Tokyo to Matsumoto

 Tuesday, October 3, 2017

We spent the morning on a tour bus traveling northwest to Matsumoto.  Our route took us from densely packed Tokyo through green and mountainous territory (Japan’s land mass is 70%  mountains), passing  small scale rice farms along the way.  Close to their harvest time, right now the rice plants are yellow. At a rest area we were able to glimpse Mt. Fuji, despite the fact that much of it was covered by clouds. 

Speaking of the rest areas, they were interesting in their own right.  Both the men’s and ladies’ rooms have extensive signage with instructions on how to use the facilities, with illustrations indicating which way to face and the importance of not standing on the toilets! This serves to educate the increasing numbers of Chinese visitors who are not used to Western toilets – much less the high tech Japanese toilets, which even we novices from the backward States find to be a marvel.

In Matsumoto, we visited a family-run miso production facility to learn how this staple of Japanese cuisine is produced.  We had a lunch there that featured, among other things, a pork and miso stew and even miso ice cream!

Then, it was on to explore Matsumoto Castle, built in the 16^th century to house and protect the lords of the Matsumoto Clan.  Designated as a National Treasure of Japan, the six-story wooden donjon tower was the heart of the defensive scheme of the moat-surrounded enclosure.  After removing our shoes, we were able to climb a series of VERY steep staircases to reach the top floor, which serves as a watchtower and contains a dedication to the deity who protects the castle.  The castle keep, which is built without nails, has been taken apart and reconstructed using the same “pieces” after shoring up a sagging foundation.

We walked the short distance from the castle to the hotel, where we checked in at the end of the afternoon.  Dinner this evening was a large variety of Japanese dishes in many forms in the hotel.  We felt fortunate that Chiaki, our Japanese guide,  who has been with us from the minute we cleared customs and immigration, was seated with us and could identify each item on the menu for us.

After dinner, we walked over to the castle, which was beautifully lit, so Tom could take some photos.  There was a full moon festival in progress on the castle grounds, with a concert of Japanese music, a tea ceremony, and other activities. We were able to catch the tail end of that, though the moon was hidden from view by clouds.

Kathleen Brennan, whom we met yesterday, has taken over from Paul.  She’s another expat American and is a fount of information.  Her commentary made today’s ride an interesting one, and she’s circulating material covering lots of topics for us to read as we move about the country.  I think she wants us to live up to the name Road Scholar, and to that end, I’d better stop writing and start reading!