Japan places - Kanazawa, Matsumoto, Sapporo

[Kaikitsune Makoto 189]

Any forum members live in any of those cities or close by? Lot of info on the net about those places of course but would be interesting to hear if someone has more first hand experience in these places. They are pretty high on my priority list.

Kanazawa is at the sea. Kaiten-zushi is fresh at least (Whistling...) Sapporo is very big and would have less suffocating summers I am sure. Matsumoto has mountains and who wouldn't like mountains? All of them have miso soup and nihongo for sure.

Any comments or accusations regarding this?

Who has been to Kanazawa, Matsumoto or Sapporo and WHY?

Edited February 10, 2005 by Kaikitsune Makoto

[Mark Buckton 1]

Sapporo is very big

Any comments or accusations regarding this?

Who has been to Kanazawa, Matsumoto or Sapporo and WHY?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Been to Sapporo - very nice - not big at all - why would you think that? Matsumoto - very nice too.

WHY? - because they're there.

[Doitsuyama 1,156]

Been to Sapporo - very nice - not big at all - why would you think that?

Maybe because Sapporo's population is about 2,000,000 which is a tad bigger then Finlands largest city, 560,000 Helsinki... just for fun I checked Manchester's population... I'm shocked, only 106,000. There must be place for more in the football stadion alone... (Whistling...)

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Any forum members live in any of those cities or close by? Lot of info on the net about those places of course but would be interesting to hear if someone has more first hand experience in these places. They are pretty high on my priority list.

Kanazawa is at the sea. Kaiten-zushi is fresh at least (Whistling...)  Sapporo is very big and would have less suffocating summers I am sure. Matsumoto has mountains and who wouldn't like mountains? All of them have miso soup and nihongo for sure.

Any comments or accusations regarding this?

Who has been to Kanazawa, Matsumoto or Sapporo and WHY?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Been to all of them. All a great places. Kanazawa is not too far from Gifu, neither is Matsumoto. Sapporo is a two-hour flight, or an all day drive (assuming the highway is used).

Kanazawa is well-know as a "little Kyoto". It has a beautiful old garden (Kenrokuen), an old, well preserved samurai quarter, and a temple known as ninja-dera. The seafood is excellent, as are the onsen.

Matsumoto is a fine old castle town, home to one of four remaining original castles in Japan (not a reconstruction). The others are in Inuyama (Aichi), Hikone (Shiga), and Himeji (Hyogo). Matsumoto is home to many fine old traditional style houses and businesses, and has delicious soba. The mountain views are grand.

Sapporo is home to the famous Sapporo brewery, which has a fine tour and restaurant. I camped on the grounds of the brewery after taking advantage of the tabehodai/nomihodai at said restaurant. None of us were in any condition to drive to our planned campground. Ramen is a popular meal, and shops are everywhere (lots of corn & butter in the broth). Ghengis Khan is a mutton bbq dish of some popularity. Seafood, milk products and vegetables are all very good. The snow festival is on now, and quite nice (largest of it's kind in the world). Also well known for its nightlife (of the seedier kind). More green space than the average Japanese city.

[Elenrian 0]

Oh!!! During my travel in Japan in 2003 (it was the only one), I visited partly Matsumoto and Kanazawa!!! (Hugging...)

In Matsumoto I visited the old castle; I think it is one of the oldest in Japan (it didn't burn!!!). I visited the museum which is next to the castle, and bought green tea in another shop...

In Kanazawa, my memory is a little fuzy!!! I remember visiting a house with 7 floors, and many hidden steps.... I visited the famous garden too. I was staying in a ryokan, near the station.

I don't think that will help you!!! (Whistling...)

[Sasanishiki 57]

Like Otokonoyama, I too have been to all three. Each is nice for different reasons. I must add that I went to both Sapporo and Kanazawa in the heat of Japanese summer (in 1999 and 2004, respectively). Well, it was hot everywhere else in Japan, but lovely and cool in these two cities. I visited Matsumoto in the winter of 1999/2000. It was cold, but not badly so (I am used to temperate climates, so Northern Europeans & Canadians wouldn't find it bad at all).

Matsumoto: The air was lovely and crisp and the town is small and compact. The castle is the main feature, and that was the reason we spent time there. The castle is mainly black with white detail, whereas most old castles are white with darker detail. That is what gives Matsumoto Castle an edge in the tourist stakes. that, and the fact that it is old and original. Near the castle is a museum of the area and ethnology (if I recall). We stayed at a little old minshuku (cheaper, less nice ryokan) which was a bit run-down, but that added to its charm. We ate the soba as well, and there are lots of shops near the station selling local (packaged) produce. I must say that we really only spent an afternoon in the town as we were heading further north to Nagano and its surrounds for the true winter experience.

Kanazawa: Again, I didn't stay very long in Kanazawa (just a night) as I was there for a sumo tournament, not for sightseeing. The sumo ring was out in the countryside and was a bit tricky to get to. However, once back near houses and civilisation it was pretty easy to get around and the bus routes to the station all seemed to go near the Kenrokuen. This was a lovely Japanese garden (one of the three best in Japan, apparently), although it gets a little overrun in tourist groups. I found Kanazawa really pleasant and cool compared to the stifling heat of Osaka, from where I had come. I'm afraid I didn't really try any of the local products or foods. I know that from kanazawa, the peninsula heading north is supposed to be very scenic.

Sapporo: Ah, the jewel of the North! Sapporo is a great place to visit by itself, or the gateway to exploring parts of Hokkaido. Sapporo itself is pretty easy to find your way around, and the area is lovely in September - so much cooler than the humidity of Tokyo. It has fantastic produce (corn, seafood, beer) and as such almost all the food is good. I had the best miso ramen of my life there, and I have since tried in vain to find something as good. The servings were huge, and the place I went has been shown on Japanese TV a few times. It is in a little food arcade at the north of Susukino, the nightlife area, which is as seedy as any other nightlife elsewhere in Japan. The brewery is a good visit, although I didn't go to the restaurant there. There is also the TV tower, a lot of brick buildings built in the latter half of the 19th Century, when Hokkaido was the developing frontier. There is the nice Odori Park in the centre, and there was a really nice park southwest (?) of the centre. There is also a big shopping and entertainment center built in a converted factory/warehouse. From Sapporo there is an easy day trip out to Otaru, a port town with something of a burgeoning artistic tourism feel. The 'canal' which they talk about has been tidied up, but it is not really noteworty for its canal-ness, more just an outlet to the sea.

[Mark Buckton 1]

Been to Sapporo - very nice - not big at all - why would you think that?

Maybe because Sapporo's population is about 2,000,000 which is a tad bigger then Finlands largest city, 560,000 Helsinki... just for fun I checked Manchester's population... I'm shocked, only 106,000. There must be place for more in the football stadion alone... (Whistling...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interesting this one - living there we were always told in the local papers it was 450,000 - but that could have been Greater Manchester I guess. Old Trafford is 76000 or so capacity I think with another 6-8000 to be added soon as the corners are 'filled in'

MCFC Stadium is a toilet - holds 3.

When I was in Helsinki for a while 10 years back that didn't seem as large as 560k would sem to suggest.

[Manekineko 200]

(Whistling...)

500.000 for a capital can result in a small-big city. Zagreb is around 800.000 with all its satellites, but the center is nice and cosy, and it is not unimaginable to skip a wait for tram and just walk to your destination. That said, most of those hundreds of thousands live in New Zagreb, over the river, and here the distances become too large for walking.

[Azumashida 1]

(You are going off-topic...)

500.000 for a capital can result in a small-big city. Zagreb is around 800.000 with all its satellites, but the center is nice and cosy, and it is not unimaginable to skip a wait for tram and just walk to your destination. That said, most of those hundreds of thousands live in New Zagreb, over the river, and here the distances become too large for walking.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

(You are going off-topic...) follow-up:

Helsinki is not a very dense city (at least by French standards) and the center is quite small for a city of more than 500.000 (and which together with its suburbs has close to 1 million) inhabitants. So I guess the label "small-big city" suits it well.

[Mattjila 0]

(You are going off-topic...) follow-up:

Helsinki is not a very dense city (at least by French standards) and the center is quite small for a city of more than 500.000 (and which together with its suburbs has close to 1 million) inhabitants. So I guess the label "small-big city" suits it well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

(You are going off-topic...)

You should try the Denver Metro Area. Due to how the Feds interpret it, we recently grew in size. A lot. The current Denver MSA is 9100 sq. mi. = 23566 km^2 with about 2,650,000 people. That means we have 112.4 persons/km^2. That's the effect of adding some very large, low-population counties. Denver it self is around 2000/km^2, I think, with the airport skewing that.

[Kaikitsune Makoto 189]

Thank you for the comments! Highly appreciated and captured. Kanazawa has a population of 450 000 btw. Nice location.

[Susanoo 321]

I have a feeling that my report about Matsumoto is not the general information for a traveler.

You only get to know my interest, and you cannot acquire useful information but may be disappointed.

However, I can only write having thought that I was pleasant.

Please read this and enjoy such an eccentric's feeling.

The purposes of my travel are soaking in a hot spring, and eating a delicious food of the local specialty.

In case I pass through the neighborhood of Matsumoto, I certainly drop in to "木曾屋 (Kiso-ya)" in Matsumoto.

This store is a specialty store of 豆腐田楽[tofu dengaku] started in 1887.

Tofu dengaku is the dish which applied sweet Miso(bean paste) to the tofu which stabbed the bamboo skewer and was roasted over it.

Tofu and Miso are also made of soybeans, and are highly appreciated as a health hood.

This is the dish eaten more in Japanese various places from ancient times, and although it is not the thing of only Matsumoto, this Kiso-ya's is exceptional.

The dish of a photograph made into five tofu dengaku in the boiled rice(pickled green perilla is mixed) etc. at the set is \850.

If you visit the Kiso-ya, I will recommend you strongly for you to order this tofu dengaku table d'hote(豆腐田楽-定食).

Besides this, a carp dish, an eel dish, and 馬さし(raw horsemeat) are offered as a menu of a local specialty.

However, the store which specializes in them exists in others.

Furthermore, there is a store which I want to recommend next to you in addition to these specialty stores.

The "安曇野餃子[Azumino gyoza](Azumino Chinese meat dumpling)" in 穂高[Hotaka] about 15km away from Matsumoto the northwest is right.

http://azuminogyouza.net/intro0.htm

There are a 餃子(Chinese meat dumpling) burned and eaten, or put into the pan like Chanko in this store.

It is the feature that this Gyoza has very little use of cooking oil unlike a common Gyoza.

It is the Gyoza which adhered to all the foods and water that are used and was made.

For example, the sea tangle from Rishiri Hokkaido used for the broth of Chanko does not adhere to the special product of an area, but out of Japan, collects good foods and is cooked.

It is one of the main special features of a Japanese meal to use the broth by the dried marine products for the foundations of the taste.

The soup with which use of dried fish, such as an oceanic bonito, can taste the broth of sea tangle this much clearly under a situation general now is very rare.

If you visit this store, and even if that day is a very hot day, I will recommend you to eat Chanko-Gyoza at lea.

Although this store is located in a little distant residential section from a tourist resort, it is no vacancy from opening to closing every day.

The store which I certainly visit after eating these is near this.

A tea specialty store "きないね[Kinaine]" is located by car from Azumino-Gyoza in the place for 10 minutes.

http://www.avis.ne.jp/~kinaine/

Although I live in Osaka and know some famous specialty stores with tea, the tea here far exceeds the prestige store in Osaka in how to make tea and the quality of tea leaves.

Although I like coffee better than tea, this tea is an existence special for me.

By this store, I got to know the greatness of the aroma of true tea.

Although the location of this store and the atmosphere of inside of a shop can think that the taste and aroma of tea are made to amplify, it is a fact that the quality of tea itself is also very high.

And although this is a personal opinion, I also like this storekeeper's peculiar atmosphere.

Incidentally, the No.1 store about coffee which I consider is in Osaka in which I live.

http://www.copocopo.com/

I think that coffee worth is the shortness of time after roasting until it is drunk.

In the case of this store, that time does not exceed 5 hours in general.

If you have a margin in time, even if it is for drinking only one cup of coffee, it is possible to order the coffee right after roasting.

Moreover, the thing which roasted also at the time of the mail order of coffee beans just before sending it is used.

It is devoted to the work to which only freshness will inspect coffee beans per one grain if not a good point but the storekeeper of this store have spare time, and a bad thing is removed.

In the industry where efficiency like a coffee shop is given top priority, I can consider the management policy of this store like charitable work.

I return the talk to Matsumoto.

I said at the beginning that the purposes of my travel are soaking in a hot spring, and eating a delicious food of the local specialty.

Onsen-ryokan(hot spring hotel) provides me with the both at once.

And my favorite Onsen-Ryokan is 三水館[sansui-kan] in 鹿教湯温泉[Kakeyu-onsen] (Hot Spring located) which located 25km of east from Matsumoto.

The all guestroom during a year is buried with reservation as this Ryokan can be checked in the vacant room situation of a homepage.

http://www.sansuikan.net/home/index.shtml

It is difficult to express the charm of this Ryokan by means of language.

A hot spring, a dish, a master's simple personal character, silence, cleanliness, etc. are the things of which it complains to people's sensitivity altogether, and it is difficult for the charm of this Ryokan to mention something one concrete.

If I dare say it, it will be that anything does not have an excessive thing there.

Things other than the television of the room do not have the recreation facilities in a Ryokan, and a store does not exist in the range around a Ryokan.

There are also many people who visit only for the purpose of the dinner of this Ryokan.

It is obtained in a pan like Chanko.

An about 40cmx20cm bucket is presented with a bowlful of green(8-10 kinds of wild grass) as 2 persons especially in spring which I visit frequently.

It is put into a pan like Chanko, is cooked, and it eats intently.

Five sorts of dishes of wild grass are served besides the Chanko, and a little dishes using river fish or beef are only served.

Although I am not a vegetarian, I want to come to eat it extremely.

The master of this Ryokan can be seen there being a slightly elevated hill in the reverse side of this Ryokan, and extracting the wild grass for a visitor there from a guestroom.

Although a master makes a dinner the gathered thing, the cooking techinique is gifted.

The quality and effect of an Onsen(hot spring) are made into a basis, and many media which tell an Onsen and a Onsen-ryokan exist in Japan.

The quality and effect of an Onsen(hot spring) are made into a basis, and many media which tell an Onsen and a Onsen-ryokan exist in Japan.

In Japanese every place, many Onsen-ryokan associations skillfully turned the pshchology to their advantage by making Onsen camouflage mere hot water by mixing of colored bath salts.

Ironically, the fact was exposed by the media which induced it and it developed into the social problem as serious fraudulent practice.

As a result, the both sides of media and an Onsen-ryokan association lost trust greatly.

I think that I have not mistaken the idea which does not think the quality of hot water of Onsen as important so much in case it tells about an Onsen-ryokan .

First of all, although the effect of an Onsen acts effective in soul, I believe that I hardly act on body.

Moreover, in the same meaning as it, I am for healing (recovery of mental fatigue) of the heart rather than adhere to a meal for pursuit of the taste.

Finally, I talk about sightseeing spot.

Although I visited repeatedly Matsumoto which separated 400km from my house, in fact, I have not visited sightseeing spot, historic relics, and a theme park spontaneously.

Only one exception is 宿場町(the old post town) with which around 30km - 70km of south directions in Matsumoto is dotted.

It prospered in the 17th - the 18th century, the road and the railroad were fixed in the 19th century, and the posting station declined.

The posting station which leaves most images of the Edo period is 妻籠宿[Tsumago-jyuku].

The scenery of old Japan here is worth seeing.

http://www.janis.or.jp/users/chojiya/chojiya.htm

Here is delicious food also.

They are 五平餅 [Goheimochi] of a「湯屋」 "Yuya" and おやき [Oyaki] of「わちのや」"Wachinoya" .

The thing which put the boiled rice hardened to the flat ellipse form which was pierced in the thin tree, and applied and roasted sweet みそ（味噌）[Miso](bean paste) with which the mashed walnut was mixed is Goheimochi.

http://www.tsb.co.jp/bangumi/getplus1/toku...log/030909.html

The round cake made from flour containing the cooked vegetables is Oyaki.

http://www.dia.janis.or.jp/~tumago/omiyage/wachinoya.html

Although both were not so new food, since this thing of two affairs was exceptional, I ordered by the mail order several times.

It seems that I misunderstand this topic with the topic of Featured Rikishi, and I spoke the too long soliloquy.

I had promised before to offer the information about Matsumoto for my friend who is visiting Matsumoto from the distant country.

However, possibly I was too late.

If I get my friend to read this post at least, value will arise also in this trivial soliloquy. (Showing respect...)

Edited July 31, 2005 by Susanoo

[Taka 33]

Been to Sapporo - very nice - not big at all - why would you think that?

Maybe because Sapporo's population is about 2,000,000 which is a tad bigger then Finlands largest city, 560,000 Helsinki... just for fun I checked Manchester's population... I'm shocked, only 106,000. There must be place for more in the football stadion alone... (I am not worthy...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

(Being unsure...) shocking indeed so I looked it up and I'm pretty sure the number you have is that of Manchester New Hampshire.

City of Manchester has a population of approximately 422.000 while the Greater Manchester area is listed at 2.5 million.

[Takanobaka 0]

Long time since I've been by here...

Anyway, I've been to Kanazawa. It was during the New Year's break, so it's hard to necessarily say what it's like during other times of the year (it also happened to be during one of those blizzards where it was snowing snowballs, so the whole town was very sleepy), but it's a nice place to visit, certainly if you like to see temples and castles and the like and a lot of older forms of local arts and crafts. Local delicacy around that time of year was ofu, which was abundant. There was actually a pretty good omakase place where every dish incorporated ofu - not something I'd want every day, but a tasty experience at the time. Having only been to three (four if you count Yokohama as separate from Tokyo, the other being Kyoto) cities in Japan, it certainly was very different from what else I had experienced there, but I don't know if that's just because I've never been anywhere else that far north or because it really is different from other places. If I had a digital camera at the time when I went, I'd upload pictures, but I don't have a scanner. The gardens that everyone else has described are especially gorgeous in the winter - all over the place, there are bamboo 'teepees' protecting the trees and other plantlife from the snow, and since it's all evergreen, it still looks nice and manecured. The kiln is certainly another place to visit, if you like that sort of thing. Still, not sure that I would spend more than 3 days there on a visit, lest ye get templed out. Not a whole lot of the 'new' there, quite a bit of the old.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Necromancing this topic for a slice of Kyoto.