2 night tour, Matsumoto Castle, Kamikochi, mixed bathing!
Hi I’m Nobu, I like traveling overseas and in Japan, visited 25 countries!
I’m a National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter of English for 8 years.
For the people who are interested in and planning trip to Japan ,
I show you hidden local information which you have never seen and heard of through books and ordinary site!
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Nagano 2 days
I took a 2-day trip to Nagano Prefecture.
Nagano prefecture also had very nice autumn foliage.
Here is the itinerary.
1: Matsumoto Castle
Matsumoto is the second largest town in Nagano Prefecture and is famous for the annual Saito Kinen Music Festival by conductor Seiji Ozawa.
Matsumoto Castle was built in 1593 and is one of the five existing castle towers in Japan.
The black exterior of the castle tower is distinctive, and the moat surrounding the castle tower reflects the view of the castle tower, making it very beautiful.
The autumn leaves were just turning red, and the beautiful weather made it very tasty.
A chrysanthemum exhibition was also held, so we could enjoy the Japanese autumn.
2: Kamikochi
The next day, we went to Kamikochi high land in the morning.
Kamikochi is a scenic spot in western Nagano Prefecture with a close view of the 1500m high Hotaka mountain range.
It is a popular resort area with hot springs.
For hikers, it is also a base for climbing the mountains of the Japanese Alps.
The vivid flow of the Azusa River and the view of the towering Mt. Hotaka are a powerful sight.
3: Mixed Bathing Bath
We stayed at a hot spring ryokan famous for its white hot spring water called awa-no-yu.
The smell of sulfur wafted through the air.
This is a mixed bath, in the old Japanese style.
Japanese people have always loved taking a bath, and public bathhouses have been mixed bathing for more than 1,000 years.
When Westerners arrived in the 19th century, they were surprised to see mixed bathing.
They were surprised to see mixed bathing and complained that it was against their morals.
So around 1870, separate bathhouses for men and women began to be built.
However, there are still many mixed baths in the Japanese countryside.
We also enjoyed taking a bath together as a family.
Why don’t you take a bath with your whole family?
