Matsumoto City Museum

Matsumoto City Museum is a municipal comprehensive museum located in the Matsumoto Castle Sanomaru area, adjacent to the National Treasure Matsumoto Castle (Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture), and reopened with renovations in 2023 (Reiwa 5). It is an independent facility from the Matsumoto Castle Museum (housed within the tenshu tower) and displays the history, culture, folklore, and natural heritage of Matsumoto Domain from multiple perspectives. For Japanese sword enthusiasts, the greatest appeal lies in the masterwork swords passed down through generations of the Toda clan, who governed Matsumoto Domain, combined with comprehensive sword-focused special exhibitions held regularly.

The Toda Clan of Matsumoto Domain and Their Swords

The Toda clan, the final daimyo family of Matsumoto Castle, were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa shogunate and ruled Matsumoto Domain with revenues of 60,000 koku. Over many years, they accumulated outstanding swords, sword fittings, and armor. The museum houses numerous swords, armor, and documents passed down from the Toda clan. In the permanent exhibitions, swords are displayed alongside martial equipment that figured prominently in the domain's administrative history.

National Treasure and Important Cultural Property Sword Displays

The museum is known for actively borrowing and displaying National Treasure and Important Cultural Property class masterwork swords from external collections, extending well beyond the Toda clan collection alone. The 2025 special exhibition 'The Beauty of Japanese Swords' (October 2–November 16, 2025) brought together over 80 masterwork swords, including the National Treasure tachi Kuniyoshi, the National Treasure tantō Ōhirabira (Taikō Saemoniji) (two National Treasures), and Important Cultural Property works such as the ōtachi Aoe and swords by Kaneshige. Since 2005, in cooperation with the Friends Association, the museum has continuously developed its sword corner and holds regular exhibitions from its sword collection.

Comprehensive Sword Polishing and Appreciation Programs

Matsumoto City Museum is highly regarded not merely for displaying swords as spectacle, but for enriching programs that allow visitors to experience and learn about sword culture through polishing demonstrations, appreciation lectures, and martial arts performances. The museum actively implements collaboration projects with the popular game 'Touken Ranbu Online,' successfully attracting younger visitors.

Coordination with Matsumoto Castle

The museum is adjacent to the National Treasure Matsumoto Castle park, and viewing routes combining the exhibitions within the castle tenshu (Matsumoto Castle Museum) are popular. The castle displays numerous weapons and armor from the Sengoku through early Edo periods, complementing the sword exhibitions of Matsumoto City Museum.

The location itself—the former castle grounds (Ninomaru) in Matsumoto's castle town—bears witness to history. Visitors can experience sword culture while walking through the castle town atmosphere preserved in the Matsumoto street layout, making the museum a highly worthwhile destination.