2023-08-31 / Last updated : 2023-08-31 Sylvain Accommodation

Satoyama Doors: A Unique Overnight Stay in the Japanese Countryside

Matsumoto is a historic city that grew out of the wealth generated in rice fields and farmlands that surround its urban center and famous castle. Even today, it remains a city reliant on agriculture and one where you can enjoy an expansive rural landscape only a short distance from the city. It makes Matsumoto an ideal location to enjoy the Japanese concept of “satoyama” with an overnight stay at the family-friendly, Satoyama Doors. The “Satoyama” Concept: Rural Revitalization in the Okada District At its heart, Japan is a rural country and that spirit is expressed through the concept of “satoyama” – a word that refers to the border land between […]

2022-06-19 / Last updated : 2022-06-19 Sylvain Local Food & Drinks

Local Cuisine in the Countryside For Vegetarians & Japanese Food Lovers

For the first time this year, Welcome-Matsumoto and the Matsumoto Tourism Association conducted a Monitor Tour in which we explored the local cuisine in the countryside around Matsumoto. The main event was tasting wild plants from the Nagawa countryside in deep-fried tempura, which can be a delicious experience for vegetarians and Japanese food lovers. In addition our guests enjoyed Shinshu Salmon, the same fish served at the 2019 G20 Environment Ministerial Meetings in Karuizawa! Nagawa Countryside Nagawa is a region located just a few kilometers from Matsumoto City. It is in a remote valley between the Norikura Highlands and the famous Kamikochi National Park. The Nagawa Valley offers spectacular mountain scenery and […]

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 […]

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 […]

2021-04-07 / Last updated : 2022-03-16 Kevin Kato History

Halls of History in Matsumoto: The Old Higher School Museum

During the Meiji Restoration, Japan established a network of special secondary schools to nurture the country’s best and brightest young minds. There were only forty-one of these ‘Higher Schools’ in Japan. Matsumoto was home to one of them. Most of these schools no longer exist, but you can still walk these halls of history right here in Matsumoto, at the Old Higher School Museum in Agata-no-Mori Park. Life of the Higher Schools When Japan opened its ports to the world in 1868, a deluge of western ideas came pouring in. To more deeply understand the ways of the west, Japan established a network of Imperial universities where students took science, […]