Article

01331 ／まつまえちょう

Hokkaido 松前郡

Matsumae Town

Parent of an early cherry, at a temple.

Kechimyaku cherry tree

Photo by pakku (CC BY 3.0)

01 ／ Matsumae Castle

Built on the shogunate's order; the town calls itthe last Japanese-style castle.

Matsumae Castle in Matsumae Town — Photo by MaedaAkihiko (CC0)

Matsumae Castle was begun in 1850 and completed in 1854. The keep seen today is a reinforced-concrete reconstruction completed in 1960, and the only surviving original structure is the Honmaru Gate, a national important cultural property.

Begun 1850, completed 1854
National historic site (designated 1935)
Honmaru Gate: national important cultural property

02 ／ Shirakami Cape

In the town at Hokkaido's southern tip,Shirakami Cape offers a grand view.

Shirakami Cape in Matsumae Town — Photo by としぴい (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The town's website describes a varied coastline on the Tsugaru Strait and names the view from Shirakami Cape. According to the tourist association, the cape is about 19 km from Aomori across the strait, over 300 bird species have been seen nearby, and many can be seen in early mornings from mid-September to late October.

About 19 km to Aomori (tourist association)
Over 300 bird species recorded (tourist association)
Birds: early mornings, mid-Sept to late Oct

03 ／ Matsumae Kagura

Inside the castle, Kagura was first offeredas an official domain event, records say.

Matsumae Kagura is a national important intangible folk cultural property, seen along the Sea of Japan coast, mainly in the Oshima and Shiribeshi regions. The town's website says that, according to the Fukuyama Hifu, Kagura was first offered as an official domain event inside the castle in 1674. It now has 12 rites and 21 dances.

National important intangible folk cultural property (2018)
12 rites and 21 dances
Preservation groups in four areas

Matsumae Town from the sky

Now and 1974–78. Tap a photo to zoom in.

Now1974–78

Wide (about 6 km across)

Close (about 1.5 km across)

Now (shot July–September 2022)Shot 1974–78

Source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) GSI Tiles（全国最新写真（シームレス）／国土画像情報（第一期：1974〜1978年撮影））

Open in GSI Maps (now)Open in GSI Maps (1974–78)

Living here

From Kikonai Station, 89 minutes by local bus.

about 6,000 people
Rural district town

Hakodate Bus's Kikonai-Matsumae line takes 89 minutes from Kikonai Station to the Matsujo stop, by the fastest daily service (October 2026 timetable). The town's access page says about 1 hour 30 minutes by local bus from Kikonai Station.

People living here: 6,260people
Area: 293.25km²
Households: 3,196households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 1 hospital ／ 3 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —2 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

ACCESS

Where you can go from here.

Matsumae Town in Japan41.430°N 140.110°E

to KikonaiLocal bus89min

Travel times follow 函館バス『木古内・松前線』521・522・523系統（木古内→知内→福島→松前）。函館バス公式の『2026年度冬期ダイヤ改正（2026-10-01実施）冬期改正ポケット時刻表』（https://hakobus.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/20261001_pocketjikokuhyo.pdf の138ページ〈PDFの126ページ目〉・見出し『平日・土日祝共通 521・522・523系統』）と、松前町公式『大漁くんバス』のページの時刻表PDF（令和8年4月1日改正・町政策推進課発行）の両方を読んだ。**木古内駅前 → 松城（町役場から約250mの停留所）の毎日運転の最速は89分**：521系統の木古内駅前 9:00→松城 10:29／11:10→12:39／12:30→13:59／15:50→17:19（4本。平日・土日祝とも運転）。松前出張所（終点）までは同じ便が96分（10:36・12:46・14:06・17:26着）。523系統の夜の便（18:32→松城 20:04＝92分）も毎日だが最速でない。**数えなかった便**：522系統の木古内 6:20発と523系統の 7:38発は『土曜・日曜・祝日運休』（時刻表の凡例）で、町の表でも『平日のみ運行』。逆向き（松城→木古内駅前）の毎日運転の521系統（松前出張所 7:20発→松城 7:27発→木古内 8:56着＝89分、12:23発〈松城 12:30〉→13:59着、14:46発〈松城 14:53〉→16:22着、16:00発〈松城 16:07〉→17:36着）も89分で往復同じ。8:37発・10:55発は『土曜・日曜・祝日運休』で数えない (checked 2026-10-29). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 2 municipalities.

Territory of Matsumae Town

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (Administrative Area Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari.Lakes: National Land Numerical Information (Lake Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari. Prepared with the approval of the Director-General of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, using its Digital Map 25000 (Spatial Data Framework) and Digital Map 25000 (Place Names and Public Facilities). (承認番号平27情使、第585号)

North to south

31.2km

Fukushima Town, Kaminokuni Town

Matsumae Town isthis kind of town.

01The Kechimyaku cherry tree in a temple's grounds is over 300 years old; the town's website infers it was carried by Kitamaebune ships and calls it the parent of Naden, Matsumae's leading early-blooming cherry
02Matsumae Castle was ordered by the shogunate, and the town's website calls it the last Japanese-style castle; its only surviving structure is the Honmaru Gate, a national important cultural property. Shirakami Cape lies on the coast of the town at Hokkaido's southern tip
03Matsumae Kagura is a national important intangible folk cultural property, recorded as first offered inside the castle as an official domain event in 1674. Kikonai Station is about 1 h 30 min away by local bus

See the town as it is now.

Facebookmatsumae.hokkaido ↗

Source: Wikidata (P2002, P2003, P2013, P2397)

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Matsumae Town official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes