1Bookmark day

This retro book cafe was renovated from an electronics store called "Takahashi Radio Shokai." The first floor is the main cafe space, while the second floor features retro interiors and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined with a variety of books and magazines. Most of the selected books are little press titles, published in small runs. They are all art books that are not often found in bookstores, so you're sure to find a book that will suggest new values and lifestyles to you. Once you find a book you like, you can relax and read in a comfortable retro chair or sofa. This cafe is like a stylish study, and you can experience the unique style of little press books.

Relaxed Morning and Lunch

The cafe menu is popular for its morning set of toast and drink. It is only available from 7:00 to 11:00, but the morning meal, savored in the quietness unique to Shiori-bi, is a relaxing moment. You can enjoy it to your heart's content along with a selected book.
In addition, the coffee served here is made with beans roasted at the famous Kyoto shop "KAFE Kosen." The beans, carefully roasted by artisans, are sure to impress even coffee lovers. Enjoy it with baked goods such as donuts and cookies.

Bookmark day

• http://sioribi.jp/
• 3-7-8 Fukashi, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture MAP
• Approximately 10 minutes walk from JR Matsumoto Station
• 7：00～20：00
• Wednesdays (may be closed on other days)
• 0263-50-5967
• free

2Matsumoto City Museum of Art

Matsumoto City Museum of Art is a 12-minute walk from Matsumoto Station. Near the entrance, there is an outdoor sculpture by Yayoi Kusama, who has a connection to Matsumoto City. The polka dot pattern, which symbolizes Yayoi Kusama, is painted on the walls of Property, welcoming visitors with her unique color scheme and shape.
It mainly exhibits and houses works by artists with a connection to Matsumoto City, and is a place where local people can easily experience art, as well as a popular tourist spot.

A wide variety of works on display

The permanent exhibition room on the third floor displays paintings and sculptures by Yayoi Kusama, calligraphy by the famous calligrapher Shinzan Kamijo, and paintings by Kazuo Tamura, who loved the mountains of Shinshu. The exhibits are changed three times a year, so you can encounter many different works. In another exhibition room, the curator chooses a theme from the collection and changes the exhibits about three times a year, which is also fun.
The museum shop sells a variety of products, including Yayoi Kusama tenugui hand towels that can only be purchased at the Matsumoto City Museum of Art, original products related to the artists of the exhibited works, and craft works unique to Matsumoto City, which is famous for its craft fairs.

Matsumoto City Museum of Art

• http://matsumoto-artmuse.jp/
• 4-2-22 Chuo, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture MAP
• Approximately 12 minutes walk from Matsumoto Station
• From Matsumoto Station, take the Alpico Kotsu bus "Kita City Line Eastbound" and get off at "Matsumoto City Museum of Art"
  Take the Town Sneaker "East Course" from Matsumoto Station and get off at "Matsumoto City Museum of Art"
• 9:00-17:00 (Last admission at 16:30)
• Mondays and New Year's holidays
• Collection Exhibition: Adults 410 yen, University and high school students 200 yen, Junior high school students and younger free
• 0263-39-7400
• free

3Soba Club Sasaki

This famous restaurant serves rare indigenous soba noodles from places like Shinshu, Hijiri Highlands and Togakushi. They are smaller than regular soba noodles and have a stronger flavor and umami taste.
They purchase soba with the husks still on, store it at low temperatures to bring out the sweetness, then grind it themselves and hand-make it with an exquisite balance of 7-8% binder, less than 10%. The soup is also delicious, with the finest natural dashi made from dried bonito flakes from Shizuoka, grilled flying fish from Ogasawara, and kelp from Rausu, and the fragrant soy sauce from the local Okubo Brewery further enhancing the flavor.
The most popular "Mori Soba" allows you to enjoy the original aroma of soba, and we recommend you try it with salt (Himalayan rock salt) first. This allows you to directly experience the rich aroma and sweetness of soba.
Other side dishes available include the "smoked meat platter" which includes smoked chicken breast, liver, duck, venison, and more.

At night, it becomes a stylish soba bar.

In the evening, it becomes a soba bar where you can enjoy alcohol, snacks, and soba noodles. In a space where jazz music is playing, you can enjoy local sake, shochu, and local beer carefully selected by the owner. Enjoy a drink with a side dish that changes depending on the day's stock, such as soba salad or beef cheek stewed in red wine. Finish off with some thin soba noodles, and you'll have a stylish time.
It's about a 10-minute walk from Matsumoto Castle and about 5 minutes from Nakamachi Street and Nawate Street, making it a convenient location for lunch or dinner.

Soba Club Sasaki

• Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture Ote 4-8-3 MAP
• Approximately 13 minutes walk from Matsumoto Station
• Lunch 11:30-14:00 (Ends when sold out)
  Night 18:00-20:00
• Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights (Sundays available by appointment only)
• 0263-88-3388

4Taiyaki Hometown

Located on Nawate-dori, a famous street in Matsumoto where every day is like a festival day, this taiyaki specialty shop was founded in 1946 (Showa 21). The most popular item is the classic "taiyaki" filled with bean paste. It is large and thick, and is stuffed with bean paste all the way to the tail. The crispy thin skin and the moderately sweet bean paste are exquisite, making it the perfect dish to eat when you're tired from walking around.
There are three types of taiyaki: the classic red bean paste, custard, and wiener taiyaki flavored with mayonnaise. In the summer, we also recommend the "Taiyaki Ice Cream (250 yen)," which is ice cream topped with red bean paste and sandwiched between taiyaki monaka.

Traditional single-serve grill

Taiyaki are "natural products" baked one at a time in a single baking mold. They are carefully baked using traditional methods. The baking molds are cast iron, and have been in use since 1970. The bean paste is made from high-quality adzuki beans from Hokkaido. The flour used is the Shirane variety from Nagano Prefecture, which has a strong flavor and firmness, and they are particular about the ingredients they use.
During the tourist season, you will inevitably have to queue, but Nawate Street, lined with long-house-style shops, has a retro Showa-era atmosphere, so it's fun to wait while watching the surrounding scenery and the grilling process.

Taiyaki Hometown

• http://taiyaki-ya.com/wp/?language=ja
• Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture Ote 4-1 MAP
• Approximately 13 minutes walk from Matsumoto Station
• 10：00～18：00
• Tuesdays (may be closed on other days)
• 0263-39-5552

5Raijindo Matsumoto Nawate Street Store

This shop is famous for its handmade rice crackers, which are made by baking each piece of dough using domestic rice, mainly from Yamagata. The crackers are dipped in a soy sauce blend that includes "saishikomi soy sauce," which has a rich flavor and aroma, to create an even more fragrant taste. In addition to rice crackers, the shop always has around 70 different products on display, including arare and kakimochi, so you can enjoy a variety of flavors, from classic to unusual.
If you're strolling along Nawate-dori, we recommend the "Tabe Aruki Senbei" (250 yen) in a paper cup. The sweetness and fragrant aroma of the rice used will whet your appetite. You can purchase them at the store, so why not stop by when you feel a bit hungry?

Unique rice crackers with soy sauce twice and raw garlic

The store is packed with products, both at the front of the store and throughout the rest of the store. The most popular item is the "Nurekari Mochi," which is made by splitting a roasted rice cracker and letting the flavor soak into the center like a wet rice cracker. It is made using two types of soy sauce and a unique recipe. There is also a wide variety of split rice crackers, including ones with grated garlic.
The flavor exclusive to the Matsumoto Nawate Street Store is the Shinshu Miso Senbei, which is made by baking rice crackers, then coating them in a miso paste and drying them. Of the 15 to 16 varieties, the most popular are the "Zarame Miso," which is the perfect match of sugar and miso, the "Kurumi Miso," which has a nice walnut texture, and the limited-edition "Ume Miso," which uses homemade plum jam.
They offer rice crackers with a variety of flavors and textures, so you're sure to find one that suits your taste.

Raijindo Matsumoto Nawate Street Store

• http://www.e-fujiichi.co.jp/
• Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture Ote 3-3 MAP
• About 10 minutes walk from Matsumoto Station
• 10：00～19：00
• Thursday
• 0263-35-0333

6Frog Shop RiBBiT

The symbol of Nawate Street is the frog. Along the street, you can see many things related to frogs, including the "Frog Daimyojin" shrine in the center, stone statues of frogs, and face-in panels. There is also a store specializing in frog goods. This store is called "Frog Shop RiBBiT."
Upon entering the shop, you'll be surrounded by frogs of all kinds. The goods collected by the owner, a frog lover, are diverse, ranging from works by local artists to imported goods purchased at auctions and vintage items. As the owner said, "I want to make this a store that makes you happy just by stopping by," the shop is filled with unique and exciting goods.

A wide variety of unique frog goods will make you dizzy

The frog-themed goods are available in a wide range of craft items and miscellaneous goods, including fabric products, stationery, and accessories. The recommended item is the "cork coaster" designed by Marie, a native of Matsukawa Village, Azumino. All are hand-painted, with different pictures and messages on each one.
The American-made "frog pattern cotton" is also popular. It is a 54 x 50 cm cloth with 225 different patterns. If you buy your favorite frog pattern and make a handmade item, you will have a one-of-a-kind frog item. There are also plenty of affordable items such as pouches that you will want to use every day.

Frog Shop RiBBiT

• http://nawateribbit.naganoblog.jp/
• Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture Ote 4-3 MAP
• Approximately 12 minutes walk from Matsumoto Station
• 11:00~Sunset
• Irregular holidays
• 0263-88-2626

7Chez Momo

As you walk along the Metoba River, your eye will be caught by the adorable exterior that resembles a European alleyway. This is a popular shop that serves homemade jams and scones. The owner, who has lived in France, makes additive-free jams that combine several types of fruit and add spices, giving them a unique flavor. In addition to citrus fruits, the shop uses seasonal fruits such as locally grown peaches, grapes, and apricots, and the chunky fruit makes a spectacular presence.
The store has a repertoire of over 150 types of jam, of which about six are always on display.
We also have a wide selection of imported confectioneries, including chocolates, caramels, candies, and gummies.

Confiture made with fresh fruit

You can sample the jams in the store, so it's nice to be able to compare different flavors. Each one is so fresh and fragrant that it's like you're tasting the fruit itself, and it's irresistibly delicious. There are many rare jams, such as "Lemon and Whiskey Jam" which combines fruit with whiskey, and "Banana, Caramel and Pepper," and the special feeling that you can only buy them here makes you want to buy even more.
The homemade scones are made with eggs, butter, and yogurt. They are soft and not dry, and go perfectly with jam.
The jam and scone set is perfect as a souvenir or small gift.

Chez Momo

• http://chezmomo.jp/
• 4-4-16 Otemachi, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture MAP
• Approximately 13 minutes walk from Matsumoto Station
• 10：00～18：00
• Wednesdays, 2nd Thursdays, and other irregular holidays
• 0263-32-2968

8Agata Forest Park

Agata Forest Park, which features a spacious lawn, a Japanese garden-style pond, and playground equipment, is a place of relaxation for the local residents. In the park, you can enjoy seasonal scenery with fresh greenery and autumn leaves. It is also known as a filming location for movies, dramas, and information programs, and many tourists can be seen strolling around while imagining the scenes.
The cedar-lined path that connects the park entrance to the grassy Peace Plaza is a symbolic spot of the park. 56 cedar trees are planted at equal intervals over a distance of about 150 meters. Benches are set up along the path, so you can take a break under the shade of the trees during your walk and relax in a pleasant space surrounded by greenery.

Wooden buildings from the Taisho period remain within the park

Within the park is the former Matsumoto High School building, which is designated as an Important Cultural Property. The building is a wooden Western-style building from the Taisho period that still retains some of its structure, and its pastel blue exterior is impressive. You can enjoy a beautiful view from the front as well as the back courtyard.
Currently, it is used as the Agata Forest Culture Hall, the Agata Forest Library, and the Memorial Hall, which can be visited for free. The restored principal's office and the massive staircase with carved woodwork, which are reminiscent of the style of the time when Western architecture was first being adopted, are worth a visit.

Agata Forest Park

• http://www.nagano-tabi.net/modules/enjoy/enjoy_2044009.html
• Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture 3-2102-15 MAP
• Approximately 23 minutes walk from Matsumoto Station
• Take the sightseeing bus from Matsumoto Station, take the Town Sneaker East Course and get off at "Former Matsumoto High School"
• 0263-34-3254

9Toxicarazu

This chicken hotpot and kaiseki restaurant is located on Nakamachi Street, where traditional storehouse buildings stand side by side. The space, which was renovated from a storehouse built in 1892 (Meiji 25), has a modern Japanese design with impressive large beams. Guests can enjoy the restaurant's pride and joy, chicken hotpot, around a hearth table, which is also the work of a woodworker who specializes in traditional Japanese furniture, Edo joinery. The Kyoto-style chicken hotpot is made with a secret collagen soup made by simmering chicken bones and wings, and is flavored with high-quality kelp, resulting in a rich soup that will leave you wanting more. The chicken meat, with just the right texture and plenty of flavor, is also exquisite.
At the counter seats, you can enjoy the Chef's Choice Kaiseki Counter Course, a seven-course kaiseki meal with a French touch, made with seasonal ingredients.

A relaxing space that blocks out the outside world

The main house has an open, spacious atrium. There are counter seats on the first floor, and tatami seating on the second floor overlooking Nakamachi Street. The tokonoma alcove is decorated with plasterwork with ears of rice planted on it. The detached storehouse is a private room that can accommodate up to eight people, allowing you to enjoy your meal in a peaceful setting, away from the everyday.
In the elegant storehouse-style space, you can soak in the atmosphere of Matsumoto that you have explored during your stroll through the castle town, and feast on delicious hotpot. This is a restaurant worthy of being the end of your historical stroll.

Toxicarazu

• http://www.torinabe.net/
• 3-4-20 Chuo, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture MAP
• Approximately 13 minutes walk from Matsumoto Station
• 17:30-22:00 *Last entry at 21:30
• Wednesday
• 0263-36-7559

10Hoshino Resorts KAI Matsumoto

Enjoy hot spring by bathing in the thirteen hot springs of Hachikuji

About 15 minutes by car from Matsumoto Station. Asama hot spring flourished as the back room of Matsumoto Castle, a national treasure. This Hot spring ryokan is a quiet hot spring where you can enjoy wine and gastronomy. It features a design that harmonizes the radical sensibility of contemporary architects with the traditional craft beauty of Japan. At hot spring, you can enjoy the "Radiant Bath" (a chaise longue-type hot bath method in which hot spring circulates), which is rare in Japan, the "Hinoki Osawdust Bath" and the "Sleeping Bath" where you can enjoy the aroma of cypress, and you can enjoy the Asama hot spring that is said to have been the Gotenyu of the owner of Matsumoto Castle. In the evenings, in honor of the music city of Matsumoto, lobby concerts by local musicians are held every evening. There are always more than 50 local wines on display, so you can spend time intoxicated by music and wine.

Hoshino Resorts KAI Matsumoto

• https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/kaimatsumoto/
• 1-31-1 hot spring, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture MAP
• Approximately 15 minutes by car from JR Matsumoto Station
• 050-3134-8092（界予約センター）
• to exist
• Make a reservation here
  Hoshino Resorts KAI Matsumoto Reservation Site