Kaoru's hometown - Matsumoto City

Matsumoto Castle's annual taiko festival

I live in Matsumoto, which is in the centre of Japan. It has a population of about 200,000 people. It is about 2 hours 30 minutes to Tokyo by train.

In Matagricultureiculture is famous industry. Apples, watermelons, grapes and a lot of fruits and vegetables are made by farmers. There is a small airport in the west of the city, so there are some factories near the airport.

The weather in Matsumoto is typical of the inland. There are many sunny days, so winters are very cold. But there are not a lot of snow. In summer, it is not so how because Matsumoto is about 600m high from the sea.

Matsumoto is famous for Matsumoto castle. It is a national treasure, it was built in Edo period. In summer, a big classical music event, Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival is held in the city. A parade of brass bands of students marches as the opening of the festival. The goal of the parade is Matsumoto castle. Then the thousands of students play music in the garden of the castle.

What I like best about Matsumoto is that the city is not too urban, and not too rural. In Matsumoto, there are some shops and restaurants, and several big hospitals. But if you want to contact with nature, you can go to highlands, mountains and rivers quickly.

Posted for Kaoru

Entertainments of Matsumoto city

Cheap amusements

Matsumoto city offers free rental bicycles, so you can explore the town with them.
Luckily, it easy to get most of the sightseeing spots, like the Matsumoto castle,
Kaichi elementary school, Agata no Mori park, by bicycle. Then, if you are thirsty,
you can drink fresh spring water which is clean and tasty in the town. There are
some wells in the town. Making a tour round these wells is also popular. You can
get the map at the city information.

If you have flexible budget

Enjoy the tour of the Matsumoto castle. Visiting the inside of the old historical
castle will be an amazing experience and the view from the top is wonderful.
Also there are some interesting unique museums in the city. 

Try high class entertainment

Matsumoto is well known as a cultural city. Some famous festivals, like the Seiji
Ozawa Music Festival, Kabuki are really popular. Many people visit here from
all over Japan in order to appreciate them. If you have plenty of money, you should
try them.

Teruki

Matsumoto Museum of Art