Matsumoto Part I: The Basics

What?
Matsumoto is a mountain city located in a plain in the very center of the Japanese Alps. While it serves mainly as a hub for nature lovers who want to hike the surrounding mountains or sports fans who want to explore the various ski slopes, the city can also be proud of its original castle that is designated as national treasure. The city is also home to various museums and views of and references to the surrounding alps are never far away.
Where?
Matsumoto is located in the very center of the Honshu Main island, in the very center of Nagano Prefecture and in the very center of the Japanese Alps. Getting there is easiest from Tokyo with the Azusa Limited Express Train. For people who have the JR Rail Pass, taking the Shinkansen to Nagano to transfer to the Shinano Limited Express is also an option. Coming from Kyoto getting to remote Matsumoto is a bit of a hassle. Whatever means of transport you use it will take time, so I mostly opt for a highway bus.
URL
Japan Guide Outline Visit Matsumoto Matsumoto Castle

Everyone who knows me knows about my love for Matsumoto. I have lived there for about a year and a half and completely lost my heart to this small city surrounded by the most beautiful mountain chains. Still now I return there several times yearly. I have difficulties to explain why though. As a tourist it might seem that spending one day in Matsumoto is more than enough, but as an inhabitant of the city I marveled every day at the fantastic vistas and I had great ease to find likeminded people as practically everyone there loves their Matsumoto, their Shinshu.

This time it was the first time since long that I visited Matsumoto with a touristic eye. I also have to tell truthfully that despite having lived there for quite a while, I never really visited the touristic spots apart from the castle. I have made my amends and can write this blogpost now.

The first stop was inevitably Matsumoto Castle. It’s a must see and arguably the second most beautiful castle in Japan after Himeji. The castle grounds are wide, the moat is still largely intact and the donjon is simply impressive. The castle is big and rises up from the plain instilling awe - and probably also fear in the olden days - in everyone who beholds it. The somewhat scary black and white walls certainly play a role in this. The castle is one of only five that have been declared national treasure, which means that the whole tower still stands in its original form. This in turn means that the inside of the turret is only accessible by climbing steep and uneven staircases and by banging your head a few times. On a few floors weapons are exhibited, but unlike many would think guns are the central subject. Once a year these guns or similar ones are shown and used on the castle grounds. The only minor criticism I have about the castle is that it’s not a hilltop castle, making it less impressive than it could have been. But really, that is only nitpicking.
Beware though that Matsumoto and its castle have seen a rise in popularity both with domestic as foreign travelers, and that it could become very crowded. I suggest visiting on a weekday early in the morning.

Included in the castle ticket is the admission to the Matsumoto City Museum, a rather ugly building on the otherwise charming castle grounds. Unless you are in love with Matsumoto – like I am – and want to know how the place looked like 50 to 100 years ago, you don’t really have to come in here. It’s free so there’s no harm to take a look though. I remember several years ago when I guided some friends that they had a rather interesting temporary exhibit about festivals in Tohoku.

Matsumoto Castle and the dramatic alps backdrop.

Gun festival at the castle grounds.

Tohoku exhibit in the City Museum.

Matsumoto's temari balls on display in the City Museum.

Next on the agenda was a visit to the Former Kaichi School. I have known about this place since long as it always figures second in the list of places to see after the castle. I have to admit though that I have never visited it until today. The Former Kaichi School was built in the Meiji Period and it seems to be the oldest one of its kind still standing. I was immediately drawn to the building, probably as it remembered me of many buildings in the Meiji-mura museum that I had visited only a couple days ago. Inside the school, old school documents and artifacts are being displayed. English explanation is none existent though, and even with my knowledge of Japanese I had difficulties finding out what was what. I liked strolling inside the (bitterly cold) building, hearing the floors creak underneath my feet. What I was able to understand about the school was also quite interesting (more here). However I would not recommend a visit though. Looking at the building from outside will satisfy most people.

Several sites mention the Nawate Street and Nakamachi Street as interesting places to visit closely to the castle, but really, they are just streets with a slightly more fancy look than usual streets. If you like walking aimlessly through a city then by all means stop by, but remember that even combined these 2 streets might not even be 1 kilometer long.
The Nakamachi street does have a new local craft brewery, so if you love beer you should hop in. Their tap room is opened from 13:00 until 19:00 (closed on Tuesdays).

I hopped on my rental bicycle and peddled my way back to the Matsumoto Museum of Art. In front of the museum there are gigantic flowers made by Yayoi Kusama, the author of the famous giant black/yellow pumpkin on the art island Naoshima. I passed here many times when I lived in Matsumoto and even took part in a small kimono festival that took place in the museum’s gardens, and I’ve always been fascinated by those flowers. I never had the chance to visit though. Today I did but I was a bit unlucky with the timing. In a month an exposition of the same Yayoi Kusama will start and preparations are on the way, making that only half of the museum was open for the public (they adjusted the entrance fee downwards though, so no problem). The two expositions being held of artists that were already forgotten only a few hours after I visited the place were very disappointing, but the exhibition by the local art high school was rather enjoyable. Not every piece was a success, but I still was surprised by the inventiveness and quality of most pieces.

The Kaichi School.

Artwork of Yayoi Kusama at the Art Museum.

Nawate Street is also known as the Frog Street...

... and those frogs are everywhere, in all forms and shapes.

From the Art Museum I crossed the street entering a residential area to stop by at the Ishii Miso Brewery. I’ve always loved miso-soup and I work for a sake brewer which has similarities with brewing miso, so a visit was long overdue. From the moment I parked my bicycle the brewer came up to me and asked if I wanted a tour. He immediately took me by the hand and gave me a private tour. Truth to be told, “tour” is a big word. You get to see a room with big vessels, you get a free miso-soup (delicious!) and you get to visit the brewery shop. All in all it just takes 15 minutes. However I found the brewer speaking very enthusiastically and my visit very informative. That I received a private tour gave me the opportunity to ask as many questions as I liked and I really learned quite a bit about miso and how it’s being made. And it’s not that I was the only visitor; apparently they give the same service to most who come and visit. I bought myself some delicious looking miso with spring onion and the rather unique speciality of the house – 3 years old miso. If you ask you can also get a tasty lunch at the shop.

In fact, it’s possible to do this all on foot. I took the bicycle for my next stop which is a bit out of the way: the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum. I have always been fascinated by ukiyo-e, an art forms that looks a bit like early movie posters and have a kind of comic-book feel to them. Most of the time I also like what the pictures convey; everyday scenery but often with a little bit of humor, nostalgia or small drama. I knew the collection in Matsumoto was one of the biggest in the world so I was always mad at myself for not stopping by sooner. The museum is rather pricey though for the very small amount of pieces on display. Despite the size of the building and the collection, there is only one large rectangular room open for visitors. Nevertheless the pieces on display include some of Hiroshige, the master in this field. Each displayed item had also an English explanation next to it so everything about the pictures became clear, even when it was about old Japanese children’s games. I was all alone and really enjoyed the visit, but if this is not your cup of tea the 1000 yen entrance fee is a big bummer.

Directly behind the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum is the Japanese Court and Open-air Architectural Museum. Honestly? I never even heard of the place. But I was there anyway and the entrance fee was only 300 yen (this rate is only for those who visit both this place and the Ukiyo-e Museum though, normal rate is 500 yen). What is it? It’s a collection from buildings from the neighborhood of the Meiji era.
……
Which means, this is exactly what the Meiji-mura Museum is, only at a scale 100 times as small. The court house was very nice and I was surprised and delighted by the quality of the juvenile cell blocks. The prison wing in Meiji-mura was impressive, but this one seemed a little more authentic. Apart from these two buildings there was an old spinning factory and an inn, and also a very normal house. I wondered though, the Former Kaichi School is a building from the Meiji era and has been moved from its original place to its current position behind the castle. Couldn’t they have moved it here? It would only make sense and it would make this open-air museum more attractive, because despite 2 interesting buildings the whole place felt quite abandoned and too small for what it should be. Additionally, the complete lack of English signage is also an obstacle for those foreign tourists who’d like to visit. If you’re in the neighborhood you should try and pass by. Both this place and the Ukiyo-e Museum are quite out of the way though…

For me this was enough for one day and I was glad I could have a bite and a drink somewhere. It is possible though to include a few other attractions in one day, like the Timepiece Museum (that I have never visited) or maybe you can try and make a traditional temari ball (advanced reservation necessary). Temari balls are those balls that figure on the beautiful manhole covers of Matsumoto!