2022 NO.32
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Strolling Japan
An artisanal city in the foothills of Japan’s Northern Alps
Matsumoto
Surrounded by mountains, time passes tranquilly through the crisp, clear air of Matsumoto, a city with a time-honored culture of craftsmanship.
Photos: Osaka Satoshi, Aflo, PIXTA
Matsumoto Castle, with its 30-meter-high castle keep. On a clear day, this spot offers beautiful views with the northern Alps in the background.
Just two and a half hours from the center of Tokyo by limited express, the train windows offer picturesque views of the beautiful Northern Alps of Japan. Completely enveloped by mountains, this gem of Nagano Prefecture, Matsumoto, is situated at the very center of the Japanese archipelago in an area that includes the popular alpine tourist destination, Kamikochi. With rivers running through the city center, an abundance of spring water from mountain runoff, and wells scattered throughout the area, the rich natural environment gives the city a clear, fresh air.
Matsumoto Castle, built at the end of the 16th century and now named a National Treasure, stands as a symbol of the city’s long history of prosperity as a commercial center conveniently located for transporting goods. Featuring the oldest existing five-story castle keep in Japan and a surrounding moat, the castle is a wonderful spot to appreciate the beauty of each season. To its north stands the former Kaichi School building, built in the late 19th century. This important historical site, which was constructed by local carpenters, features a blend of Japanese and Western architecture and recalls Japan’s period of modernization.
One of Japan’s famed mountain resorts, Kamikochi is a one-hour bus ride from the center of Matsumoto. Car traffic is restricted to protect the natural environment.
Kaichi School opened as an elementary school in the late 19th century in this building. Constructed in 1876, the building was used as a school until 1963. (Photo: Matsumoto City Board of Education; closed until autumn 2024 due to retrofitting)
Matsumoto is blessed with an abundance of high-quality timber, and furniture making has been popular here since the Edo period (1603–1868). Although the industry fell into decline for a time, it underwent a revival in the 1940s with the rise of the Japanese Folk Crafts Movement, which sought to preserve and pass on handicraft techniques for practical everyday objects. Matsumoto folk craft furniture integrates the quality and sturdiness of Japanese furniture with the curved lines of Western furniture. Its muted reddish brown shine, achieved with layers of varnish or lacquer carefully applied to Japanese cherry birch wood, is still cherished today.
Top: The Matsumoto Folk Craft Furniture Central Showroom displays and sells a variety of furniture crafted in this style.
Bottom left: Chairs inspired by British design have come to exemplify Matsumoto folk craft furniture.
Bottom right: The furniture is made entirely by hand. The craftspeople even hand-make their own tools.