Matsumoto City Museum Nighttime Opening

Posted on 2026.08.04 in Events

For those who want to spend the day seeing the city in the light, but want to continue learning more and gaining a deeper understanding after the sun goes down, why not check out The Matsumoto City Museum? For a limited time in August and September, the Matsumoto City Museum will extend its hours into the evening for nighttime viewings! During this time, the museum will be open to the public with purchase of tickets as usual, and will offer an opportunity to dive into the history of our city and the culture of Japan. Here we’ll introduce you to what you’ll find inside the museum as well as some details for how you can enjoy more of our city up close and personal.

 

Information

 

3F: Permanent Matsumoto Exhibit

The third floor of the Matsumoto City Museum offers greater insight into Matsumoto and its rich history. As you enter the exhibit, you will be greeted by a to-scale diorama of the city as it stood centuries ago. Can you find what used to stand where your hotel is today? The rest of the floor will walk you through our history, touching on important festivals, the fires that resulted in our famed kura-lined shopping street, and the special connection to the mountains that the residents of the city have long held in their hearts.

 

2F: Special Exhibit

The second floor of the museum features temporary special exhibits featuring everything from history and swords to art and religion. This time, the special exhibit on offer is dedicated to the life and works of Momoko Sakura, a famous Japanese manga artist. Sakura was best known for her incredibly long-running manga, Chibi Maruko-chan. The manga was so popular that it ran from 1986 all the way until 2022, a full four years after Sakura’s death. It also inspired not one, but two anime series by the same name. The first ran from 1990 to 1992, and the second began in 1995 and still continues to air today. Sakura’s contributions to Japanese culture and society don’t end with her manga creations, and cannot be understated. Check out the exhibit to learn more about the magnificent works of Momoko Sakura.

 

1F: Shops and Café

The first floor of the museum has, apart from the reception/ticketing counter, a gift shop and a café. Both of the must-stop shops will be open during the special nighttime opening. The café has excellent coffee, and the gift shop is a great place to grab a souvenir to remember your trip to Matsumoto. We recommend picking up a temari (hand ball), a traditional Japanese toy and local symbol of Matsumoto.

 

See the history first-hand

Museum exhibits not hands-on enough for you? We offer experiences to take part in our history and culture directly. With our Nightitme Samurai Katana Training, you will get some hands-on experience with katana, and learn from a samurai the ancient techniques used centuries ago. For booking, check the link below:

 

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