Located between JR Matsumoto Station and Matsumoto Castle, the Nakamachi Street was the traditional heart of the city’s merchant trading and now a thriving shopping precinct. Situated along the old ‘Zenkoji Kaido’ route leading from Nagano’s Zenkoji Temple to Nagoya and Kyoto during Japan’s Edo Period (1603-1868), the street is lined with well-preserved merchant buildings and storehouses that once sold sake, kimonos, and an array of goods.

The Nakamachi Street retains its historic aesthetic through the preservation of historic buildings and its commercial atmosphere that their conversion to ‘mingei’ or craft shops including lacquerware, ceramics and furniture, cafes, restaurants, and sake and craft beer. Each Saturday morning there is a market in-front of “Kurassic-kan”, a traditional sake brewery that now serves as an exhibition space with a small tearoom inside. The market is the ideal place to purchase local produce and converse with locals, who are always keen to catch with visitors.