Hokkaido Places

Town Oshima Subprefecture

Matsumae 松前町

まつまえちょう

Matsumae is Hokkaido's southernmost town and its only Edo-period castle town. It was the seat of the Matsumae clan, which held the monopoly on trade with the Ainu.12 Today it is known for Matsumae Castle, the temple quarter behind it, and about 10,000 cherry trees of some 250 varieties.34

Population (2020 Census)
6,260
Area
293.25 km²
District
Matsumae District (松前郡)
Official website
www.town.matsumae.hokkaido.jp

Known for

  • Matsumae Castle (松前城, officially Fukuyama Castle 福山城): completed in 1854, it was the last castle built in the traditional Japanese style.3 The original main gate (本丸御門) survives and is an Important Cultural Property.5
  • Cherry blossoms: Matsumae Park has about 10,000 trees of some 250 varieties. It is one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Sites, and early, mid and late varieties bloom in turn from mid-April to late May.4
  • The Matsumae clan and the temple quarter (寺町): the clan ruled from here for almost all of the Edo period.12 The castle and temple quarter were selected as Hokkaido Heritage in 2004.3
  • Matsumae-zuke (松前漬): shredded dried squid and kelp pickled in a soy-based sauce. It is said to have originated in the Matsumae domain.13
  • Bluefin tuna and rock laver: longline-caught bluefin tuna from the Tsugaru Strait, and scarce hand-picked winter rock laver (岩海苔).13
  • Matsumae Kagura (松前神楽): Shinto dance and music with more than 300 years of history, designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 2018.314
  • Hokkaido's southern tip: Cape Shirakami (白神岬) is the southernmost point of Hokkaido, about 19 km from Aomori.4
  • Kitamaebune trade: Matsumae was the northern terminus of the Kitamaebune trading ships from Osaka. It is part of the Kitamaebune Japan Heritage story, recognized in 2017.3

Sights & activities

Nature & scenery

  • Matsumae Park cherries: Nanden (南殿) is the most-planted variety.4 Its parent is the Kechimyaku-zakura (血脈桜) at Kōzen-ji. The tree is over 300 years old and probably came by Kitamaebune; legend says its spirit appears as a young woman.63 Together with Ezo-kasumi-zakura (蝦夷霞桜) at Ryūun-in and Meoto-zakura (夫婦桜) it makes up Matsumae's "three famous trees". Meoto-zakura is a Somei-yoshino and a Nanden growing from one trunk at the Tenjinzaka gate.6465 Second Park (第二公園) grows 16 varieties; its lookout is about 1.1 km, or 20 minutes' walk, uphill from the castle.66
  • Cape Shirakami (白神岬): Hokkaido's southernmost point (41°23′N, 140°11′E), 19.2 km from Cape Tappi in Aomori.67 More than 300 bird species have been recorded. Migration is best on early mornings from mid-September to late October.4
  • Orito-hama (折戸浜): a pebble beach at Tateishi with rock formations. The sun sets between Kojima and Oshima.27 Kojima at sunset is a winter photo subject.4

Onsen

  • Matsumae Onsen Kyūyō Center (松前温泉休養センター), Ōsawa 652-14: a day-use spa popular with locals and fishers.6833
    • Admission is ¥400, and the water is sodium chloride–sulfate.
    • Open 11:00–20:30 (last entry 20:00); closed Tuesdays and 1 January.68
  • Onsen Ryokan Yano (温泉旅館矢野), Fukuyama 123: the town's oldest inn, founded in 1951, with its own hot spring.69

Museums & heritage

  • Matsumae Castle Museum (松前城資料館), Matsushiro 144:70
    • Open 10 April–10 December, 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30).
    • Adults ¥360, children ¥240; a combined ticket with the Hanyashiki costs ¥620/¥420.
    • A free car park for visitors to the historic sites holds about 40 cars, 5 minutes' walk away. The Matsushiro (松城) bus stop is 10 minutes' walk away.71
  • Matsumae Hanyashiki (松前藩屋敷), Nishidate 68: a reconstruction of the Edo-period castle town in May.19
    • It includes the Okinokuchi sea-customs office, samurai houses, merchant and shipping-agent houses and a herring-fishing banya. The spot page counts 13 buildings; the history page and the Michi-no-Eki site say 14.19333
    • Open 9:00–17:00; adults ¥360. The 2026 season opened on 10 April.1946
    • Bookable extras:727374
      • Armor and costume dressing, ¥500–2,000 (dogs included)
      • Matsumae-zuke making, ¥2,500, about 60 minutes
      • Guided walks, ¥1,000 for 30–45 minutes or ¥2,000 for 90 minutes
  • Matsumae Town Folk Museum (松前町郷土資料館), Shinmei 30: archaeology, folk materials and Boshin War items. Free; open 10 April–10 December.15
  • Historic sites: Ōdate Site (大館跡) is a National Historic Site on a spur above the Ōmatsumae River.16 The Matsumae family cemetery at Hōdō-ji is also one.55 The Hokuō Hirin calligraphy stones are another stop.3

Outdoor & seasonal activities

  • Rienne Wind Farm Matsumae (リエネウィンドファーム松前), Sappe 375-12: the land under the turbines is a free park for learning about wind power. Open 9:00–17:00; closed in winter.75
  • Cycling: the tourist association promotes a loop around the Matsumae Peninsula from Kikonai, via Cape Shirakami.76
  • Events: see the festival table above, from the cherry season to the tuna festival.

Food experiences

  • Seafood bowls: at the Michi-no-Eki and Kaigyotei.3334
  • The lord's banquet at Yano.39
  • Matsumae-zuke making in the Hanyashiki.73

Roadside stations (Michi-no-Eki)

Kitamae-bune Matsumae (道の駅北前船 松前)

  • Location:
    • 379 Karatsu, Matsumae (松前町字唐津379), on the seafront of National Route 228 in the town center.33
    • It is near Matsumae Castle and looks out over the Tsugaru Strait, where the Kitamaebune once sailed.3833 Mapcode 862 028 788.33
  • Hours: as of September 2026 — check before visiting.33
    • Station and shop: 9:00–17:00.
    • Restaurant: 11:00–15:00 (last order 14:30), with longer hours on weekends and holidays from April to September.
    • Closed 31 December–1 January. On 30 December and 2 January only the shop opens, 9:00–15:00.
    • Older descriptions on the same page give summer hours to 20:00, which appear out of date.
  • Shops & products:
    • Local seafood in season: sea urchin, abalone, Matsumae bluefin tuna and Matsumae rock laver.
    • Matsumae-zuke and surume (dried squid) from long-established local makers.33
    • The recommended buy is the spring wakame rice mix.38 Products of Asami Shōten and Ishiyama Gyogyōbu are also sold here.3237
  • Food: the restaurant is Umikaze Shokudō (うみかぜ食堂).77
    • Its signature is the Matsumae hon-maguro bowl, made from bluefin landed at Matsumae port and butchered in the company's own plant.77
    • Prices: Matsumae hon-maguro bowl ¥2,180, iwa-nori dandan ¥1,500, scallop bowl ¥1,500, Hokkai Sakura salmon bowl ¥1,980.33
    • The café corner sells only soft-serve and coffee; flavors are not listed.33
    • A weekend fair sells local northern purple sea urchin, shelled by hand (this notice is from 2021).78
  • Facilities:
    • Parking: 97 cars and 3 large vehicles by the official count.33 The tourism site gives 70 cars and 3 large vehicles.38 Wikipedia lists 2 accessible spaces.79
    • 24-hour toilets with warm-water seats, an accessible toilet and an ostomate toilet.3380
    • Wi-Fi, baby-changing table and an observation deck.33
    • Cashless payment by PayPay only; credit cards are not accepted.33
    • EV charging, RV parking and a campground are not listed.
  • Notes:
    • Registered on 12 March 2009 as Hokkaido station No. 106.33 It opened on 26 April 2009.79
    • The stamp can be collected 24 hours a day, even on closed days.33
    • The station is a designated evacuation site. A business-continuity plan (BCP) adopted in March 2026 names the manager as the general incorporated association Kaikyōsha (海共舎).81 The Michi-no-Eki association's page still names 株式会社大宇工業 ("Daewoo Co., Ltd." on its English page), so the operator may have changed.3380
    • It hands out cards for the Kitamaebune card rally (September–October 2026).60
  • Nearby stations on Route 228:
    • Yokozuna no Sato Fukushima (道の駅横綱の里ふくしま) in Fukushima. It has a museum of the yokozuna Chiyonoyama and Chiyonofuji.82
    • Shiriuchi (道の駅しりうち) in Shiriuchi, near the Seikan Tunnel portal.83
    • Kaminokuni Monju (道の駅上ノ国もんじゅ) in Kaminokuni, with a restaurant overlooking the Sea of Japan.84
    • Misogi no Sato Kikonai (道の駅みそぎの郷きこない) in Kikonai, in front of Kikonai Station, which is about an hour's drive away.8576

Getting there & around

  • Rail: no railway runs through the town. The Matsumae Line closed in 1988.10 The nearest station is Kikonai (木古内駅), on the Hokkaido Shinkansen and the Dōnan Isaribi Railway.10 The town's bus timetable lists Shinkansen connections at Kikonai.86
  • By car:87
    • Kikonai Station: about 55 km, 1 hour
    • Hakodate Station: 95 km, 2 hours
    • Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station: 90 km, 1 hour 50 minutes
    • Hakodate Airport: 100 km, 2 hours 30 minutes
    • The main road is National Route 228, which follows the coast through the town and continues north along the Sea of Japan to Kaminokuni.1084
  • From Sapporo: the tourism site's drive guide gives about 3 hours 20 minutes from Sapporo to Funka-wan Panorama Park in Yakumo, then about 2 hours 30 minutes on to Matsumae. That totals roughly 6 hours by car using the expressway.76 No official total time by public transport from Sapporo was found.
  • Buses (Hakodate Bus):87
    • Kikonai Station to Matsumae: about 1 hour 30 minutes.
    • From Hakodate: about 3 hours, changing at Kikonai (or taking the Dōnan Isaribi Railway to Kikonai).
    • From Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto or Hakodate Airport: about 3 hours 20 minutes, with two changes.
    • Hakodate Bus has an office in Matsumae (tel. 0139-42-2015).87
  • Sakura-gō: in cherry season Hakodate Bus runs the reservation-only Matsumae Sakura-gō from Hakodate. In 2026 it ran on weekends and holidays from 25 April to 6 May, with about 3.5 hours in town.88
  • In town: the Tairyō-kun Bus (大漁くんバス) runs daily except 1 January, from Haraguchi to Shirakami, via Matsumae Onsen on most days.89
    • The fare is ¥100 (children ¥50), and ICAS nimoca IC cards are accepted.
    • Since 16 May 2026, the Matsumae office's waiting room closes at 17:00.89
  • Taxis: tourist taxis take about 2 hours from Hakodate Station or the Tsugaru Kaikyō Ferry terminal. From Yunokawa Onsen or Hakodate Airport they take about 2.5 hours.87
  • Air and sea: the nearest airport is Hakodate. Ferry travelers arrive at the Tsugaru Kaikyō Ferry terminal in Hakodate, about 2 hours away by taxi.87

Practical tips

  • Best season: late April to mid-May, when the early, mid and late cherries bloom in turn.4 During the festival (2026: 18 April–10 May) roads are closed and temporary car parks open. If blossoms come early or late, the same arrangements apply for about a week either side.46 Bloom maps are on the town's digital map, "Sakusaku MAP".46
  • Opening seasons: the castle museum and folk museum are closed from 11 December to 9 April.7015 Asami Shōten closes from December to March.32 The wind-farm park closes in winter.75
  • Tourist information: the tourist information center is next to the Hanamori shop by the castle (Matsushiro 131). Hanamori is open 10:00–16:00, or 9:00–17:00 during the cherry festival, daily from April to October.42 The Hokkaido Matsumae Tourism & Products Association is at the Hanyashiki (tel. 0139-42-2726).2
  • Weather: Matsumae is Hokkaido's mildest town and gets little snow. Winter northwesterly winds are strong, and the Tsugaru Strait can be very rough.11067 Kojima is often hidden in winter weather.4
  • Wildlife: Hokkaido issued the town's first brown-bear advisory on 15 July 2022; it was lifted on 14 August.10 Take the usual bear precautions on mountain and forest trails, such as Mount Daisengen.
  • Beaches: Orito-hama has no official swimming beach, so any swimming is at your own risk. Take your rubbish home.27
  • Temples: the temples in the temple quarter have no car parks of their own and ask visitors to keep quiet.5854 Use the free car park for visitors to the historic sites.71
  • Timing meals: many restaurants close in mid-afternoon or keep limited days. For example, Kaigyotei opens only Friday–Sunday, and the Michi-no-Eki restaurant closes at 15:00 outside summer weekends.3433

More about Matsumae

At a glance
Field Details
Type Town (町)
Subprefecture Oshima (渡島総合振興局)
District Matsumae District (松前郡)
Population 6,260 people in 3,196 households at the 2020 Census, down 14.7% from 2015.5 The Hokkaido resident-register reference figure was 5,453 on 31 August 2026.6 The town's own count was 5,467 people in 3,456 households on 31 July 2026.7 The preliminary 2025 Census count was 5,263, a fall of 15.9% in five years. That was the ninth-steepest rate of decline among Hokkaido municipalities.8
Area 293.25 km², including the islands of Oshima (9.74 km²) and Kojima (1.54 km²) (GSI, 1 April 2026).9 The main part of the town measures 18.8 km east–west and 31.5 km north–south, with 60.7 km of coastline.5
Density About 18.6 people/km² (5,453 residents). It was 21.3/km² at the 2020 Census.5
Municipal history Fukuyama Town (福山町) was formed on 1 July 1900. It was renamed Matsumae on 1 July 1940. On 1 July 1954 it merged with the villages of Ōshima (大島村), Ōsawa (大沢村) and Kojima (小島村) to form the present town.1011
Neighboring municipalities Fukushima to the east and Kaminokuni (Hiyama) to the north. Across the Tsugaru Strait lies Nakadomari, Aomori Prefecture.10
Symbols Tree: pine (マツ), after the town's name; a single pine is said to have jutted over the sea when Wajin (ethnic Japanese) first arrived. Flower: cherry (サクラ).1 No town bird is designated.10
Mascot Tairyō-kun (大漁くん, "Big Catch"), a tuna fisherman. He was designed by Matsumae-born manga artist Satō Akira (さとう輝) and became the official character in April 2009. His catchphrase is "Keppare!!", Matsumae dialect for "go for it!"5
Official website https://www.town.matsumae.hokkaido.jp/

Name origin
  • Town's explanation: the name is traced to an old place name written 万堂宇満伊犬 (Madōmainu) and to the Ainu forms Matsu-omai or Mato-mai, "place where women are". The town says it expressed how unusual it was for Wajin women to live in the land of the Indigenous people.1
  • Other theory: the Nipponica encyclopedia gives Matsu-omanai, "peninsula", as an alternative to Matsu-omai.11
  • Wider meanings: in the Edo period "Matsumae" meant the castle town (then called Fukuyama). It also meant the whole Wajin-settled area (松前地), and sometimes the entire island of Hokkaido (松前島).11
  • Fukuyama: the town was called Fukuyama from the early Edo period until 1940.11 The castle is still officially Fukuyama Castle.3

History
  • Ainu land and early Wajin settlers: the area was originally Ainu land. Wajin began settling from the Kamakura period.11 The town folk museum displays pottery excavated in the town, with exhibits spanning the Jōmon period to the present.15
  • Ōdate and the Kakizaki clan (15th–16th centuries): Ōdate (大館) was one of the twelve Wajin forts of southern Hokkaido. It was held for the Andō clan. After Koshamain's War broke out in 1456, Takeda Nobuhiro, later founder of the Matsumae house, killed Koshamain. Ōdate fell in an Ainu attack in 1513. In 1514 Kakizaki Mitsuhiro moved there from Kaminokuni with more than 180 small boats.16
  • Birth of the Matsumae domain: Kakizaki Yoshihiro took the name Matsumae after receiving recognition from Hideyoshi and Ieyasu.11 Ieyasu's black-seal letter of 1604 gave the clan a monopoly on trade with the Ainu.12 The clan moved its base from Ōdate to the new Fukuyama residence in 1606.16 One encyclopedia gives 1600 instead.11
  • A rice-less domain: rice could not be grown, so the clan paid its retainers with rights to trading posts (商場) in Ainu lands. It won Shakushain's War in 1669. In the 18th century, merchants took over the trading posts, and harsh conditions led to the Kunashir–Menashi uprising of 1789.12 (See Ainu heritage.)
  • Kanpo tsunami (1741): Ōshima island erupted, and a tsunami struck on the 19th day of the 7th month. By the domain's records, 1,467 people drowned, 791 houses were destroyed and 1,521 boats were wrecked. Ainu losses were recorded as "countless".17
  • Peak of the castle town: the Matsumae Byōbu folding screen shows the busy town in the 1750s–60s. It was probably made for an Ōmi-Hachiman merchant.18 The town passed 10,000 people by 1834.12 The tourist association says it had 8,000 households and 30,000 people at the end of the Edo period, making it the largest town north of Sendai.19
  • Transfer to Yanagawa (1807–1821): the shogunate took over Ezo and moved the clan to Yanagawa in Mutsu (now Date, Fukushima). The clan returned in 1821.12 This link is the basis of today's sister-city tie with Date.5
  • The new castle (1849–1854): fearing foreign ships, the shogunate ordered lord Matsumae Takahiro to build a castle. It was designed by military scholar Ichikawa Ichigaku and completed in 1854.3 It covered about 77,800 m², with six turrets, 16 gates and seven gun batteries.20 In 1854, during Perry's visit to Hakodate, clan elder Matsumae Kageyu was photographed. The daguerreotype is Japan's oldest surviving one.21
  • Loss of Ezo and the Boshin War: after Hakodate opened, the shogunate took back most of the clan's lands in 1855.12 In 1868 the former shogunate army under Hijikata Toshizō took the castle. Bullet marks remain on the gate's stone walls.3 The clan moved to Tate Castle in Assabu and became the Tate domain in 1869. The domain was abolished in 1871.12
  • Meiji and after: Matsumae was not a Meiji-era settler town. It lost its central role and became a fishing town.11 Most of the castle was pulled down by 1875. The keep, gate and east wall were designated a National Treasure in 1941.3
  • Municipal era: Fukuyama Town was formed in 1900, and Ōshima (1915), Ōsawa and Kojima (1923) villages followed. A storm on 3 October 1936 destroyed fishing fleets along the coast.10 Fukuyama was renamed Matsumae in 1940, and the four municipalities merged in 1954.10
  • Castle fire and rebuilding: on 5 June 1949 a fire spread from the town hall and destroyed the keep.3 A reinforced-concrete keep was completed in 1960, according to the tourist association's history page; its spot page and Kotobank give 1961.32011
  • Railway: the Fukuyama Line reached Oshima-Ōsawa in 1946 and Matsumae in 1953, when it became the Matsumae Line. The 50.8 km line closed on 1 February 1988 and was replaced by Hakodate Bus.10
  • Depopulation: the 1960 Census counted 19,534 people. The population had fallen to 6,260 by 2020.5
  • Recent: Rienne Matsumae Wind Farm began operating in 2019.22 The first brown-bear advisory for the town was issued in July 2022.10 Game 4 of the 76th Ōshō shogi title match is due to be played at Onsen Ryokan Yano on 15–16 February (2027).23

Geography & climate
  • Setting: Matsumae lies at the southwestern tip of the Oshima Peninsula. It faces the Sea of Japan to the west and the Tsugaru Strait to the south, and villages line National Route 228 along the coast.1 Most of the town is mountains and hills, with settlements strung along narrow coastal flats.11
  • Extremes: Cape Shirakami is the eastern end (140°13′E). Oshima is the western end (139°21′E), Kojima the southern end (41°22′N) and Haraguchi the northern end (41°38′N).5
  • Mountains: the highest point is Mount Daisengen (大千軒岳, 1,071.6 m), followed by Maesengen (前千軒岳, 1,056 m). The higher slopes carry Erman's birch, linden and beech.5
  • Rivers: they are short. The longest are the Kogamotsu (小鴨津川, 18.5 km), Mogusa (茂草川, 18.4 km) and Ōkamotsu (大鴨津川, 16.5 km) rivers.5
  • Islands: Oshima (渡島大島, 9.74 km², 732.4 m) is about 50 km offshore. It is the largest uninhabited island under Japanese administration and Hokkaido's westernmost point.524 Its streaked shearwater colony has been a Natural Monument since 1928.25 Kojima (松前小島, 1.54 km²) is a Natural Monument for its seabirds, including spectacled guillemots and common murres, and is their southern breeding limit.26
  • Parks: the coast and both islands are in Matsumae-Yagoshi Prefectural Natural Park (松前矢越道立自然公園), designated in 1968.127
  • Land use: about two-thirds of the town (194.36 km²) is classed as forest land.5
  • Climate: because of the Tsushima Current, Matsumae has the highest annual mean temperature in Hokkaido.1 It is classed as humid subtropical (Cfa), and bamboo and camellias grow here.10 At the Matsumae weather station (1991–2020), the annual mean is 10.5 °C, January averages −0.5 °C and August 22.7 °C. Annual precipitation is 1,251.3 mm and sunshine 1,518.5 hours.28 The records are 34.2 °C (24 August 2023) and −11.6 °C (24 January 2023).29 Snow is light, but northwesterly winter winds are strong.110 The station does not measure snowfall.28

Economy & industry
  • Fisheries: fishing is the core industry.11 In FY2024 the Matsumae Sakura Fisheries Cooperative (松前さくら漁協) landed 1,109 tonnes worth ¥883.7 million. It had 211 regular members and 470 boats.5
    • Spear squid (やりいか) is the most valuable catch: 151 t and ¥217.5 million in FY2024, and ¥402.4 million in FY2023.5
    • Other catches in FY2024 were sea urchin (82 t, ¥102.1 million), bluefin and other tuna (63 t, ¥91.3 million), kelp (40 t, ¥76.2 million), octopus (33 t) and abalone (4.4 t, ¥18.8 million).5
    • The Japanese flying squid catch collapsed from 99 t in FY2020 to 8 t in FY2024.5
  • Processing: food manufacturing had 14 establishments and 340 employees in 2021. That was most of the town's 20 factories and 379 factory workers.5
  • Farming: 134 farm households were counted in 2020.5 Beef cattle are also raised.11 There were 516 head in 2024, and 194 animals were sold that fiscal year for ¥91 million.5
  • Energy: Rienne Matsumae Wind Farm (リエネ松前風力発電所) has twelve 3.4 MW Siemens Gamesa turbines (40.8 MW) and an 18 MW battery. When it opened in April 2019 it was Hokkaido's first wind farm with battery storage. At 148 m tall, its turbines were then the largest operating in Japan.22
  • Tourism: 340,200 visitors came in FY2024, including 91,000 during the cherry festival. There were 493,900 in FY2019 and 563,800 in FY2009.5 The castle museum had 40,788 visitors and the Hanyashiki 19,380.5
  • Jobs: 2,653 residents were employed at the 2020 Census. The largest groups were services (729), wholesale/retail/restaurants (436), manufacturing (421) and construction (304). Fishing employed only 222 people, against 1,693 in 1980.5
  • Aging and decline: 52% of residents were 65 or older at the 2020 Census, and only 6% were under 15.5 In FY2024 there were 11 births and 163 deaths.5 The whole town is designated a depopulated area (過疎地域).5
  • Hometown tax (ふるさと納税): in FY2025 the town received ¥29.57 million from 1,472 individuals and 3 organizations. Spending that year from the fund, which also draws on past savings, included ¥3 million for the 9th Matsumae Tuna Festival.30

Local specialties
Specialty Category Details & where to get it
Matsumae-zuke (松前漬) Local dish Dried squid and kelp in soy sauce. Every shop's recipe differs, so try several.13
• Matsumae Bussankan Yoneta (松前物産館よねた, Matsushiro 57) makes versions with herring roe, octopus or burdock. It also sells sea-urchin pickles and marinated spear squid.31
• Asami Shōten (あさみ商店), inside the Hanyashiki, sells handmade kinds with herring roe, wasabi greens, whelk or scallop. It is closed from December to March; its products are sold at the Michi-no-Eki.32
Matsumae bluefin tuna (松前本まぐろ) Seafood Pacific bluefin caught by longline in the Tsugaru Strait and killed on board by ikejime. Local restaurants serve it, and fish shops sometimes sell rare cuts such as collar and cheek.13 A bluefin bowl costs ¥2,180 at the Michi-no-Eki.33
Matsumae rock laver (松前岩海苔) Seafood Picked by hand from slippery winter rocks. Output is small and it is rarely sold outside the area. It is served as nori dandan: two layers of rice and laver with a dash of soy sauce.13 Nori dandan costs ¥1,500 at the Michi-no-Eki.33
Sea urchin, abalone, spear squid Seafood
• Kaigyotei (海魚亭) is above Yoneta. It serves local northern purple sea urchin without alum, plus abalone curry. It opens Friday–Sunday, 11:00–14:30, and closes in winter.34
• Uenoya (上野屋, Ōsawa 95-2) ships live abalone, raw urchin and bluefin kimchi.35
• Urazato (浦里) serves an abalone-rice set and Matsumae ramen.36
Kojima kelp (松前小島こんぶ) Seafood Ishiyama Gyogyōbu (石山漁業部) harvests kelp and rock laver around Kojima island. Its products include kombu tororo (shaved kelp) and tengusa (agar seaweed). They are sold at the Michi-no-Eki.37
Spring wakame rice mix (春採れわかめのごはんの素) Seafood product Tender spring wakame to stir into rice. It has been featured on TV and is the Michi-no-Eki's recommended buy.38
Lord's banquet (松前藩主料理) Historic cuisine A reconstruction of the wedding feast of 14th lord Matsumae Norihiro, including whale soup (クジラ汁). Served at Onsen Ryokan Yano for ¥6,600; book by the day before.39
Oshiro monaka (お城最中) Sweets Castle-shaped wafers filled with azuki or sesame bean paste, from Hokuyōdō (北洋堂), founded in 1937.40
Awabi monaka and Hana no Matsumae (あわび最中・花の松前) Sweets Nakamuraya (中村屋, Matsushiro 3) makes an abalone-shaped wafer with gyūhi standing in for the abalone meat. It also makes a pink castella flavored with cherry syrup.41
Cherry soft-serve (桜ソフト) Sweets Sold at the tourist association's shop Hanamori (花守), next to the tourist information center by the castle.42
Sake Drinks Jizake no Asahi (地酒の旭) sells sake and shōchū direct from breweries. They include Kokuryū (黒龍), brewed by a tōji (master brewer) from Matsumae.43
Beef calves Livestock 194 animals were sold in FY2024 for ¥91 million, mostly as calves.5
Furusato nozei gifts Hometown tax Gifts are seafood and local confectionery. They are offered through nine portals, including Furusato Choice, Rakuten, Furunavi, ANA and JAL.44

Culture & festivals
Event When Highlights
Matsumae Sakura Matsuri (松前さくらまつり) Mid-April to mid-May. The 78th festival ran 18 April–10 May 2026 (23 days).45
• Cherry light-ups until 21:00 and a stamp rally
• food stalls behind Matsumae Shrine, 9:00–21:00
• a sister-city products fair
• a mikoshi procession on 4 May and a children's day with local mascots on 5 May
Traffic is restricted, and temporary car parks open.46
Matsumae Kagura public performance (松前神楽公開公演) 29 April every year Held on the castle's Honmaru plaza.14 In 2026 it was part of a showcase of all the town's folk performing arts.46
Uki-ajisai (浮き紫陽花, floating hydrangeas) July. In 2026 it ran 11–20 July.47 About 3,000 hydrangea blossoms float in the Hanyashiki's water channels. The event began in July 2020; evening light-ups were added in 2021.4
Matsumae Jōka Jidai Matsuri (松前城下時代まつり) Mid-August. The 41st festival was held 13–14 August 2026.48 Its highlight is the Bike Musha Parade (バイク武者軍団パレード), in which riders in armor ride through the old castle town.4
Matsumae Jōka Maguro Matsuri (松前城下マグロまつり) September. The 10th festival was held on 20 September 2026.49 Local bluefin dishes, a tuna-cutting show and on-the-spot tuna sales.13 In 2026 there was also a shogi event, "Checkmate! Win a tuna with one move".50
Shrine festivals Summer to autumn Examples: Matsumae Shrine 4–5 August, Era Hachiman Shrine 14–15 September, Tokuyama Daijingū 16–17 September.5
  • Performing arts:
    • Matsumae Kagura was first performed as an official domain rite in Fukuyama Castle in 1674. It spread along the Sea of Japan coast with fishing migrants, and today has 12 rites and 21 dances.14
    • Matsumae Gion-bayashi (松前祇園ばやし) is float music from the old shrine festivals; twelve pieces survive. It is a Hokkaido-designated intangible folk cultural property (1977).51
    • Town-designated traditions include Tsukishima Yakko-buri (月島奴振り), a 24-person daimyo-procession performance. Others are Era Kine-burumai (江良杵振舞), Matsumae Oiwake (松前追分節), Matsumae Sansagari (松前三下り) and the Matsumae Okiage Ondo (松前沖揚げ音頭) fishing song.552
  • Temples (寺町): the quarter north of the castle once held more than 15 temples and shrines. Most were lost in the 1868 fighting and later fires.53
    • Hōdō-ji (法幢寺, founded 1490) was the clan's family temple.54 Behind it is the Matsumae family cemetery (a National Historic Site). It has 55 grave markers and 23 stone mausoleums, many carved from Shakudani stone shipped from Echizen (Fukui).55
    • Ryūun-in (龍雲院, 1625) escaped the war. Its main hall and priests' quarters date from 1842 and are Important Cultural Properties.5356
    • Hōgen-ji (法源寺) has a gate, an Important Cultural Property, that is among the oldest buildings in Hokkaido.57
    • Kōzen-ji (光善寺, 1533) has the Kechimyaku cherry tree.58
    • Aun-ji (阿吽寺) was the clan's prayer temple. It is said to have come from Tsugaru with the Andō clan in 1443.59
  • Museums:
    • The Matsumae Castle Museum is in the rebuilt keep.3
    • The town folk museum (郷土資料館) is on the second floor of the Town Citizens' Center. Admission is free.15
    • Matsumae Hanyashiki (松前藩屋敷) is an open-air reconstruction of the Edo-period castle town.19
    • Hokuō Hirin (北鷗碑林) is a garden of 120 stones carved with calligraphy by Matsumae-born calligrapher Kaneko Ōtei and his students.3
  • Coming events: the Kitamaebune card rally links seven port towns in Hokkaido and Aomori, 1 September–31 October 2026. Cards are handed out at the Michi-no-Eki and the Hanyashiki.60 Game 4 of the 76th Ōshō shogi title match is due to be played in town on 15–16 February 2027.23

Ainu heritage
  • Background: Matsumae was Ainu land before Wajin arrived, and much of its early history is one of conflict.11
    • Koshamain's War, from 1456, overran all but two of the twelve Wajin forts. In 1513 an Ainu attack destroyed Ōdate.16
    • Under the Matsumae clan, trade with the Ainu was controlled from here. Ainu, who once traded freely in the Wajin areas and Tsugaru, were gradually restricted.12
    • The clan defeated Shakushain's forces in 1669. The Kunashir–Menashi uprising of 1789 came from conditions in the merchant-run trading posts.12
  • Karafuto Ainu memorial (カラフトアイヌ供養・顕彰碑): a stone at Kōzen-ji, town-designated in 2009.61
    • It honors Kimurakaaeno, a Sakhalin Ainu chief who died in 1848. It also names the Ainu who stayed at Kushunkotan (now Korsakov) during the Russian occupation of 1853–54.
    • It was probably erected in Sakhalin around 1856. How it reached Matsumae is unknown.
  • Ainu ethnographic collection (アイヌ民族関係資料): town-designated in 2011.62
    • Former Matsumae retainer Muraoka Itaru, a doctor in Mori in the early Meiji era, received the objects from Ikashipa (Benkai Takojirō), chief of Otoshibe.
    • They were donated in 1961 to mark the rebuilding of the keep. Dated Ainu material from the Oshima Peninsula is very rare.
  • Tsunami record: the 1741 tsunami records note the destruction of Ainu houses and boats and "countless" Ainu deaths.17
  • Gaps: no Ainu cultural facility or living Ainu community organization in the town was documented in the sources reviewed. Ainu derivations of local place names other than the town's own name were not confirmed.

Sister & friendship cities
  • Ōmi-Hachiman, Shiga Prefecture (近江八幡市): sister city since 3 October 1984, based on Kitamaebune trade ties dating from the early Edo period.5 The Matsumae Byōbu screen was long kept by an Ōmi-Hachiman merchant family.18
  • Matsumae (Masaki) Town, Ehime Prefecture (松前町・まさきちょう): sister town since 2 November 1990. The two share the same characters in their names and a castle-town history.5
  • Date City, Fukushima Prefecture (伊達市): sister-city ties with the former town of Yanagawa (梁川町), where the Matsumae clan was moved in 1807–1821, date from 15 October 1984.512 They were renewed with the merged Date City on 1 October 2011.5 Japanese Wikipedia gives 1 October 1984 for the first agreement.10
  • International: none found.

Notable people
  • Kaneko Ōtei (金子鷗亭, 1906–2001): calligrapher known as the "father of modern-poetry calligraphy".3 He wrote the title for Kurosawa's Throne of Blood (蜘蛛巣城).3 He was named an honorary citizen in 1990.5
  • Itō Sei (伊藤整, 1905–1969): Modernist novelist, poet and translator, born in Matsumae.90
  • Kakizaki Hakyō (蠣崎波響): Matsumae clan elder and painter. His grave is at Hōgen-ji.91 His painting Shibagaki Gunjaku-zu is a town-designated cultural property.5
  • Satō Akira (さとう輝): manga artist from Mogusa. He designed the mascot Tairyō-kun and drew the Matsumae Sakura Monogatari manga.563

Sources

Numbers in the text link to these sources. Figures as of 23 September 2026

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