Notes from the people who actually live here
These aren't travel-guide summaries. Everything here comes from our Aunties — what they eat, where they go when the tourists leave, and the things they wish visitors knew before arriving.
What to Do in Matsumoto Besides the Castle
You'll be done with the castle in an hour. Here's what a local does with the rest of the day.
Akiko · · 8 min read
Is Matsumoto Worth Staying the Night?
Honestly, not for everyone. Here's how to tell which one you are.
Akiko · · 7 min read
Onsen Etiquette, from a Local Who Isn't Really an Onsen Person
What a Matsumoto local actually does in a hot spring — and the small unwritten rules that trip visitors up.
Akiko · · 8 min read
Reading about it is one thing.
Walking it with someone who has lived here for thirty years is another. Two and a half hours, just you and your Auntie.
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