Day 13: Matsumoto and back to Tokyo

After breakfast we take the ryokan minibus back to Takayama station and go to the adjacent bus station to catch the bus across the Japanese alps to Matsumoto - lots of very long tunnels, many public works (road mending after the very harsh winter), glorious views.

We arrive at Matsumoto and put our cases in the luggage lockers at the JR station - oh dear we're one locker short, but after hanging around for five minutes wondering what to do - take one case with us? leave one member of the family guarding a case? look for another locker at the bus station? - fortunately someone comes back to claim their luggage. Rachel is immensely relieved that her confidence in the system is not misplaced.

Then it's off to Matsumoto Castle, but first a stop for lunch at a charming studio cafe - the lady clears her laptop from the tables for us and we enjoy green tea with delightful cakes. Some were dog shaped, and some Tanuki (racoon dog) shaped:

Tanuki Cakes

On to the castle which proves quite a challenge as the many wooden stairs are steep and slippery in socks. Muscles will ache for several days afterwards. This castle, "Crow Castle" (for the black colour) unlike many others in Japan, is original and about 400 years old. Mostly a serious defensive building it also contains a later (and probably defensively foolish) "Moon viewing room" with large windows (as opposed to the arrow-slits elsewhere) on three walls. Samuel and Imogen pose with samurai in the grounds and we finally allow Samuel to buy a much-asked-for samurai sword - in the form of a key ring, so we trust it will not alarm airport security.

Japan, old & new again - in Matsumoto

Matsumoto Castle

Then, after one more ice cream from the parlour next to the restaurant advertising the local speciality (raw horse sashimi), and a walk back to the JR station, we reclaim our bags and get the piddly pom train to Shinjuku station.

We thought we could walk easily to the hotel from Shinjuku - how wrong we were. Huge crowds, very difficult to find our destination, so had to ask lots of people but eventually we find it (typical of the friendly and helpful experiences we had during our stay, some people came up to us as we were obviously looking lost and helpless to helped us out).

We dump our bags, and go find food - for the morning (croissants, kit kats from local 7-11), then a fast food cafe for supper (everyone too tired for anything more substantial or adventurous tonight).