The Fall Foliage of Tateshina, Nagano and the Majestic Matsumoto Castle
We had a wonderful trip planned. We along with Toyoko's brother Ryuuske and wife Mitsuko, and her cousin Yuriko and husband Rei were going to the Rie's country home in Tateshina, Nagano prefecture. Unfortunately, Ryuuske and Yuriko both came down with illnesses, and so we had to change the plan. I thought the trip would be canceled, but Rie came to the rescue!
Rie needed to go to Tateshina anyway to take care of some business related to his house there, so we all decided that Toyoko and I would go to Tateshina after all, and we'd meet up with Rie there. Rie agreed to be our guide, and chauffeur. Yuriko had already put together a three day itinerary. We decided to follow it as best we could, and see how it went.
So one fine morning in mid-November we boarded the Azusa limited express out of Tachikawa, and off we went on our adventure to Tateshina. The Azusa is not a bullet train, but it probably the next best thing. It travels at fairly high speeds, does not stop much, and seating comfort is practically the same.
There were, in my mind, two major objectives with this trip. One was to see the fall colors, referred to as kōyō (紅葉) in Japan. The other was to see Matsumoto Castle.
We arrived at Kobuchizawa Station at around 10:30, and Rie was waiting for us in his car. Our first stop was to take in the views at Yatsugatake Kogen Bridge. The bridge itself is not necessarily a work of art, but the surrounding countryside was just that. I want to note here that the higher elevations had seen the best viewing time pass weeks ago, but there were still some trees that were still showing off their colors. You will want to get here in late October to see the autumn colors at the higher altitudes.
After that, we went for an early lunch. Not far from the bridge we stopped at Yatsugatake Club, which is a restaurant with adjacent shops and walking trails. It was interesting that most of the things on sale in the shops were from Scandinavian countries. Toyoko bought a small rug from a salesman that was actually from Finland.
After lunch, we were off to the next picturesque spot, this time on Hachimaki Road. This quiet country road is nestled around a mountainside that is the lower part of Mitsugashira, which towers over the southern tip of the Yatsugatake mountain range. As you drive this winding road you'll see views of Mt Fuji filtered through the trees, but there are occasional breaks where you can get a clear view of the Fuji-san and the surrounding mountains.
Next, we made our way north to Mishakaike Pond. This is normally a beautiful spot to see kōyō, but we were a few weeks late. Most of the leaves had fallen, but it was still a pretty place despite that. Rie mentioned that in the summer it is really difficult to get a parking spot here, as it is fairly limited. Come early during the peak seasons.
Rie had driven a lot today so we went to his house to rest up, and then had dinner in a local restaurant. Back at our hotel, we marveled out how much of southern Nagano we seen in such a short period of time.
We stayed at the Tateshina Tokyu Hotel. The hotel itself is very rustic in the inside, and the surrounding grounds are superb, with walking trails and a pond. This is one of quite a few resorts in the area, and I would say all of them require a car to get there.
The next day we got off to an early start north to the Kirigamine Fujimidai observation deck on the Venus Line. This large parking area offers views of multiple mountains in the area, and on a clear day you can see Mt. Fuji. I can imagine this place being packed in the summer.
On the way back towards the hotel heading south on the Venus Line we stopped at one more observation deck called Me-no-kami-ten-bou-dai, or translated into English, Woman's God Observatory. You can see the Yatsugatake Mountains and the Southern Alps, and the vast forest at the foot of the Yatsugatake Mountains spreads out below you.
The next sightseeing stop was at Lake Tateshina, which was a drive further south towards the area of our hotel. The panoramic views were delightful here. Because we were at a lower elevation, many of the trees were still gloriously sporting their fall colors. There's a footbridge across the lake, and walking paths around it with lots of colorful trees.
The last sightseeing stop for the day was at Choen-ji Temple. This temple, dedicated to the Buddha Vairocana, was founded in 1649 by Takeda Keison Hoin, who established Kanamezan Taizouin Choenji Temple based on the teachings he brought from Koyasan Kongochoin Temple on Mount Koya. In early November, the maple tree leaves turn fiery red, contrasting sharply with the golden ginkgo trees. It is said the trees were sourced from Ichiyūji Temple in Kyoto. The parking lot is rather small, so probably best to come early.
We wrapped up the day doing a bit of shopping at the Farmer's Market, and then dinner. I was looking forward to tomorrow, which would be a trip up north to Matsumoto to see the castle.
Rie picked us up at the hotel the next morning, and we headed to Chino Station. He needed to break away for a meeting, so we were on our own. The train ride to Matsumoto took roughly an hour. We checked our bags into lockers at Matsumoto Station, and hopped into a taxi destined for the castle.
We got there around 10am, and were able to quickly buy tickets to enter the castle grounds. But, lines had already been forming at the entrance to the castle, so we were told to expect a 20 minute wait to get inside. There were actually two lines - one for people who had bought tickets online, and another line who bought tickets today. They were given priority, sigh.
Matsumoto Castle is one of only twelve remaining original castles in Japan. A castle is deemed original if its keep was constructed before the end of the feudal era (before 1868). The castle's construction was completed in 1594 under the rule of Lord Kazumasa Ishikawa, and is the oldest five-tiered, six-story castle remaining in Japan.
Like other castles we have visited, the steps up to each floor are steep, and they seem to get steeper and narrower as you climb each floor. This castle has five floors, and it is slow going with all the people jammed in there. Each of the floors except for the third floor has some sort of exhibition or poster explaining something about the castle. Most floors have actual exhibits, such as antique rifles and pistols used during that period, and other interesting facts about the castle. You'll have to take your shoes off and carry them while you are inside the castle.
After we got out of the castle, we headed over to Nawate Shopping Street for lunch. We had a 2:30 train tickets back to Tokyo, so we didn't have a lot of time to explore the area. If you come up this way, I'd recommend staying a night in Matsumoto so you can take in the area properly. I think we'll try to do that soon too.
