Matsumoto to Tokyo
I’m realizing that a big part of what makes this feel like a once in a lifetime trip is the sense of daily wonderment. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like every day is completely unexpected (in a positive way.) I’ve been fortunate to go on many incredible journeys in my life, especially over the past few years. All of those trips have offered up special, unique moments. But I’m unnerved to realize how long it’s been since I was consistently surprised on a daily basis. It does remind me of being a much younger person and traveling through Europe by myself. I just didn’t realize how far I had strayed from that feeling.
This is the part of aging that is maybe hardest for me. Losing that brand new exhilaration, even though there are so many other parts of being a younger person that I don’t miss at all and am grateful to have matured out of.
I think my arrival in Matsumoto was what set me on this train of thought (no pun intended 😜.) I was excited about this spot because it was my other “splurge” hotel, with a private cedar bath, special menu etc.. Then I realized after I left Hakone that both hotels are run by the same company. I loved that place in Hakone so that seemed to guarantee a good experience.
Which it was! It’s another spectacular hotel in a beautiful place with everything “just so”. And I am incredibly fortunate to stretch my budget and afford two such places. But I noticed that I felt less wonderment when I first arrived, because I kind of already knew what to expect.
Not complaining about a cedar bath in the room with a gorgeous view.
The hotel has an interesting story. Basically they found a very old hotel in a little spa town about 15 minutes outside of the city. They renovated and expanded the original hotel, but they have also been building other businesses in the town - a few cafes, a brewery and a bakery. They’re hoping to revitalize an area that was kind of crumbling.
Like the other hotel, the interior feels like a library. This hotel is bigger so there were tons of rooms to explore at the bookstore.
They built it over an old onsen (public bath) and left all the tile and fixtures in.
And even filled an old bath with styrofoam balls for the kids section.
I spent a luxurious 18 hours at the hotel and thoroughly enjoyed my “last Onsen” of the trip. I’ve been sleeping well and definitely feel relaxed from all the soaking 😊.
Before catching my afternoon train, I took a few hours to explore Matsumoto, another delightful surprise. All these smaller Japanese cities are just great.
Yayoi Kusama was born in Matsumoto, and the City Art Museum has a fantastic permanent exhibition of her work.
This exhibit was 5,000 times more robust and interesting than the one that SF MOMA charged $35 for last year. They don’t allow photos inside the exhibit here, which I also appreciated.
After the museum I went to a cute little cafe, another one-person run place, with the kettle boiling on a stove in the middle of the room.
Everything was in walking distance to the station, but I only had a bit of time. So I quickly headed over to the Matsumoto Castle, snapping pictures on the way. It’s hard to capture how each of these cities has a unique vibe. Matsumoto is known for its fresh spring water.
It was a quick visit to the castle before catching a hot, crowded train back to Tokyo.
I’m staying in a completely different neighborhood, near Ueno Park, and I really like it. Happy to be back in the big city, even if it does mean I’m getting close to the end of my time here.
