We left Tokyo behind yesterday and headed up to Matsumoto which is at the edge of the mountains and about 2700 feet in elevation. I was surprised to see wild cherry trees blossoming in the foothills as we were leaving the suburbs, but I was not able to get a picture. We only st
opped twice at highway rest stops. These were fascinating in themselves. Not only did they have banks of vending machines but also little shops selling snacks and souvenirs. One had bakery items worthy of some of the best patisseries I’ve seen.
We arrived in Matsumoto around noon and reported to our first stop at a traditional Miso factory where we had a brief talk from the head of the company who is the sixth-generation owner. We were then served a delicious lunch featuring their products. It included a salad with miso dressing, a miso based stew, and miso ice cream, which was very good.
After dropping our lugg
age at the hotel we proceeded to Matsumoto Castle which is listed as a Japanese National Treasure. And rightly so. It was constructed around 1590 but was completely restored in the 20th century. Here in the mountains the cherry blossoms are running a little later than in Tokyo and very close to peak. There will be cherry blossom celebrations tonight and we hope to see the castle again all lit up with traditional music and revelry.
We walked back to the hotel which is only about three blocks from the castle and I look forward to spending more time exploring the shops and side streets during free time after our excursion into the Kiso Valley today.
At the hotel we had the best meal of the trip so far. It consisted of an appetizer course including seaweed which was much better than it sounds, pickles, salad, and some tasty fish cakes; next course was a savory egg custard dish. Then we had sashimi which was a first for me and I hope not a last because I loved it. Then we had a tempura plate which was kind of like a birds nest of deep fried things all clumped together. Finally, we had a chicken and vegetable soup that cooked in front of us at our table, and of course rice. This was the first time also, that we were served desert which was a tasty cake with some kiwi and pineapple on the side. I may have to start bringing my camera to dinner because the presentations of the food are always exquisite.
Haiku:
Castle Shining bright
Still moat waters surrounding
Reflecting old ways