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A small town nestled up next to the mountains, Inami punches far above its weight. This town is famous for being the center of traditional woodcarving in Japan. There are over 100 workshops throughou...

Discover the charms and food culture of the Asama Onsen district of historic Matsumoto City, on this 5-hour guided walking tour. Led by a locally-based guide, you’ll delve into the tastes and tra...

Visitors to Matsumoto will enjoy one of Central Japan’s most historic city where the past lives on in the form of its famous castle and historic streets full of old merchant stores. Travelers wanting...

People in Japan sometimes say, ‘There are two types of towns here. Temple towns and castle towns’. Matsumoto is very much a castle town; a historic city boasting one of Japan’s best preserved cas...

Known as ‘washi’, traditional Japanese paper plays an important role in country's thriving arts and crafts scene. With a history dating back more than one thousand years, this seemingly simple past-t...

Located in the beautiful region of Azumino and set against the background of the Japanese Northern Alps, Daio Wasabi Farm is the one of the largest producers of wasabi in Japan. Covering an expansive ...

Migrating from Siberia each winter, hundreds of swans descend on an otherwise anonymous pond and marshes of Gohoden Yusuichi in Azumino, to the delight of locals and visitors who journey all the ...

Visitors to staying in and around the Azumino and Matsumoto areas in winter have the chance to witness the ‘morning glow’ of the Hida Mountains each morning, as the rising sun reflects off Japan’...

Even if you are yet to set foot in Japan or know exactly what’s this most Japanese of rituals, there’s a good chance you’re aware of the tradition of tea ceremonies. Referred to as ‘sado’ or ‘chado’ ...