Photo/Illutration Matsumoto Castle in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, on Nov. 25 (Yuichi Koyama)

MATSUMOTO, Nagano Prefecture--Starting from March, digital tickets to enter Matsumoto Castle will only be sold for assigned dates and times, the city government said.

E-tickets without a designated date and time will no longer be available, it added.

The municipality introduced digital tickets on July 29 to prevent long queues during busy times and on weekends.

Of 329,240 paid visitors to the national treasure between July 29 and Nov. 10 last year, 26,979 people, or 8.2 percent, entered with digital tickets.

More than 20 percent used e-tickets on some weekends and holidays.

However, only 16 percent of e-ticket users used those intended for tourists who have yet to decide when to visit.

Although visitors didn’t need to stand in line for tickets at the door, they still had to wait sometimes nearly two hours to enter the main keep.

“There were some waiting times, and demand was so low,” Mayor Yoshinao Gaun said.

The number of date and time-assigned e-tickets sold each day will be increased from 960 to 1,600.

Cancellations will not be accepted after purchase.