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Kiso Fukushima

Kiso Fukushima 木曾福島

Nakasendo (Central Mountain Road) is one of the five main roads built during the Edo Period and one of the two connected Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto. The other main road was Tokaido (East Sea Road). There is a saying the East Sea Road with nice views and shorter distance was designated for the rich and powerful people. Normal residence had to take the inland hilly path. There is another saying that some preferred to take Nakasendo to avoid fording rivers. Nakasendo runs through Saitama, Gunma, Nagano, Gifu and Shiga prefectures, stretching over 530km. There were 69 post stations along the route to provide accommodations, food supply and other things that travellers need. Kiso Fukushima was in the middle of the route and was one of the major check points for taxing the travellers, controlling the trafficking of guns into the Edo region and prohibiting women from feudal families to leave so that the feudal lords could not be heavily armed with guns and would always come back for the women. Today, Kiso Fukushima is an old town lined with…

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Creative Japanese Cuisine

Nagomian Hidatei 和庵 肥田亭

Locating just about 10-15 minutes on foot from JR Kiso Fukushima Station, Nagomian Hidatei is a Japanese restaurant that offers traditional Japanese cuisine with creative twist in a centuries old building. The ambience was excellent, food was great, the owner and staffs are friendly and speak English! Thumbs up (Like)!

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In Chubu

Traditional Soup Soba in Matsumoto

Matsushita まつした

Soba has been one of the most traditional food in Japan, dating back to the Jomon Period (14,000-300 B.C.). While there are different saying about the place of origin, Nagano was the first location mentioned in some historic documents of the Edo Period（1603-1868) producing soba. So when you visit Nagano Japan, don’t miss the chance to taste the soba noodles. Soba noodles can be served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup. Chilled isn’t really cold. Soba noodles are rinsed with cool water after cooking and served on a bamboo sieve. Dipping sauce called Tsuyu is served on the side. Some soba shops are very particular in making their own dipping sauce which gives flavor to the noodles. While many restaurants serve the dipping sauce in just a small cup and room temperature, others provide a pot of warm dipping soup that you may consume as regular soup as well. In Matsumoto, Nagano Japan, soba noodles are served in hot pot style.

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In Japan

Matsumoto City Museum of Art

The Visionary Flowers 幻之華

Matsumoto is the home town of contemporary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama where she was born. Her unique polka dots and net painting style, and the famous pumpkin have been developed from paintings to sculptures, performance art and installation. While you may be able to see her paintings and sculptures in quite a few places in Japan and the US, don’t miss the Matsumoto City Museum of Art when you visit the area. It is the place where you can see some of her unique art work that cannot be photographed and published. Come see it yourself.

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Matsumoto Castle Town

Matsumoto Castle Town 松本城下町

Matsumoto Castle was originally built with 3 rings of moats. After the Meiji Restoration, most of the outer-most ring was filled to make ways for cosmopolitan development. However, you may still experience a leisure walk around a tranquil and clean castle town near Matsumoto Castle with souvenir shops, cafes, restaurants, and more than 20 natural drinkable spring water within 10 minutes walk between JR Matsumoto Station and Matsumoto Castle.

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Matsumoto Castle

Matsumoto Castle 松本城

Locating in the city of Matsumoto, Nagano Japan, the Matsumoto Castle is one of the top 3 premier castles and one of the 5 castles designated as National Treasures in Japan. The other two popular premier castles are Kumamoto Castle which has been damaged by the earthquake in 2016 and Himeji Castle in Hyogo Japan. While Himeji Castle (also called the “White Egret Castle”) features a brilliant white exterior and the roof that resembles a bird taking flight, Matsumoto Castle features a black exterior and a similar roof that looks like a crow spreading wings, hence also known as the “Crow Castle”. Many tourists interested in castles in Japan would visit both. First built as a fort in the site in 1504, the site was turned into a castle with a Main Keep (or Main Tower), moats and some add on towers. It is a 5-storey traditional Japanese castle with 6 levels inside. The Main Tower and the side Tower was built at the same time for defense. The unique Tsukimi-yagura (moon-viewing room) connecting to the Main Tower was constructed in…

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In Japan

Karuizawa New Art Museum

Karuizawa New Art Museum

At an elevation of 1,000m and with good railway and highway connection, Karuizawa is a popular retreat for the rich and diplomats based in Tokyo when the heat comes in. The beautiful natural environment and nice weather in the summer, making it a wonderful place for wedding ceremony and photography. There are quite a few chapels, churches, and independent venues in such a small city. Even in the Karuizawa New Art Museum, there’s a glass chapel and wedding service.

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Shinshu Soba Since 1907 in Karuizawa

Takamitei Soba 高美亭本店

Shinshu soba (buckwheat noodle) is a not-to-be-missed type of food when travelling to Nagano Prefecture because that’s where one of the best buckwheat noodles origins with the right climate and environment for growing high quality buckwheat. There are always many choices of soba restaurants every where. Takamitei is a 100-year-old soba restaurant locating near the Karuizawa station, since 1907.

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Shinshu Soba: Hot & Cold

Tempura Soba

Soba (bulkwheat noodles) is one of the traditional Japanese food with hundreds of years of history, dating back to 300 B.C. when soba was consumed in non-noodle form like dumplings. Then it was cut into noodle form called soba kiri during the Edo Period (1603-1868). While there are many theories about the origin of soba but surely there is a record of soba kiri developed in Nagano Prefecture. With the rich volcanic ash soil and the temperature range in highland, Nagano Prefecture has a vast area of wonderful natural environment for growing buckwheat and many other agricultural products. The Shinshu produced soba is considered one of the best in Japan. If you go to tourism office and ask for recommendation for soba restaurant, the answer is: “They are everywhere. All good.” I stayed near the Nagano station, there are 2 soba restaurants in Midori shopping mall.

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Cherry Blossom at Garyu Koen in Nagano

Garyu Koen 臥龍公園

In addition to the snow monkeys and great ski, Nagano has a lot to offer in other seasons. Garyu Koen is one of the top 100 cherry blossom viewing places in Japan since 1990. With 800 cherry trees of 14 different species and a beautiful lake in the middle, it is a wonderful place to be in spring time.

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