The menu won’t always come in English (although this is becoming more common than not), but someone can usually help you out.
Food here will be cheaper and generally more delicious and varied. Avoid chain restaurants if you can and seek out smaller, out of the way places to dine that are frequented by locals.
Eat Everythingįrom the vast choice of uniquely flavoured sweets in the 7/11 on every corner, to the endless selection of regional foods from street vendors, from izakaya to sushi, ramen to soba, there is SO MUCH to choose from. Universal Studios Japan, which houses the popular Wizarding World of Harry Potter is another big draw for visitors and well worth the visit. For more information as to what’s on offer, see our ’25 Things To Do Around Matsumoto & Where To Stay’ page.Food capital of Japan and (in my opinion) the friendliest major city. While you might not know her name, there’s a good chance you will recognise her artwork which is bright, playful and bold and uplifting. Although classically trained, Kusama’s defining style is heavily-influenced by avant-garde, pop and conceptual art movements– of which, she is now a celebrated and pioneering artist. But for international visitors, it is Kusama’s collection which is likely to hold the greatest interest. The museum also features an exhibit of works by local artists and visiting exhibitions of other Japanese and international artists. The Matsumoto City Museum of Art is best known for its permanent exhibition of artwork by Matsumoto-native Kusama Yayoi. Hometown to the country’s most famous contemporary artist, Kusama Yayoi, Matsumoto has a thriving arts scene along with plenty of great restaurants, bars, cafes and nightlife. Most famous for its iconic castle, Matsumoto is also quickly developing a reputation as one of Japan’s most liveable cities. One of Japan’s most liveable cities, Nagano is most famous for the near-1400 year old Zenko-ji Temple – a registered National Treasure and one of the most important Buddhist complexes in Japan – along with the Shinto shrines of Togakushi and samurai town of Matsushiro, that lie within the city boundary. While Nagano may be the largest city in the region, it is small compared to the expansive metropolises of Japan with a population of around 370,000. Highway and local bus services also run from the station to many regional destinations including Togakushi, the monkey park and the ski resorts of the Hakuba Valley and Shiga Kogen – Japan’s largest resort – making Nagano City the primary transport hub for northern Nagano Prefecture. Nagano Station is a stop on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line running from Tokyo to Kanazawa – 80 to 110-minutes from the capital depending on which service you choose – along with the Limited Express ‘Shinano’ service running to Matsumoto, the Kiso Valley and Nakasendo, and Nagoya while the Nagano Dentetsu Line runs to Yamanouchi, home of Nagano’s famous Snow Monkeys. Located around 245KM to the north-west of Tokyo, Nagano City is the largest city in Nagano Prefecture and the primary transport hub for visitors heading to the region’s most popular destinations including the many ski resorts of Nagano, the Jigokudani Monkey Park, the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route, multiple national parks and many other fantastic attractions.