Matsumoto

松本

Home to one of Japan's most photogenic original castles with distinctive black walls surrounded by mountains and a moat. The city offers traditional streets, contemporary art museums, and serves as a base for exploring the Northern Japanese Alps.

Things to do

• Matsumoto Castle — Explore one of Japan's oldest original castles, featuring striking black walls and a five-story main tower surrounded by a picturesque moat and mountain backdrop.
• Nawate Street — Stroll through this charming pedestrian lane lined with traditional wooden shops, galleries, and cafes alongside the Metoba River in the old town.
• Japan Ukiyo-e Museum — View one of the world's largest collections of traditional woodblock prints, featuring over 100,000 works spanning centuries of Japanese art.
• Matsumoto City Museum of Art — Experience contemporary and traditional art exhibitions housed in a striking modern building with works by local and international artists.
• Kamikochi Alpine Trek — Hike into the Northern Japanese Alps from Matsumoto to experience pristine mountain scenery, alpine meadows, and clear mountain streams.
• Daio Wasabi Farm — Visit this historic wasabi plantation where the pungent green root vegetable thrives in cool mountain spring water, with farm shops and restaurants.

Food to try

• Basashi (horse meat sashimi) — Thinly sliced raw horse meat served chilled with soy sauce and wasabi, a regional specialty in the mountain areas surrounding Matsumoto.
• Shinshu soba — Buckwheat noodles from the Nagano region served either hot or cold, made with local ingredients and spring water from the Northern Alps.
• Oyaki — Grilled dough parcels filled with vegetables, mushrooms, or beans, a traditional mountain comfort food still widely made in local homes and restaurants.
• Matsumoto ramen — Rich shoyu-based ramen with a dark, savory broth made from chicken and pork bones, topped with local vegetables and chashu pork.
• Wasabi soba — Fresh buckwheat noodles topped with grated fresh wasabi root from nearby farms, served in a light dipping sauce highlighting the vegetable's heat.

Local customs & good to know

• Visit the castle early in the morning — Arrive before 9 AM to avoid crowds and experience the castle with fewer tourists, especially during peak tourist seasons in spring and autumn.
• Purchase a Matsumoto Castle ticket combo — Many attractions offer discounted combination tickets that bundle castle entry with nearby museums, making exploration of the cultural district more economical.
• Respect quiet hours in traditional areas — Keep noise levels low when walking through Nawate Street and residential neighborhoods near the castle, as these are living cultural preservation areas.
• Try local wasabi fresh at farm shops — When purchasing wasabi products or eating wasabi soba, seek out products labeled 'freshly grated' rather than tube wasabi, as the local mountain wasabi is prized for its quality.