Article

20482 ／まつかわむら

Nagano Prefecture 北安曇郡

Matsukawa Village

Halls set apart to view plays outdoors.

Kaguraden, an open-sided stage

Photo by さかおり (CC BY-SA 4.0)

01 ／ Jiigazuka Tumulus

The chamber opens to the south,built of stones large and small.

The tumulus stands alone at 658 m above sea level, with a stone chamber entered from the side that opens toward the south. The village says it dates from about 1,300 years ago, was built of piled stones large and small, and yielded pottery, armor and swords as grave goods. It is a village-designated historic site.

658 m above sea level
The village says about 1,300 years old
Village-designated historic site, 1983

02 ／ Pictured Votive Plaques

Adding a verse to their own portraits,villagers are thought to have dedicated them.

At the kaguraden of Ariakesan Shrine, 22 "sugata-iri meimei-gaku" plaques have been dedicated, including three large ones from the petitioners. They are thought to be portraits that villagers had a painter make after composing haiku and adding the best verse, and are presumed to date from the mid-Meiji period.

22 plaques
Presumed mid-Meiji period
Village-designated, 2020

03 ／ Okamemae Station

Okamemae Station was renamedKita-Hosono Station in 1937.

The village's chronology records that in 1937 Okamemae Station was renamed Kita-Hosono Station. At the foot of Mount Ariake, the village says, Uzume Shrine enshrined Okame (Ame-no-Uzume), called a goddess of the arts; its main hall and the Shinsei Bridge are village-designated cultural properties.

Station renamed in 1937
Main hall: one-bay nagare-zukuri, all zelkova
Main hall and bridge village-designated, 1999

Matsukawa Village 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 September–November 2021)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

About 56% of the village is forest, about 25% farmland.

about 10,000 people
Rural district town

The village lies at the southern end of Kitaazumi District, in the north of Azumino, bordering Omachi City to the north and northwest, Azumino City to the south and southwest, and Ikeda Town to the east. It covers 47.07 km2; the village says housing lies east of National Route 147 and rice fields to the west. The gateway is Shinano-Matsukawa Station on the JR Oito Line.

People living here: 9,599people
Area: 47.07km²
Households: 3,577households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 0 hospitals ／ 8 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.

Matsukawa Village in Japan36.424°N 137.855°E

to ShinjukuHighway bus248min

Travel times follow アルピコ交通（公式）『【高速バス】安曇野・大町・白馬－新宿』の時刻表（春・夏・秋ダイヤ 2026-04-01〜2026-12-04）。運転日『毎日』の5503便（新宿発 7:35→安曇野松川着 11:43）と5516便（安曇野松川発 16:20→バスタ新宿着 20:28）。どちらも248分。 (checked 2026-10-21). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 3 municipalities.

Territory of Matsukawa Village

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

8.2km

Omachi City, Azumino City, Ikeda Town

Matsukawa Village isthis kind of town.

01The kaguraden of Owada Shrine is a two-story, open-sided stage; the Hachijuni Cultural Foundation records that the space between the main hall and the shrine building was left wide to serve as an outdoor seating area for village plays. It is a village-designated cultural property
02Jiigazuka Tumulus, with a stone chamber opening to the south, and the 22 plaques at Ariakesan Shrine, thought to show villagers with their own verses, are both village-designated cultural properties
03The village, where Okamemae Station was renamed Kita-Hosono Station in 1937, lies at the southern end of Kitaazumi District; about 56% of it is forest, and Shinano-Matsukawa Station on the JR Oito Line is its gateway

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Matsukawa Village official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes