Day 13. Matsumoto

The breakfast began just as the dinner had ended.
Many small bowls with delicious items, but also less delicious ones (fermented cherries are one of those items).
After that, we were off to one of the highlights that we had been looking forward to for a long time on our trip to Japan.
Our first castle in Japan.
The black crow castle, also known as Matsumoto-jo, is one of the most impressive castles in Japan. Its striking exterior with black walls earned it the nickname “Crow Castle.” It was built in the 16th century and is one of the few original preserved flatland castles in Japan.
We were greeted by a samurai, who asked us to take off our shoes because the castle could only be visited in socks, which posed a small challenge with the high and very steep wooden stairs that led up to the 6th floor. But we were not disappointed; the castle was incredibly interesting.
After that, we went to a traditional miso manufacturer. Here we were welcomed by the CEO, who gave us a tour of his company. His miso matures for three years in cedar wood barrels, far removed from industrial production.
Conveniently, we could have lunch there right after (miso, what else?) and shop for the good stuff in the factory outlet for home.
Then we headed straight to the station, if not for some familiar sounds that stopped us.
Incredible but true, we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a Japanese Oktoberfest in 35-degree heat.
We wouldn't have been surprised if the Japanese had also worn dirndls and lederhosen.
Unfortunately, we could not join the festivities since our train to Nagano wouldn’t wait for us.
The small but speedy regional express brought us to the winter resort of Nagano in just under half an hour, where we first settled into our small hotel room.
After that, we set out in search of something edible and ultimately found something.
More tomorrow.
Good night, Germany