It was a little strange waking up on the floor. A Japanese ryokan, even a modern one like ours, is nothing like a western hotel room. We are staying at a place called the KAI Matsumoto. KAI, pronounced “kie”, is an upscale Japanese hotel chain that specializes in spa resorts with a traditional Japanese feel to them. The Matsumoto facility is located in a mostly residential neighborhood on the edge of the city. The hotel does everything to create the illusion, however, that it is completely separate from the surrounding city. Windows look out into carefully designed walled gardens or they are covered with rice paper or fabric screens that hide the outside world. Everything is very quiet. We have an enormous suite here. A hallway covered in tatami mats opens up onto two large rooms separated from the hallway and from each other with sliding doors. The rice paper on the doors have a subtle design of branches and leaves. Walls are covered with wood or brown fabric. Everything is calm and muted.
Not everything is completely traditional, of course. Ryokan have modern electrical, heating, air-conditioning, and plumbing systems. The plumbing, in fact, is one of the most fun things about Japan. The toilets in this country are far more high tech than those found in America or Europe. The seats are electrically heated so that it always feels warm and comfortable when you sit down. And after you have, er, finished, you press a button and a steady stream of water immediately cleanses you.
Not only that, but pressing another button will deliver a steam of dry air as well.
Guests at the ryokan are generally expected to dress in traditional Japanese style in the public spaces. When we arrived we were given simple gray *yukata* with a blue band to tie it. We also had a small jacket that apparently went went it. There were also a lime green pants and tunic provided, but this seemed to be an alternative to the *yukata*. We were also given those wooden flip flops, and these came with a set of socks that allowed for a space between the two. I think you cannot comfortably walk in these shoes if you did not grow up in this country. John and I never quite did figure out the ins and outs of dressing here, but I think the staff and the other guests are just pleased that foreigners make some effort. As far as we can see, we are the only westerners here. Everybody on the staff speaks a little English, but only a little. And, as we speak no Japanese, we have to be grateful for what communication we can have.
We had our breakfast this morning, as we had our dinner last night, in a small private room. I understand now why Japanese restaurants are not open for breakfast. The main dish for breakfast today was grilled, whole mackerel. I tried to eat it, though I nearly choked on some of the bones. I was glad that nobody except John was there to try to see me try to fillet this thing with chopsticks. The rest of the meal consisted of a lot of small bits of pickles and a semi-raw egg with fish roe on it. I was glad for the bowl of rice.
We met our guide promptly at nine in the lobby of the whole. His name was Keniji Nakano, but he preferred to be called just Ken. We learned later than Ken was in his early forties, though he looked younger than that. His English was quite good. He had lived in Los Angeles for several years in the early nineties, and he had studied at Los Angeles City College. We liked him right away. We had a large minivan and a driver for the three of us. One of the things we noticed about all the taxis in Japan is that they all have antimacassars on all the seats.
On our way into town, we stopped at a small convenience store. I was jolted to see a familiar sign from my childhood.
One of the interesting things when you travel abroad is that you find things you remember from years ago. There are brands that no longer exist in the United States that continue to thrive abroad. I had not thought of Lawson’s Dairy for many decades, but here it was in Matsumoto, a local convenience store.
Our first real stop for the day was a scenic outlook on a hill not far from the center of town. Ken told us that during the several hundred years ago there had been a smaller fort here. Back then it was important to scan the valley for attacking troops belonging to other feudal lords. Now the hills is a city park and there is a small elevated viewing platform where once the military tower had stood. The day was perfectly clear and the view of the Japanese Alps was breathtaking.
Before we left, Ken insisted on snapping a picture of us.
We left the park and went to the center of town to see the major attraction of this part of the country, Matsumoto Castle. This is not only one of the few castles left in Japan, but it was even in its time possibly the most beautiful. Four hundred years ago, there were hundreds of castles in Japan. After all, Japan was essentially a feudal society until the middle of the nineteenth century. Feudalism in Japan was not precisely the same as it was in Europe. The daimyo did not own the land or the people on the land in the same way that one of King John’s barons would have. The deeply personal aspects of fealty and vassalage characteristic of the European system were absent in Japan. Instead, the daimyo was simply entitled to a certain amount of the rice or other staples that the peasants in his area produced, and he in turn was expected to protect them from hostile outside forces.
But back to the castle. The years before the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate at the beginning of the seventeenth century, were a time of complete political chaos in Japan. The daimyo were fighting among themselves for control of the country. The Matsumoto Han or area was one of the most fertile areas in the nation, so control of this area was important and the it was important to build strong fortifications. As it turned out, however, these were not needed because not long after it was finished, Tokugawa Ieyasu established effective control over the country and the civil wars ended. So we have not only an intact castle but one that is essentially in perfect condition.
Japanese castles were made of primary of wood. They relied on elaborate systems of moats to help protect them from enemies. The current moat around the castle, essentially now just a big koi pond, is only a fraction of the size of the original most system. But it certainly helps enhance the beauty of this building.
The moat was designed to be just a little wider than 16th century Japanese cannons could fire, so making it an effective fortification. The bridge that connects it to the outside is a later peacetime addition.
It was also far, far deeper than it is today. Now the moat is home to some carp who almost seem to threaten the tourist unwilling to feed them.
We entered through a fairly formidable gate.
In the sixteenth century, there would have been another large building him, the residence of the daimyo and some of his senior samurai. The castle itself was not a residence but functioned more as an armory. The daimyo’s house was destroyed in a fire in the seventeenth century, and was never rebuilt. This period wood block, though, gives an indication of what the close of the castle probably looked like.
As mentioned before, the castle was constructed entirely of wood. And Japanese carpenters and joiners were adept at using no nails at all to build these enormous structures. There is a bit of iron bracing seen in places, but this was added many years and probably more than a few earthquakes later.
It was hard to get a good picture inside the castle. Not only was it dark, but it we were always moving because there was a steady stream of visitors behind us. I did get a couple interesting shots, though. Here is one of the many images of carp that are found on the roof of the castle.
Ken explained that because the carp seem to be so full of water, they were seen as protecting people from fire.
Right at the top I caught a glimpse of the shrine to the moon goddess. She was also considered to be effective against fires.
After we had toured the castle, there were opportunities for taking more pictures. We posed with a guy in a samurai costume.
And Ken took a less silly picture to help us remember our trip here.
Ken took us on a tour of the old part of Matsumoto. This is not a big area. There are a couple of streets in the center of town where the old houses have survived both frequent fires and the desire for new and modern things.
This street, and another on the other side of the river, were originally merchants shops with residences on the second floor and sometimes a store house in the rear. Today, they are all simply shops and restaurants. Probably the most interesting of all of them for us were the antique stores. We found a couple things that we loved, but were not quite willing to pay a couple thousand dollars plus shipping.
We stopped by a Shino shrine
and Ken taught me how to properly pray to a Shinto deity. You throw a coin into the box—the ones with holes in the center are considered particularly lucky—and then bow twice and clap twice. Make a request and bow one time more. If there is a bell, you can ring it at that point. You can also write down your requests, too.
We had a lovely lunch in a beautiful old inn. We sat at a table overlooking the garden. We walked around the garden afterwards.
You can see one of the backyard storehouses of a merchant here. The black and white crosshatch pattern is classic to this area. Ken took us by a spring where John filled up his water bottle.
We saw a Buddhist shrine.
We also saw a shop selling the Japanese wooden flip flops. These look great, but I would never wear them unless forced to. They are easily the most awkward and uncomfortable things I have ever put on my feet.
One of the highlights of a visit to Matsumoto is normally a trip to its art museum which specializes in woodblock prints. Unfortunately for us, it is closed on Mondays. But we did stop by the museum because there is a big exhibition of works by Yayoi Kusama, a local artist who has become a worldwide sensation. She is known for her colorful works like these massive sculptures outside the museum.
She is equally known for her colorful hair. Nearing ninety, she still colors her hair fire-
engine red.
Our final stop on the trip was a visit to a wasabi farm. I was almost ready to tell Ken we were not interested in this as it seemed like the usual kind of things you get stuck doing with a guide, but it was actually really interesting. It turns out that wasabi is not at all easy to grow. It requires constant fresh water at a steady temperature. This area is one of the few places in the world where the conditions are perfect for it.
The farm has a Shinto Shrine.
The giant candles are supposed to indicate how powerful the god who resides here is. You know what they say about gods with big feet…. But on a serious note, the farm is also filled with statues from nearby farms and villages. The local gods of this area are a happily married couple.
John was more fascinated to learn that Dream, the 1990 Kurasawa picture, had been partly filmed here. This waterwheel was built as a prop for the film.
And John wanted to sit where the great man himself had sat to direct.
I will remember wasabi farm every time I have sushi! It was lovely.
We had a short visit to a sake distillery after this. We had said that we really did not want to see the manufacturing process, but Ken was eager to show us the Meiji-era house. I had an headache by this time, and I think I did not show much interest here. We returned to the hotel, and had one picture of all of us.
In the evening, we had the usual amazing dinner and started the process of packing up.
