shimosuwa is located in central Nagan ...

** Shiojiri ** Ueda ** Yamagata

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 cold ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''Dfa'') bordering on a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

: ''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 .

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 consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

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, Azumino, Higashichikuma District, Nagano, Kitaazumi District, Nagano,

Kamiminochi District, Nagano is a Districts of Japan, district located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the district has an estimated population of 23,774 with a population density, density of 84.11 persons per km2. The total area is 282.65 km2. Municipalities ...

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

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

of the

National Diet , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...

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 hot springs and the bathing facilities and Ryokan (inn), traditional inns around them. There are approximately 25,000 hot spring sources throughout Japan, and approximately 3,000 ''onsen'' establishments use naturally hot water ...

'' 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, Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As the only national university in Japan bearing the name of a former Provinces of Japan, Japanese province, it bears the nam ...

* Matsumoto University * 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 North Korean school, . Kaichi School opened in 1876; farmers gave 70% of the funds to have it built. According to Philippe Mesmer of ''

Le Monde (; ) is a mass media in France, French daily afternoon list of newspapers in France, newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average print circulation, circulation of 480,000 copies per issue in 2022, including ...

'', Kaichi "was one of the first modern schools built in Japan." After the school closed, it was converted into a museum.

Transportation

Airport

* Matsumoto Airport

Railway

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and 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 are in ...

– Shinonoi Line ** – – – *

–

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) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West ...

** – – – * 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, Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. The line connects with , the transportation gateway to Kamikōchi and the Hida Mo ...

** – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Highway

* Nagano Expressway * * * * * *

Sister cities

Domestic

Fujisawa, Kanagawa is a Cities of Japan, 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 south-central part of Kan ...

, from July 29, 1961 * Himeji, Hyōgo, from November 17, 1966 *

, from November 1, 1971

International

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, United States, from 1958 *

Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...

, Nepal, from November 17, 1989 *

Langfang Langfang is a prefecture-level city of Hebei Province of China, Province, China, and was known as Tianjin Prefecture until 1973. It was renamed Langfang Prefecture after Tianjin became a Direct-controlled municipalities of China, municipality ...

Hebei Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...

, China, friendship city from March 21, 1995 *

Grindelwald Grindelwald is a village and Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli (administrative district), Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Bern (canton), Berne. In additio ...

Canton of Bern The canton of Bern, or Berne (; ; ; ), is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland. The bear is the heraldic symbol of the c ...

, Switzerland, from April 20, 1972

Local attractions

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

soba Soba ( or , "buckwheat") are Japanese noodles made primarily from buckwheat flour, with a small amount of wheat flour mixed in. It has an ashen brown color, and a slightly grainy texture. The noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sau ...

is famous for its delicate taste. Local attractions include: * Asama Onsen * Hayashi Castle,

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

castle ruins, a National Historic Site * Kaichi School Museum,

Meiji period The was 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 colonizatio ...

building housing the first middle school in Japan * Kamikōchi mountain area *The Kiso Valley, a valley located Southwest of Matsumoto along which the historic Nakasendo route of the

went through * 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 * Matsumoto Castle, built more than 400 years ago. It is a Japanese National Treasure * Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto, held every August by conductor Seiji Ozawa and featuring the Saito Kinen Orchestra Outside the rail station is also a statue of a little girl with a violin, remembering the

Suzuki method The Suzuki method is a mid-20th-century music curriculum and teaching method created by Japanese violinist and pedagogue Shinichi Suzuki. The method claims to create a reinforcing environment for learning music for young learners. Backgroun ...

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, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

with its local club,

Matsumoto Yamaga FC or simply Matsumoto Yamaga (松本山雅FC, ''Matsumoto Yamaga Efu Shī'') is a Japanese football (soccer) club based in the city of Matsumoto, located in the Nagano Prefecture. The club currently plays in the J3 League, Japanese third tier o ...

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 Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

and

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

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:Looking through the torii at Yohashira-jinja, Matsumoto, 2016.jpg, Four Pillars Shrine File:250424 Former Kaichi School Matsumoto Nagano pref Japan09s3.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 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