Tourism Guide
In the heart of Japan's largest island, Honshu, is a historic city surrounded by the Japan Alps.
This city is called Matsumoto. Looking out from the windows of its 16th century castle,
there are mountains in every direction. There are also many roads, which wind up the mountains
or along the valley to places of great beauty and interest. Matsumoto is a gateway to one
of the most spectacular regions of Japan, the northwestern corner of Nagano Prefecture.
Today, you can reach Matsumoto quickly by express train or plane and explore the mountains
and countryside by local train, bus, car or bicycle. You can pedal among the paddy fields,
climb in an air-conditioned bus to the heights of the nearest mountains, and, in winter,
ski down magnificent slopes. However, until only about 100 years ago, this was one of the
most landlocked and inaccessible places imaginable.
From this isolation came two things: a distinctive local culture and an unexploited countryside.
Matsumoto, as a castle town, was the focus of culture. It was a sophisticated town,
even in the feudal era, and into the 19th and 20th centuries its special pride was education.
Matsumoto preserves some of the oldest school buildings in Japan. Its most famous sons were educators,
lawyers, and writers who had profound influence on the politics and ethics of modern Japan.
Even today, the city's elegant modern shops and fine old buildings blend together with a
great sense of style.
The unexploited countryside around Matsumoto is simply superb. In the valley,
from Shiojiri in the south to Otari in the north, are charming old post towns and villages
surrounded by lush agricultural land and fast moving rivers. In the foothills,
in every direction, there are hot springs, waterfalls and forests. The mountains to
the east and west contain spectacular highlands, and summer resorts such as Kamikochi and Norikura.
To the north, the magnificent ski slopes of Hakuba host numerous national and international
events and are considered among the finest in the world.
As you look out from the donjon of Japan's oldest medieval castle in Matsumoto，
all this is spread out before you. With it's white mountain peaks, green foothills,
and quiet country towns, Matsumoto is quite a panoramic, marvelous destination．
THE JAPAN ALPS(Mt. Mae-Hotaka & Mt. Yari)
A View of Mt. Mae-Hotaka from Mt.Kita-Hotaka (photo by Tadao HAYASHI) Left
A View of Mt. Yari from Mt. Chou-ga-take in early winter (photo by Tadao HAYASHI) Right
THE JAPAN ALPS(Mt. Mae-Hotaka & Mt. Yari)
A View of Mt. Mae-Hotaka from the flower garden of Karasawa (photo by Tadao HAYASHI) Left
A View of Mt. Yari from the Alps Main Range (photo by Tadao HAYASHI) Right
THE JAPAN ALPS(Karasawa & Yarisawa)
A View of Mt.Goryu from Toomi-ridge (photo by Tadao HAYASHI) Left
Karasawa in autumn (photo by Tadao HAYASHI) Right
THE JAPAN ALPS(Mt.Goryu & Karasawa)
A View of Mt.Goryu from Toomi-ridge (photo by Tadao HAYASHI) Left
Karasawa in autumn (photo by Tadao HAYASHI) Right
THE JAPAN ALPS(Mt. Yari & Karasawa)
A View of Mt. Yari from Mt.Jonen (photo by Tadao HAYASHI) Left
Flower garden of Karasawa (photo by Tadao HAYASHI) Right
THE JAPAN ALPS(Kamikouchi & Hakuba)
Kappa-bashi Bridge, Kamikouchi Left
Hakuba Happo Daiko drums Right
BRIGHT LIGHTS IN BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS
Matsumoto City
Beyond Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, there are many cities in Japan with a long and rich history.
Typically, these cities are castle towns. They were once the stronghold of a powerful family,
and a center of commerce and culture for a whole region. Every one of these cities has a unique
character, even to this day. One of the most celebrated of these is Matsumoto, in Nagano Prefecture.
Matsumoto is situated at the southern end of a long valley that lies between high mountain ranges.
The peaks of the Japan Alps soaring 3,000 meters into the sky to the west of the city are a splendid sight.
To the east is a high mountain plateau, Utsukushigahara, with hot springs nestling in its foothills.
The Azumino valley is covered with fields and orchards. Matsumoto is perfectly surrounded
by natural beauty and filled with pure mountain air.
A superb castle, a magnificent setting, cultural sophistication, civic pride... these are some of the
things that impress visitors about Matsumoto. It's also a compact city, still centered on
the castle and a network of streets radiating from the castle walls and moat.
It's quick and easy to get to know and feel at home in Matsumoto.
There is also a great deal to do and see in Matsumoto. You can pick and choose from numerous museums,
explore the castle, stroll around the old and new parts of the town, take a local bus to the
charming villages on the city outskirts, or go up to the heights of Utsukushigahara
for a panoramic view of the whole region. Matsumoto is also the gateway to Kamikochi,
Norikura and other scenic areas in the Chubu Sangaku (Japan Alps) National Park.
Within the greater city, including the rural districts, there is a population of some 220,000 people.
This will surprise you, because here you will not find crowds or traffic jams.
But as a center for this population, Matsumoto is full of energy. The old and new are represented in a
great variety of ways. Restaurants, interesting places to stay, shops that display the best in
international fashion as well as fine traditional crafts are here to represent the
old and the new of Matsumoto. In a setting of exceptional natural beauty, Matsumoto brings
all these together in a unique way.
Contact us
section Public Information & International Liaison Division
contact address Tel +81-263-34-3271 / FAX +81-263-36-6839 E-Mail pi_int@city.matsumoto.nagano.jp
