The Nakamachi Street, Nagano

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Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture is a mountainous city that is easily accessible from Tokyo without a transfer by express from Shinjuku, and is bustling with tourists throughout the year. It is not only dotted with various historical sites, including the national treasure Matsumoto Castle, but it is also a city where you can enjoy various events such as unique events, the cityscape that is perfect for strolling, and the hot springs and plateaus.
Matsumoto is a city with a population of about 240,000 people spreading at the foot of the Northern Japan Alps. There are many tourist spots in the city such as “National Treasure Matsumoto Castle”, “Former Kaichi Elementary School Building” which is designated as an important cultural property, “Nawate Street” and “Nakamachi Street” which retain the atmosphere of the castle town. In particular, “National Treasure Matsumoto Castle” is a popular area visited by many tourists from home and abroad.
Among them, Nakamachi-dori, where traditional white walls and ‘Namako-kabe wall’ (covered with square tiles jointed with raised plaster) line up along the street, is a popular area for exploring. Facing the street, there are stores, accessory shops, shops dealing with pottery and lacquerware, restaurants, etc. You can enjoy walking around the city while looking into those shops.
Matsumoto is dotted with many sightseeing spots in the city. If you enjoy walking around the city and enjoying those spots slowly, it is recommended to stay overnight rather than a day trip. If you have more time, you may want to go to the next Azumino City.
Access from Tokyo to Matsumoto is convenient by train. About 2 hours 30 minutes from Japan Railway “Shinjuku Station” by “Limited Express Azusa”. It operates at a pace of 1 hour, and it is very convenient because you can access Matsumoto without changing trains.
History, culture, hot springs and nature. Please visit Matsumoto which is full of various attractions. It will surely be an unforgettable trip.

Buildings of “Dozo-zukuri” style of simple white and black design

Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture is a castle town that has developed around the Matsumoto-jo Castle. This place has also evolved as a key hub where the Chikuni Road, Nomugi Road, Ina Road, Zenkoji Road cross. For that reason, there are still many merchants and shops of “Dozo-zukuri” (earthen-wall building style) along the road. Among them, on both sides of “Nakamachi Street”, beautiful buildings of “Namakokabe no Dozo-zukuri” (building style of being covered with square tiles jointed with raised plaster) are lined up, and there is an atmospherey walking course that makes you feel history and culture is.

“Namakokabe Wall” refers to the wall of a grid-like pattern of white like the picture. It was thought to protect the town from the fire as walls of the cabinet, because it is highly likely that the whole town will be lost if it is wooden as it is vulnerable to fire. This “Namakokabe Wall” can be seen throughout Japan.
There are still many buildings of “Dozo-zukuri” style of simple white and black design. Originally it was a lot of sake brewery and kimono shops, but now it has transformed into folk art stores and craft shops.
Here, since the electric wires are buried underground, it is perfect for taking a walk, as it has an old-fashioned streetscape crowded as a wholesale area. Guide maps are distributed in various parts of shopping areas.

Brewing industry or business of fabrics for kimono

Matsumoto-shi, Nagano is a castle town which continues for 400 years.
The Nakamachi Street is in along the Hokkoku-kaido road which leads from the west to the east. The wholesale dealers mainly such as brewing industry or business of fabrics for kimono gathered and prospered here. However, the whole circumference was hit by the conflagration and many main institutions and town houses were lost by the Edo last stage and Meiji.

Unique cityscape in Matsumoto

In order to protect from the fire covering again and again, “Namakokabe no Dozo” was built with merchants’ wisdom. Many houses of “Dozo-zukuri” of the brief design of the white and black still remain near the Nakamachi Street. They have an atmosphere of old Matsumoto. Shops such as a folk handicraft and the industrial arts gather, current Nakamachi town makes unique cityscape in Matsumoto.

“Dozo-zukuri” or “Kura-zukuri” etc.

“Dozo” is one of the Japanese traditional architecture, and an outer wall is finished with the plaster as an earth wall. It is only called “Kura” in many cases, and the building made from this style is called “Dozo-zukuri” or “Kura-zukuri” etc. Other than a building as a warehouse and a storagehouse, there are some which are built to serve both as a storage warehouse and a store.

The building remaining nostalgic taste

The building where there is nostalgic taste is open each as the individual shops as handling a cafe, a restaurant, folk crafts and the industrial art object using the storehouse.

Street leisurely apt for a walk

Many individual stores stand in a row, and it is street leisurely apt for a walk. The morning fair is also held by “Kura Sic Hall” on a holiday morning.

Information(Access, Price/Charge, Tel, Address, Official site, etc.)

Name:	The Nakamachi Street
Address:	Chuo 3 Matsumoto, Nagano 390-0811 Japan
Access:	JR Shinonoi-sen Line “Matsumoto-eki Station” (10 minutes walk)
Tel:	(+81) 263-36-1421 (Nakamachi Shopping District Promotion Association)
Price/Charge:	Free
Official site:	http://nakamachi-street.com/