2022-09-06 / Last updated : 2022-09-25 Kevin Kato Art

Yayoi Kusama Print Works: Special Exhibition at the Matsumoto City Museum of Art

Yayoi Kusama, world-famous artist and native of Matsumoto, has her colorful and distinctive works displayed permanently at the Matsumoto City Museum of Art. But this summer the museum has put on a special exhibition, Yayoi Kusama Hanga-no-Sekai, that brings us down the road of her life as it leads us past her thoughts, represented in “hanga” prints and pieces that could have been created by no one else. Yayoi Kusama’s Work Yayoi Kusama is perhaps best-known for her red polka dots and her yellow spotted pumpkins works. But her work goes far beyond these. On permanent display are expressions of various media: lights and mirrors and three-dimensional objects of material soft […]
2022-08-31 / Last updated : 2022-08-31 Kevin Kato Events

Matsumoto Castle Taiko Drum Festival: One of the Most Heart-Pounding Events of the Year

The rhythmic sounds of a hundred drums filled the warm, humid evening air recently as the people of this castle town were treated to one of the most heart-pounding events of the year: the annual Matsumoto Castle Taiko Drum Festival. The Perfect Setting for a Rousing Tradition Once again the inner garden of Matsumoto Castle was transformed into the most dramatic musical venue this side of Mt.Fuji. Normally accessible only via entrance fee, on July 30th and 31st the inner ‘honmaru’ was open to the public. As the sun fell toward the northern alps and the air cooled (slightly) the crowds gathered, spread out on blankets on the ground where […]
2022-06-10 / Last updated : 2022-07-02 Kevin Kato Other

Yamaga FC: The Spirit of Matsumoto, All Over Town

Here in Matsumoto we’re mighty proud of our soccer team, Yamaga FC. All over town the streets are dripping in the green and white of the team. Banners hanging from lampposts. Flags rippling in the breeze. Posters in shop windows. Decals on cars. The team mascot, Gans the Ptarmigan, smiles at everyone from vending machines and manhole covers and souvenir shop shelves. The Spirit of Matsumoto. You can’t miss it! The Start of Something Big Soccer in Matsumoto began in 1965 when a non-profit organization called the Alwin Sports Project established a team of players representing Nagano Prefecture in a low-level regional league. From the beginning they called themselves the […]
2022-05-01 / Last updated : 2024-01-10 Kevin Kato Other

Make Time for the Minute Details of the Matsumoto Timepiece Museum

I’d read somewhere that the huge pendulum clock on the Matsumoto Timepiece Museum was one of the largest of its kind in the world. Its pendulum was supposedly even longer than the one on London’s Big Ben. The museum’s own website claims it is the largest pendulum clock in Japan. But, failing to find an independent source to corroborate the claim, I decided to make time to go down and inquire directly. Thanks to museum manager Nishizawa-san, who pointed out various minute details of the exhibits during his gracious, impromptu personal tour, I now have answers to questions I didn’t even know I had – plus the one I had […]
2022-04-19 / Last updated : 2022-04-19 Kevin Kato Seasonal Topics

Matsumoto at Her Most Beautiful: Cherry Blossoms & Snow-Capped Mountains

When cherry blossom season arrives in Matsumoto everyone heads for the centerpiece of the town. The sight of Japan’s oldest castle tower coupled with her most famous flowers is a sight not to be missed! But hey, this isn’t the only show in town. To catch all of Matsumoto at her most beautiful head for the hills, for views of the fleeting cherry blossoms backed by the majesty of the still-snow-capped mountains. Here are three of our favorite spots. Kobo-yama While “yama” means mountain, Kobo is really just a big hill – yet it’s packed with a whole mountain’s worth of cherry blossoms. Experience what it feels like to walk […]
2022-04-04 / Last updated : 2023-06-08 Kevin Kato Nature

Take In Beautiful Kamikochi, the Jewel of the Japanese Alps

Japan is so chock full of beautiful mountains the hiking and climbing possibilities seem endless. But for a leisurely stroll through the best alpine scenery this country has to offer, go no further than the Kamikochi Valley in the Japanese Alps, right here in Matsumoto! With a series of flat, well-maintained walking paths and a multitude of picturesque natural and geological sights, a trip to Kamikochi and the Japanese Alps makes for an unforgettable day. Here is some of what you can expect. 1-Day Tour: Azumino & Kamikochi Valley See our Photo & Video Gallery Yake-dake Mountain & Taisho-ike Pond The only active volcano in the entire Northern Japanese Alps […]
2022-03-05 / Last updated : 2022-03-05 Kevin Kato Art

Matsumoto’s Artistic Works: On the Street & Under Your Feet

From Japan’s oldest castle tower to the old Kaichi School building; from the traditional works at the Ukiyo-e Museum to the modern masterpieces of Yayoi Kusama, this town is home to impressive architectural and artistic achievements. But Matsumoto’s artistic works extend far beyond the famous. Here’s just a sampling of what you might find, on the street and under your feet. Keep An Eye on the Traffic As Matsumoto reworks their fleet of city buses to include smaller alternative-fuel vehicles, they’re also busy rolling out some eye-catching artwork. Some buses display the pride of Matsumoto’s natural and cultural heritage. Others display advertisements, for everything from tea to home builders to […]
2022-01-27 / Last updated : 2022-02-01 Kevin Kato Events

New Twists on the 2022 Matsumoto Castle Ice Sculpture Festival

The mountaintops to the west are buried in several meters of snow. At night the temps in town are dipping well below zero. Yes, winter has taken over our world again – but we’re not hibernating, we’re celebrating, with a few new twists to an annual event. Welcome to the 2022 Matsumoto Castle Ice Sculpture Festival! Breaking the Ice The fun began last Friday evening as dark descended on the town. In front of the train station and Nawate Street, at the Hana-Tokei (“Flower Clock”) Park and on the grounds of Matsumoto Castle, artists wielded chisels and chainsaws, turning rectangular blocks of ice into works of shapely, frozen splendor. These […]
2022-01-13 / Last updated : 2022-01-13 Kevin Kato Events

Lasers Light Up Matsumoto Castle in the City’s Latest Spectacle

In Matsumoto you’ll find an array of entertaining events going on throughout the year. From the Ice Sculpture Festival in winter to the summertime Bon-Bon Dance Festival, it seems there’s always something going on. Yet the good people here are always looking for new ways to spice things up, and this winter they’ve done it again. So dress warm and come out to watch as lasers light up Matsumoto Castle in the city’s latest spectacle. Firing Lasers at Japan’s Oldest Castle Tower I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical when I first heard about it. Maybe I’m old-fashioned (or boring), but spraying our town’s greatest treasure with a bunch of […]
2021-11-12 / Last updated : 2022-10-25 Kevin Kato Seasonal Topics

4 Places to Check Out Matsumoto’s Spectacular Fall Colors

Seeing Japan’s famed cherry blossoms in Spring is on the bucket list of many a traveler. But no less brilliant is the autumn season when the entire country blazes with color. Here in the higher altitudes of the leaves change color a bit later than most of the rest of the country, but the wait is well worth it. Of course, you’ll see the leaves changing wherever in town you go, but there are a few pockets of intense and extraordinary allure. Here are four places to check out Matsumoto’s spectacular fall colors. Yohashira Shrine An arching stone bridge leads from the centuries-old atmosphere of Frog Street to the serenity […]
2021-11-05 / Last updated : 2021-11-05 Kevin Kato Outdoor Activities

Easy Hiking & A Bit of History in Asama Onsen Village

Asama Onsen village, up in the northern fringes of Matsumoto, is a great place to go for an authentic Japanese hot spring experience. But this quiet enclave offers more than just a lot of hot water. With Daionji and Gotenyama above and a sprinkling of pretty sights below, Asama Onsen is the perfect place to mix in some easy hiking a little bit of history with your onsen. Here are three paths you can enjoy, all right there on the eastern edge of the town. Daionji-yama Daionji was the name of a temple that once stood at the foot of these mountains. That temple was abandoned in 1868 and has […]
2021-10-14 / Last updated : 2022-03-16 Kevin Kato Seasonal Topics

Rice Harvesting in Matsumoto: The Beauty of the Season

In a landscape dominated by mountains, among forests that cover 80% of Nagano’s terrain, Matsumoto may not seem well-positioned for an abundance of agriculture. But the farming industry here is alive and well, and it is that time of year once again to enjoy the sight of rice harvesting in Matsumoto – and the beauty of the autumn season. Of course, the harvest is just the culmination. Let’s backtrack a bit… In Spring Rice-planting in Matsumoto takes place in late April to early May. Farmers flood their fields with the clean mountain snowmelt. And, now most often with specialized machinery, plant the young rice shoots they cultivate in greenhouses in […]