^{Recently I saw an traveller’s Internet post stating that Matsumoto in Japan’s Nagano prefecture was worth only a half a day visit. I was gobsmacked – astounded! I have visited five times now – the latest for four days last November (2025). I could happily visit again and still find new things to see and do. Matsumoto, to me, is a little like a treasure chest. Keep digging through it and you will continue to discover gems!}

^{I’ve written about Matsumoto a few times since first visiting in 2019. Check out https://travellingtherese.com/2025/04/25/matsumoto-once-again/ Then read on for my latest experiences there.}

^{THE CASTLE – AGAIN}

^{On the first day of our latest visit, I was out the hotel door shortly after dawn on what was a perfect morning to walk a short distance to Matsumoto castle – one of the 12 originals left in Japan. It’s also known as Black Crow castle – black lacquered walls adding elegance and beauty. I’ve previously photographed this castle every which way, but was still keen to see what new views I might achieve with my Sony 7iii camera. I confess that this enchanting castle has me spell bound. For me, it is the most beautiful of half dozen castles in Japan that I have seen to date.}

^{The castle grounds in November were resplendent with autumn colour – simply stunning. A chrysanthemum exhibition held in the castle grounds was wrapping up, with workmen loading some of the magnificent displays onto a small Ute. I wondered where they would be taken.}

^{Searching for new camera angles, I diverted off the main paths to circumnavigate the castle grounds and soon came across my first new discovery – the historic Taikomon Gate (also known as the drum gate) that reopened that very month after a 7-year restoration – just in time for my visit! I returned later in the day to show the Gate to MJ, just as a group of young school children passed through it with their teachers.}

As I ambled in the grounds to the rear of the castle I noticed a douzo – a small white building constructed in 1867 to store gold and money! Like a miniature Japanese samurai era merchant’s storehouse.

^{Across the road on the northern side of the Castle I spotted Matsumoto shrine – not to be confused with the city’s more famous Yohashira Shrine. Massive trees dividing the road and within the shrine grounds initially captured my attention – I wondered about their age. Very huggable majestic trees! Then I realised there was a shrine hidden away there that I had never spotted before. And there was no one else in the grounds!A peaceful place offering cool spring water that you can drink from an historic well within the grounds.}

^{THE KAICHI SCHOOL}

^{I passed the Shrine again later in the day with MJ, and there were still no people visiting! We were headed on foot to school! A very old and celebrated school. The 1876 KAICHI school was one of the first public elementary schools in Japan and is now a museum focused on its history. The magnificent two storey building reflects a western style popular in the late 1800’s, infused with subtle Japanese influences. A local master carpentry craftsman designed it after visiting Edo (Tokyo) and Yokohama to study western style buildings before embarking on the project.}

^{Kaichi opened with a enrolment of more than 1000 students – the country’s first modern-era school building and today it is a designated National Treasure in Japan. Kaichi captured the attention of Emperor Meiji (1852–1912) who visited it in 1880. Photographs of the building were displayed at the World fairs in New Orleans (1884) and Chicago (1893).} 

^{It’s a shoes off building – you are provided with those tricky indoor slip-ons to wear. Alert! Slip sliding away danger! There are no elevators – so tackling the staircases and old wooden floors wearing them was a challenging exercise for me with my crappy left knee. Kaichi was worth the risk. Its exhibits include textbooks and classroom equipment from the nineteenth century to the present. It’s a beautiful old building, and I learnt a lot about how school education changed in Japan in the late 1800’s.}

^{As I returned to the exit, I spotted these weeny teeny miniature pottery vases on a window sill. So tiny, but still authentic vases that could hold water and flowers. At the entry/exit, I found a big selection of them was on sale – super cheap. I do love my pottery vases, so this was an exciting discovery for me. I bought five. I’ve kept three and gave the other two to friends. It doesn’t take a lot of make me happy!}

^{THE PRIESTS HOUSE}

^{Adjacent to Kaichi is another smaller double storied building that was once home to priests attached to a nearby Catholic Church. It was built in 1889 by French priest Augustin Clement in another area of Matsumoto, and was relocated to its current site in 1989. The building is free to enter, and has another challenging staircase! The weather board building definitely needs a coat of paint! At this point, we were about a 25 minute walk from Matsumoto Railway station, and about 10 minutes from the castle. I was intrigued by the building’s history and in particular the tiny fireplaces in the home. I’m unsure how well they would have heated the house in a snow bound Matsumoto winter.}

^{A LIBRARY LUNCH}

^{I’m always interested in unusual places to eat, so spotting the nearby Matsumoto city library towards the back of the Kaichi and Priests House buildings, I wondered if it had a cafe. It did – a nice simple cafe on the third floor that probably has never seen many Aussie tourists wander in! Maybe we were the first!}

^{Matsumoto library offered a simple and very cheap menu. Something was lost in translation between us and the lone waitress, and my curry dish didn’t arrive. Maybe the staff of two – cook and waitress – thought only my husband was hungry! We ordered my mains again, adding some simple deserts. Japan retains a great love for books. There are some amazing library buildings to be seen. Matsumoto’s was very ordinary, and appeared well patronised. The homely little cafe was delightful.}

^{After lunch we took a street wander, taking in various styles of homes, gardens and other buildings en route. We were looking into a display window showing some old traditional Geta shoe ice skates and photos from the days when skates were wooden, when we were approached by a young woman who explained the photos by translator. Apparently, back in the day, people used to skate on the frozen castle moat in winter.}

^{A group of locals are working hard to preserve the building’s legacy while raising funds to restore parts of the theatre through an impressive retro movie poster display, small movie screenings, cultural experiences, historical postcards and – fresh popcorn! The magnificent original facade is no longer there -unless it’s still hidden behind various ugly renovations over the years. Inside our young hostess gave us a guided tour – revealing an original projection room, staircases, and theatre seating. She spoke little english, but was excellent on the translator gadget! The old theatre was one of those treasure gems offered up by Matsumoto. MJ even got to pose inside an old fashioned ticket sale box!}

^{MATSUMOTO CAFE SCENE}

^{The cafe scene in Matsumoto is vibrant and flourishing. And we made some wonderful new discoveries on this trip. We enjoyed a bagel breakfast at the Storey House cafe and Bar in Matsumoto’s Nawate Street. It’s run by an American Chris and his Japanese wife Kumi. Chris bakes fresh bagels every day, and opens his shop early in the mornings with his breakfast menu. The cafe also has a performance area where it regularly presents live music. Something I sadly missed seeing, but maybe I will luck in on another future visit! In particular, I’d love to attend one of their live jazz nights.}

^{We delighted in a cheesecake and coffee/afternoon tea at a sweet little florist cafe – ie: it is a flower shop combined with a limited menu cafe! Nice idea – worked well.}

^{There were two other foodie gems that stood out. Nakamachi cafe on Matsumoto’s famous Nakamachi street and Coffee Bigaku Abe – a pioneer in cafe culture in Matsumoto, run by same family since 1957.}

^{Nakamachi cafe was an accidental find – and what a discovery! It serves up huge soufflé like pancakes as part of its unique breakfast menu, along with excellent coffee and light meals. It also has tempting desert soufflés amongst its menue. Its website suggests it has an Australian barista. I should have called out COOEE to connect up, but I heard no Aussie accents behind the counter. So, probably missing that day. The eggs and bacon soufflé breakfast was like none I have ever tasted! A must try in Matsumoto.}

^{‘Coffe Bigaku Abe’ opens at 7am for breakfast – a very unusual early start for a cafe in Japan. I’d heard about it before visiting, and chose it for breakfast on our departure day in Matsumoto. Lucky us only had to wait a few minutes to get a table. If there is a queue outside, join it as this cafe is worth the effort. We had our suitcases with us, kindly stored by staff while we ate. Menu items were delivered on individual little plates – not altogether on the one plate. It reminded me of little tea parties I’d have as a child with my siblings – everything served on miniature china plates.}

^{It was, however, our latte coffee order that had us perplexed when two white empty cups and saucers, with little golden spoons, were delivered to our table. A few minutes later, a waitress arrived with a big hot cooper coffee pot in one hand and in the other a silver pot filled with steaming hot milk. She then proceeded to pour both simultaneously from a great height into the cups, not spilling a drop or creating a splash. It was great cafe theatre! I didn’t take a still photo, but did capture a video on my camera. The photo is a screen shot from the video. This cafe is also famous for its parfaits. A bit too early in the morning for me to order one, but I saw some magnificent creations arrive at the tables of some fellow diners. Next time!}

^{There were some enjoyable return visits on this trip. Matsumoto brewery Tap room in the Shinmai Media Garden building. MJ enjoys the boutique beer there, I love the local apple juice and we both can’t resist their thin based mushroom and cheese pizzas drizzled with honey for our evening meal.There’s also some Matsumoto bushwalking/camping shops we frequent and buy from. MJ is always in danger of setting up camp in them. Though the biggest danger is when he comes across a Japanese fishing shop – he may never leave!}

^{MORE DAY TRIPS FROM MATSUMOTO}

^{We have done many day trips from Matsumoto over the years. It’s a great base. In November, we undertook two – one to Japan’s biggest wasabi farm and one a return trip to the Kiso Valley to further explore Kiso Fukushima. We also considered a return visit to walk more trails at Kamikochi in the Alps, but the weather was against us, and I wasn’t sure my painful crappy knee would handle the walk I hoped to do.}

^{The Daiso Wasabi farm is in nearby picturesque AZUMINO, a 30 minute local train ride from Matsumoto. It began operations in 1951 – a year before I was born – and now produces about 150 tons of wasabi every year. I’d considered doing this side trip on previous Matsumoto visits, but thought the journey might be a bit complicated. Turned out to be easy!}

^{Kiso Fukushima was once a major Samurai post town on the Nakasendo trail, but today doesn’t seem to have been discovered by any great surge of tourists. We visited for the first time in May last year, but ran short of time to explore it properly. So, in November we headed back there by train from Matsumoto to explore it more. Both these day trip visits from Matsumoto are worth separate stories – so I will tell you more in future posts soon.}

^{Another cafe I had intended to visit during our November stay was HANGOUT COFFEE. I’ve been following their Instagram for some time, and their food looks very special. We found it, but I was dismayed to see a very steep staircase looming at a steep angle upwards to its door – a staircase to culinary heaven perhaps, but sadly too much, I felt, for my knee to cope with that day. So we turned away.}

^{ARTS AND MUSIC}

^{Matsumoto has a vibrant Arts and Music scene. It was the birthplace of the philosopher and teacher Dr Shinichi Suzuki who established the internationally popular violin ‘Suzuki’ method. On our visits we haven’t explored this aspect of Matsumoto very much – but it is there to be explored and enjoyed.}

^{THE KNEE – GOOD NEWS}

^{My regular readers know that I had a total knee reconstruction three years ago. The knee replacement was well done, but I continued to experience unexplained intense knee soreness with every step. Hence my blog references to my ‘crappy knee’. Walking and stairs have been major challenges since the knee replacement. Doctors did not have any answers as to why I continued to experience difficulties. It has been frustrating. And challenging. Finally, after a lot of research and a good measure of luck, I found a surgeon who recognised what was happening. My patella – known more widely as ‘knee cap’ was stuffed big time. But it could be fixed. Did I cry with joy? Yes, I did! Buckets!}

^{This month my new orthopaedic surgeon and his wonderful team operated to resurface my patella on the reconstructed knee and pop in what has been described to me as a cushioning button. The patella was in an even worse shape than the surgeon expected. Cartilage literally crumbling away. I’ve seen a photo that the surgical team took of it – one photograph you don’t want to see! Apparently, patella problems occur in about ten per cent of total knee reconstructions. Now they tell me LOL! The other knee joint and patella, by the way, are good.}

^{Crutches are currently back in action again and physiotherapy efforts are underway towards my recovery. I’m hoping that I will soon be like a spring chicken Japan, embracing every set of stairs enthusiastically and tackling many more kilometres of exploration! I might even pop back on a bicycle!}

^{And yes – even after five visits, Matsumoto will continue to be on our itinerary options list in Japan because we think it offers us more undiscovered delights both within the city and in the Nagano region. It’s a relaxing city, a fun city, very enjoyable. My first target on my return will be to go straight up that steep staircase at Hangout Coffee to try their menu, LOL! Can Matsumoto be done in a half day? Seriously – no!}

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