Matsumoto is located in the former
Shinano Province and was the
provincial capital from the
Heian period onwards. The area developed as the
castle town of
Matsumoto Domain under the
Tokugawa shogunate of the
Edo period. Modern Matsumoto Town was established with the creation of the municipalities system on 1 April 1889. It was raised to city status on 1 May 1907. On 1 February 1925, Matsumoto absorbed the village of Matsumoto (from
Higashichikuma District). The city expanded further by annexing the Kanda hamlet of the village of Nakayama from
Higashichikuma District on 1 April 1943, the villages of Nakayama, Shimadachi and Shimauchi (all from
Higashichikuma District) on 1 April 1954, the villages of Wada, Niimura, Kanbayashi, Sasaga, Yoshikawa, Kotobuki, Okada, Iriyamabe, Satoyamabe and Imai (all from
Higashichikuma District) on 1 August 1954. Kitauchida and Gakenoyu hamlets were annexed from the Minamiuchida ward of the village of Kataoka in the city of
Shiojiri on 1 April 1960 and 1 April 1961. The village of Hongo (from Higashichikuma District) on 1 May 1974 and parts of Seba hamlet (the hamlet of Kukohigashi) were annexed from Shiojiri on 1 April 1982. On 27 June 1994, the
Matsumoto sarin attack occurred. Matsumoto was proclaimed a
special city with increased local autonomy on 1 November 2000. Matsumoto annexed the villages of
Azumi,
Azusagawa and
Nagawa (all from
Minamiazumi District), and the village of
Shiga (from
Higashichikuma District) on 1 April 2005. This was followed by the town of
Hata (from Higashichikuma District) on 31 March 2010. Matsumoto was proclaimed a
core city with increased local autonomy on 1 April 2021. ==Geography==