🕰️ Time Travels at the Matsumoto Timepiece Museum — “Tick-Tock in the Castle Town”

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Nestled just a ten-minute walk from Matsumoto Station and the nearby Matsumoto Castle (in Nagano Prefecture), the Matsumoto Timepiece Museum opened in 2002 to showcase the remarkable collection donated by engineer-collector Chikazo Honda. His collection, starting in 1974, included clocks and watches from Japan and around the world—all painstakingly restored and kept in working order. 

Inside, visitors will find more than 300 timepieces in regular rotation across the museum’s floors—ranging from ancient sundials, ornate European grandfather clocks, quirky Japanese candlestick clocks, to gramophones and musical recordings. A distinctive feature: the museum building’s exterior boasts a massive pendulum clock, claimed to be the largest in Japan.  The museum presents both spectacle and subtleties—tech-lovers and casual visitors alike discover how time-keeping devices chronicle cultural shifts and engineering ingenuity.

Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last admission at 4:30 p.m.), and closed on Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a holiday). Entry for adults is about ¥500.  Allow around 30–60 minutes for a visit—ideal as a short stop while exploring Matsumoto’s central attractions.

Post by Pingging | Oct 31, 2025