I arrived in Matsumoto on a cold night, the chill of winter still enveloping the streets, a breath of rain in the air. The mountain cold was disorienting after having arrived from a distinctly warmer Tokyo, on a bus that seemed to trundle endlessly past dark stretches of countryside.

Then the morning came clear and fresh, and I walked to Matsumoto Station. The view from the huge glass windows of the west exit was that of the Alps, the snow-capped mountain range in the distance. In stark, wintry relief against a clear blue sky, it?s a sight that etches itself into the very ventricles of your heart.

It calls to mind Robert MacFarlane?s meditation on mountains, on how they, ?like all wildernesses, challenge our complacent conviction ? so easy to lapse into ? that the world has been made for humans by humans.?
If you travel to Matsumoto, arrive in the morning and let this be the first sight you see out of the station gates.

Matsumoto is famous for its magnificent black castle, museums, and surrounding mountains. Though it is the second largest city in Nagano prefecture, the city center is a manageable size, with wide pavements and boulevards that make it perfect for exploring on foot or bicycle.

The city architecture also seems to have an elegant, old-fashioned charm. There are old buildings from all periods, and many businesses have kept much of the slightly antiquated shopfront signage with fonts from decades ago.

Most importantly, it is a small city with a ...