Nagano, Japan Hotels, Vacations, Tourism

Some 50km southwest of Nagano across the Hijiri Kogen mountains is the prefecture's second largest city, MATSUMOTO , justly famous for its splendid castle , Matsumoto-jo, which has the oldest donjon (central keep) in Japan, dating from 1595. Also in the centre of this attractive town – gateway to the Japan Alps – is the Nakamachi area of traditional white-walled houses, many now renovated into ryokan and shops, while to the west is the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum , where beautiful traditional prints are displayed inside a surprisingly ugly modern building. Matsumoto also has a reputation as a centre for … more »