Matsumoto, 25.04.24

Matsumoto, 25.04.24

We left Toyama on the Shinkansen Kagayaki at 09.40, changed in Nagano onto the Limited Express Shinano and got to Matsumoto at 11.51. It was lovely countryside we travelled through, smaller cities and villages, rice paddies and in the distance high mountains covered in snow. It was a good idea to arrive early in Matsumoto as it gave us time to see the city. The luggage we put into lockers which are handy in all stations in Japan. 

It was a beautiful sunny day in Matsumoto. Our main objective was to see the castle which is famous for being one the oldest still original castles in Japan. It dates back to the late 16th century with the wooden interiors and the outer stonework unchanged. It is surrounded by moats and guarded by several gatehouses. 

At the entrance of the castle we were offered a free guided tour by two volunteers and we took up the offer. They were delightful with passable English and made the visit so much more interesting. This time we wanted to see the inside as well. Some of the floor space was taken up by exhibitions of samurai uniforms and weapons. But essentially the floors were empty with small openings for defenders to shoot arrows through. They were all connected by very steep and narrow staircases. The top floor offered some views over the moat and the town of Matsumoto. 

We had a leisurely stroll back to the railway station where we waited for the curtesy bus of the hotel which was quite a distance from town. It turned up at four thirty and we were on our way. It was further than I thought and on the way there I noticed to my astonishment vineyards among the rice paddies. Never heard of Japanese wine! 

The hotel was in a steep ravine accessed by a very narrow road. Hot springs were the reason for it being there all among trees and forest. Up here the cherry blossoms were still out and the foliage was just opening up after winter. 

It was a Ryokan, a Japanese guesthouse. Therefore we had to take our shoes off and use slippers. These were a bit more comfortable than last time. Again we received a cup of Japanese tea, ocha, which can be rather bitter and were told all about the hotel facilities and etiquette like that we were welcome to walk around in the Japanese robes called yukatan. Even for dinner we could turn up in the yukatans! Then there were the public baths, gender segregated, and also a bar where we would get free drinks! 

These little cute figurines we found throughout the hotel in hidden corners!

Our room was very spacious and had a balcony overlooking the stream flowing down below. An idyllic location and very quiet. This ryokan was rather more modern than the last one. It had tables and chairs and dinner was served in a restaurant! I went for a wander around the hotel, the lobby, lounge, shop, baths and finally the bar which I found hidden away on an upper floor. It was cosy and dark and had large windows with the view down to the stream. I ordered a red wine and was given a cabernet sauvignon from California. Delicious. So I asked for another glass. 

The restaurant was a new modern addition to the older buildings. Glass windows all around with views into the forest. Beautiful. Large tables and comfortable chairs. The waitress came with the menu and a wine list which had on it a selection of Japanese wines from the region. Of course we ordered a glass each and a proper sommelier came and poured the wine. He was rather proud of his sommelier batch and rightly so. The wine was indeed local and very good. We tasted all four on the list over the two evenings there. One I thought to be quite different, almost on the off side, so I asked the sommelier and he explained that the winemaker was experimenting by putting the wine into old sake barrels! 

Then the food arrived. Wow! We were both taken by the presentation, by the variety and by the taste. What a difference from last kaiseki meal. This was another level of cooking and I reckon it was the best Japanese food I ever tasted. There was a sushi, nigiri style, of salmon, better than anything I knew. It was creamy with just a bit of acidity from the vinegar, a hint of hot from the wasabi and a very fresh slice of salmon on top. A very simple dish but done to perfection. Later on I found out that the chef was a sushi master. It takes years and years to become a sushi master! 

Another dish that had us drooling was of venison. Three slices of perfectly cooked venison and as a garnish a lemon chutney with a fresh lemon slice. Highly unusual but very effective the lemon being a nice contrast to the richness of the vension. There were nine courses but like the 'Seasonal Appetizer' was in fact six separate little dishes! This was a real culinary adventure but one we could and did enjoy very much.