Hi there!
Walking on Nakamachi Street can be a part of a walking tour through the streets of Matsumoto.
You can make a slight detour here before or after a visit to the Matsumoto Castle when you’re coming from the direction of the train station or the bus station.
This street is located around a 10-15 minute walk from the castle, and around 10 minutes from both the Matsumoto train station and the Matsumoto bus terminal.
So if you only have a couple of hours before you leave by train or by bus from Matsumoto, then you can wander on the Nakamachi Street too. (map – train station > bus station > nakamachi street > castle)
According to the Matsumoto tourism department:
The chief feature of the Nakamachi area is the black and white geometric design.
This is what we call “Namako-Kabe” of the old “Kura” storehouses lining the street.
Traditional crafts and small cafes are some of the highlights of this charming area.
Sightseeing bus – “town sneaker” route
There’s a sightseeing bus in Matsumoto that you can get to take you around to many of the tourist attractions in the city.
This bus route runs on Nakamachi Street too, and you can find a bus stop when you’re around here.
It will be around 500 yen (US$5) for a one day bus pass on this sightseeing bus.
Natural springs
There are many natural springs and historic wells located through the city of Matsumoto, and there are a few you can see walking on Nakamachi Street too.
SIDE NOTE!
Here are Japan experiences you will love:
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- Samurai training
- Japanese calligraphy class
- Traditional tea ceremony + you get to wear a kimono!
- Ninja lesson
- Make ramen from scratch!
- Sushi making experience
- Sumo training!
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Now…
Here’s a bit more of what you’ll see walking on Nakamachi Street!
And that’s a bit of what walking on Nakamachi Street might look like!
And if you’re coming from the direction of the train station or bus station, you can first walk by the Genchi Well, considered the most renowned well in Matsumoto, before making your way to Nakamachi Street.
And then after your walk along Nakamachi Street, you can continue walking the streets of Matsumoto to Nawate Street (aka Frog Street) for some Japanese snacks and then onwards to Matsumoto Castle!
HAPPY WALKING MATSUMOTO ON NAKAMACHI STREET!
How to spend winter in Japan
If you're looking for a route for winter in Japan, here are some ideas!
- 10 day Japan winter itinerary
- Tokyo to Nagano bus
- 2 days in Nagano with snow monkey pass // Stay at this Nagano hostel (private rooms available)
- A few days in popular ski resort area Hakuba (go here for at least a day even if you don't ski for the winter landscape in the mountains!) // Stay at this Hakuba hostel (private rooms available)
- Hakuba to Takayama (Hakuba to Matsumoto train / a few hours in Matsumoto / Matsumoto to Takayama bus)
- A few days in Takayama with day trips: Shirakawago / Shinhotaka ropeway on a sunny day // Stay at this Takayama hostel (private rooms available) and eat regional Takayama ramen
- Takayama back to Tokyo OR Takayama to Nagoya airport to fly to Hokkaido for more winter landscapes!
Hokkaido winter itinerary (train to get around - there are JR Hokkaido passes available, and you can use a regular JR pass too)
- Sapporo to Asahikawa (Asahikawa for penguin walk at zoo)
- Asahikawa to Abashiri (Abashiri for drift ice cruise)
- Abashiri to Obihiro (night in Obihiro and go to Lake Shikaribetsu ice village the next day)
- Obihiro to Sapporo
- Sapporo to Noboribetsu onsen hot spring town (day trip)
- Sapporo to Hakodate // Stay in this Hakodate hostel
- Hakodate to Tokyo on shinkansen bullet train through the underwater tunnel! (Regular JR pass will be worth it if you take this train ride along with one more long distance train ride within 7 days)
Is a JR pass worth it?!
- Google maps can make it easy to figure out whether or not you should get a JR pass!
- In google maps, type in your departure and arrival city, and choose the transit icon. The route will come up, and so will the estimated cost at the bottom!
- Here is an example of a train route with cost on google maps.
- So do that for all of your long distance routes to figure out how much it might cost.
- Next, go here to see how much a JR pass costs from an official JR pass vendor (and partner of this website).
- And compare!
- Not all forms of public transportation are JR, but long distance shinkansen bullet trains are, and that's where the most cost savings will come.
Best of Kyoto (and Japan!)
👇 Explore the best places to visit in Japan!
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