Matsumoto — Two National Treasures, Five Minutes Apart

Why visit

Matsumoto Castle's keep was designated in 1936 under Japan's old preservation law and re-designated a National Treasure in 1952 — the second castle to be listed, after Himeji (C002). A five-minute walk away stands a second National Treasure: the old Kaichi School building (C012). Few towns in Japan put two National Treasures within walking distance of each other. That is the point of Matsumoto.

Who it is for

• Travellers who want to look at a castle as a building. The keep is a group of five structures, and you can go inside (C021, C003).
• Anyone who would rather stay a night than day-trip: the city has 16 hot-spring areas (C014).

What to do

The keep is a "connected-composite" type: the great keep and the Inui small keep are joined by a passage turret, with the Tatsumi and Tsukimi turrets attached. This arrangement was completed under Matsudaira Naomasa (C003).

It still stands because of two major repairs. The 1903–1913 work was roughly 80 percent paid for by local donations (C005). Between 1950 and 1955 the castle was fully dismantled and rebuilt on reinforced-concrete foundations, restored to its Edo-period form (C006). The Honmaru palace had burned down completely in 1727 (C004).

Outside the castle, walk Nakamachi, a street of storehouse buildings, and Nawate, a riverside lane known for its frog motif (C013). The Folk Craft Museum, the City Museum of Art and Agata-no-Mori Park are also here (C020).

How to get there

• Shinjuku → Matsumoto: about 2 hours 30 minutes on the Azusa limited express (C007)
• Tokyo via Nagano by shinkansen: about 2 hours 10 minutes (C008)
• Nagoya → Matsumoto: about 2 hours on the Shinano limited express (C009)
• By car: about 220 km from the Tokyo direction, 200 km from Nagoya, via the Nagano Expressway (C010)
• By air to Shinshu Matsumoto Airport: about 90 min from Fukuoka, 95 from New Chitose, 60 from Kobe, on FDA (C011)

Best time to visit

Cherry blossom at the castle and Alps Park in spring; autumn foliage at the castle and along the Norikura Echo Line, with soba in season; projection mapping and snowshoeing in winter (C018). The Matsumoto Bonbon festival takes place in summer (C019).

What to eat

Soba is the local speciality, and the Nagawa district has toji-soba (C017).

Going further

Kamikochi is a Northern Alps highland at about 2,000 metres (C015). The city's official tourism site introduces Utsukushigahara as Japan's largest highland plateau (C016).

Limitations and cautions

• Opening hours and admission for Matsumoto Castle were not obtained in this research round. Check the official site before you go.
• Private-car restrictions and the open season for Kamikochi are unverified.
• The National Treasure status of the old Kaichi School was confirmed on the city tourism site (Tier B); it has not yet been checked against the national cultural-affairs database.
• Dates and scale of the Matsumoto Bonbon festival, and accommodation in the city, are not yet researched.