The area around Matsumae Castle, the only old-style Japanese castle in Hokkaido, which was selected as a Hokkaido Heritage Site in 2004, is known as one of "Japan's 100 Beautiful Historic Landscapes." Local residents are fond of and proud of the town's scenery, and you can feel the unique atmosphere of a castle town just by walking around. It is also famous as a cherry blossom viewing spot, with approximately 10,000 trees of about 250 varieties, and is a popular spot visited by many people, as it can be enjoyed for a long period of time, from the winter cherry blossoms in early April to the late-blooming cherry blossoms in late May.

The cherry blossoms began as a famous spot for cherry blossoms in the Edo period, when they were brought there by local merchants, the wives of feudal lords who came from Kyoto, and samurai who returned from Edo after completing their alternate attendance. As the master of haiku, Matsuo Basho, wrote, "Are all the descendants of flower guardians for a mile?", after the Taisho period, Kamakura Kanesuke tried to propagate the trees by grafting, and from the 1940s, local elementary school teacher Asari Masatoshi collected cherry trees from all over the country and worked to improve their varieties, leading to the present day.

Within the approximately 213,500 square meter grounds, there are many things to see, including the three most famous Matsumae trees: the Kechimyakuzakura at Kozenji Temple, which is estimated to be over 300 years old, the Ezo Kasumizakura at Ryuun-in Temple, and the Meotozakura at Tenjinzakamon. It is an irresistible paradise for cherry blossom lovers, with the beautiful combination of the castle and cherry blossoms, the Sakura Sample Garden, which can be considered a living cherry blossom picture book, and the Sakura Museum, which is open during the Sakura Festival.

Matsumae Fukuyama Castle, the last Japanese-style castle in Japan, was completed in 1854 (Ansei 1). It was designated a national treasure in 1941 (Showa 16), but was destroyed by fire in 1949 (Showa 24). The current castle tower was rebuilt in 1961 (Showa 36). The Honmaru Gomon gate dates back to the time of the castle's construction and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.