May 8: Matsumoto

I’m not certain which was more visually arresting — the Matsumoto Castle or the Japan Alps. To have them both in one photo was almost overwhelming.

After a 45 minute express train ride over some hills and through some tunnels we arrived in the valley framed by the snowy peaks. Matusmoto is a major crossroads at the heart of Chibu, originally developed in the 16th C as Fukashi, a fortified town around the castle that still stands at its center. Designated a National Treasure, the castle has the oldest wooden keep in Japan.

Many Japanese castles are merely restorations or reconstructions based on an original. Matusmoto Castle is a fascinating example of a fortified “flatland” castle, one of the best preserved in the country, still imbued with the smoke and clamor of past battles. It is surrounded by three deep moats filled with water and huge carp. Because of its black color it is known as “Crow Castle” (GOT fans see a connection here)? The caste was designed above all for defense. Many of its features are familiar from medieval castles in Europe — moats, huge walls, walkways, narrow staircases, projecting galleries and arrow slits. Seen from the outside the main tower appears to have 5 floors; once inside it can be seen there are 6 — one a dark, low-ceilinged floor where samurai would assemble in case of a siege. The view from the high floors and the panorama of the snow-capped mountains in the distance was amazing.

There were “characters” on the Castle grounds — sorta too much “Disney”, but it was fun to pose with a samurai — except my sword wouldn’t come out of the sheath — for safety reasons I was told. There’s a museum just outside the castle walls that tells the long story of the area based on excavations where pottery and other evidence of life well before the shoguns had been buried. It also displayed examples of some of the local handicrafts — thread balls, lucky charms woven from bamboo, and tanabata dolls. The thread balls were originally a plaything for only princesses or girls of samurai families, but the manufacture of the balls began in the late 17th C as cotton threads became more available.  Many of the patterns have names, and are so popular as a folk craft in Matsumoto that the sewer covers depict them!

The Nakamachi District of the town runs along side the river, lined with former storehouses from the Edo period, with tiled roofs and thick walls decorated with black and white latticework. Most of these are now little shops and soba cafes and trendy boutiques. Oh, and a craft brewery, which demanded our attention.

Then it was back to the train, and to Nagano, and to dinner at Yayoiza, a restaurant which is a bit of an institution, opened in 1847, and serving traditional Japanese fare. We had the shabu shabu dinner featuring the famous Nagano beef.  And sake of course.