Matsumoto

Matsumoto (松本) is a city located at the heart of Nagano Prefecture. It is a beautiful city with a fairly modern downtown area that is famous for a castle and conveniently located as a base of operations for trips to other areas of the prefecture.

How to Get There from Mie

By Train

The JR Chūō Main Line directly connects Nagoya and Matsumoto.

• Shinano Limited Express (特急しなの tokkyū shinano)

  Comfy train that gets you there in two hours for ¥5360. Reserved seats are available for a small extra fee however since the train begins at Nagoya it is fairly easy for people from Mie to take advantage of the unreserved seat cars.

• Regular trains

  You can reach Matsumoto in approximately four hours via local and rapid trains for ¥3260, or "free" if you are using the Seishun 18 Ticket. Take a rapid (快速 kaisoku) to Nakatsugawa (中津川), and then switch to a local there for the remainder of the ride.

  • Nakatsugawa-bound rapids leave Nagoya about once an hour
  • Locals heading all the way to Matsumoto leave Nakatsugawa about once every two-three hours
  • If you plan ahead, you can pick a kaisoku out of Nagoya that hooks up nicely with a Matsumoto-bound local at Nakatsugawa. If you do this, you can get to Matsumoto in just under four hours with only one transfer. Otherwise the trip will take significantly longer and is liable to have more transfers.

By Bus

Meitetsu Bus runs highway buses between Nagoya and Matsumoto. In standard traffic, the trip takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes and costs ¥3460 one-way; ¥5000 round-trip. Catch them at the Meitetsu Bus Center right at Nagoya Station. Tickets can be purchased at the bus center or advance online (recommended during busy travel seasons).

• Nagoya-Matsumoto Bus Schedule

Getting Around Town

Downtown Matsumoto is walkable and the city itself has a nice atmosphere and so provides for a pleasant walk, especially between the station and the castle. For those who plan to see more than just the castle, consider rental cycles which are available for cheap from a building near the station, ask the tourism information desk at the station how to get them.

There are a number of buses running in the area but they generally run out to the suburbs and are not terribly convenient for tourists, there is however one bus that runs a ring around downtown from just in front of the station.

There is a small local train line however unless you are going to Kami-Kōchi it will not assist you much in getting around town as it runs west of the station.

Local Attractions

Things to See

• Matsumoto Castle (松本城 matsumoto jō)

  The crowning item in town, what almost everybody comes to see. It is considered one of Japan's top three castles and for good reason -- it truly is a spectacular piece of architecture that, in the opinion of at least two Mie JETs, is the most beautiful of all of Japan's castles. What sets this castle apart from its many brothers and sisters across the country is the striking dark color of the wood, the way it is situated corner-perched on a moat, and the fact that on a clear day you can see Japan's tallest mountain range in the background. It is a very pleasantly situated castle, and you'd be hard pressed to find one that provides a more gorgeous scene.

  Note that the best view this castle offers is not inside the pay gates, but outside in the park, looking at it from across the water, facing the mountains (as in the picture). The view offered inside the pay gate is nice but not as amazing. However, because the castle is an original construction, by going inside you can see what a Japanese-style fortress really looked like from the inside -- and now that Himeji Castle is under construction until 2014 you can see an authentic castle interior here just as easily.

  The castle is about a 20 minute walk from the station. The path begins at the east side (castle side) of Matsumoto Station and is fairly well marked.

• Nawate Alley (ナワテ通り nawate dōri)

  When walking to Matsumoto Castle, after crossing a bridge across a river you will notice an Edo-style sidestreet to the right with an odd "Toad Samurai" statue. This is Nawate Alley and is a nice walk that is reminiscent of Ise Grand Shrine's oharai-machi. The taiyaki place is especially tasty.

Food and Drink

• Soba

  Nagano Prefecture is one of the premier soba producers in Japan, and eating it close to the source makes for an extra-tasty experience. There are tons of soba shops around town, and chances are they are all good. One that I can personally claim is very good is near the station -- go out the castle exit, turn left and walk for maybe two minutes, and its the soba shop on a street corner.

• French Restaurant

  There is a great authentic French restaurant near the station that is less ornamental than most in Japan. Head down the main road straight out of the station, and turn right before Tully's Coffee. It'll be just down on your right.

• Taiyaki

  The taiyaki place on Nawate Alley (see above) is notably good.

Accommodations

Hotels

There are a bunch of hotels, including a few right next to the station. Many of the standard chains are available, plus a few local ones.

• Hotel New Station

  Amazing eki-mae location, great price (two people can stay for a total of ¥6400), and there's an onsen on the roof. The restaurant in the lobby is pretty tasty as well.

Onsen

There are a few onsen on the outskirts of town, including Asama Onsen (浅間温泉) and Utsukushigahara Onsen (美ヶ原温泉), and more. You can get to these easily via buses departing from the Matsumoto Bus Terminal (located in the 7-11-owned department store across the street from the train station).

• Izumiya Ryokan

  Beautiful, small-scale onsen hotel that has been operating since the Meiji era. Due to its small size (only about 8-12 rooms), many overnight plans include a free 40-minute soak in their gorgeous private outdoor bath (貸切露天風呂 kashikiri rotenburo) for just you and your travel partner(s). The dinner here is also amazing, and when you book the room you get to choose amongst a few options for your main dishes (the beef shabu-shabu is the best I've ever had). You'll need Japanese to book the room and communicate with the staff.

Nearby

Matsumoto is a great place from which to launch yourself into other parts of Nagano Prefecture.

• Takayama

  Almost directly west of Matsumoto, Takayama is a relatively short and beautiful bus ride across the mountains west of town.

• Hakuba (白馬)

  Major skiing resort that held some of the 1998 Winter Olympic skiing races.

• Alpine Route (アルペンルート)

  Matsumoto is an ideal place to sleep overnight before setting off on a trip across the mountains to Toyama Prefecture via the Alpine Route, an amazing set of various types of transportation that crosses the Tateyama and the Kita Alps (Japan's tallest mountain range). Allow a full day to get to the other side. Only open April - November.

  Kami Kōchi (上高知)

  Popular hiking area through the wilderness

• Lake Suwa (諏訪湖)

See also

• Matsumoto - Wikitravel
• City of Matsumoto - Official tourism site