MATSUMOTO
Local sightseeing including coach tours, Wasabi Farm and Matsumoto Castle
Matsumoto City
Matsumoto is a mountain city located in Nagano Prefecture on Honshu, the main island of Japan. It’s known for Matsumoto Castle, a 16th-century stronghold nicknamed “Crow Castle” for its distinctive black walls. This picturesque castle town is nestled between the Japanese Alps and Utsukushigahara Heights (meaning "beautiful plateau"). Matsumoto boasts a surprisingly metropolitan atmosphere while maintaining historical sites and traditions. Nakamachi Street is lined with old merchant houses reminiscent of a bygone Japan. The Japanese Alps loom overhead, with hot springs, ski runs and hiking trails.
SCHOOL VISIT
Full day school visit and cultural exchange
Matsumoto Homestay Program
EXAMPLE ITINERARY:
DAY 1
Arrive in Matsumoto
*From Shinjuku Tokyo: 2hrs 40mins by express train and 3hrs10mins by coach
*From Nagoya: 2hrs by express train and 2hrs 30mins by coach
*From Kyoto: 3hrs by Shinkansen & express train via Nagoya
(Send luggage to the hotel in Matsumoto one day before arrival)
15 mins walk to 'Takagi' for SOBA (buckwheat noodle) making experience and tasting for lunch
2 mins walk to Matsumoto Castle (entering Hommaru Garden & Castle Tower)
Armoured SAMURAI shows up at 2.00pm
5 mins walk to Nawate & Nakamachi Street for shopping
Walk to hotel and check in
Overnight: Matsumoto
DAY 2
Check-out of hotel and transfer to High School in Matsumoto or surroundings by coach
School visit and cultural exchange at school
Transfer to Takeshi Village by coach
Meet host families.
Overnight: Home stay in Takeshi
DAY 3
Transfer to Kitayatsugatake Ropeway (cable car) by coach
Enjoy a view from the top at an altitude of 2237m
Transfer to Nagato Dairy Farm by coach
Lunch at restaurant in the farm, try fresh milk, icecream, etc.
Transfer to Nagawa town by coach
Washi (Japanese paper) making experience at Tateiwa Paper Village
Transfer to Takeshi by coach
Overnight: Home stay in Takeshi
DAY 4
Say goodbye to host families and transfer to Daio Wasabi Farm by coach
Free time in Wasabi farm. Daio is the largest Wasabi farm in Japan
Transfer to downtown Matsumoto by coach
Tanabata paper doll making experience
Lunch at a restaurant near JR Matsumoto Station
Return to Tokyo or depart for Kyoto
Itinerary subject to change depending on season.
Visit to Nagano and snowmonkeys can be exchanged on Day 3.
IMMERSION
With local students and local guides
