Are you in Matsumoto this month? Check out these exciting events and festivals that will give you a chance to experience local food, culture, and crafts!

You can also bookmark these events on your Facebook here on our Facebook event page.

Shinshu Matsumoto Soba Festival

A great festival for foodies where you can try not only soba from all around Japan, but also other kinds of local foods and crafts. The theme of this year’s festival is “slow food, slow life” and there will be over 50 booths.

Dates: Saturday, October 7 to Monday, October 9
Time: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Location: Matsumoto Castle Park

Hotaka Shrine Boat Festival in Kamikochi

A beautiful ceremony held on the waters of Myojin Pond in Kamikochi.

Dates: Sunday, October 8
Time: 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Location: Myojin Pond/Hotaka Shrine in Kamikochi

Matsumoto Castle Joint Tea Ceremony

A big tea party put on by five different Japanese tea ceremony schools. Enjoy sipping traditional matcha green tea right in front of Matsumoto Castle!

Dates: Monday, October 9
Time: 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (Last entry at 2:30 p.m.)
Location: Matsumoto Castle Honmaru Garden (admission into the garden is free)
Cost: 500 yen per person (advanced tickets available: 2,000 yen for five people)

Asama Hot Springs Torch Festival (Taimatsu Matsuri)

An exciting, and perhaps a bit crazy, annual festival that involves bring huge, burning torches to the local Shinto shrine (Misha Shrine). The torches are up to three-meters wide!

Dates: Saturday, October 14
Time: 7 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
Location: Asama Hot Springs

Old-fashioned Gun Firing Exhibition at Matsumoto Castle

See old-style muskets and harquebuses (matchlock guns) loaded and fired by gunmen clad in samurai armor.

Date: Sunday, October 15th
Time: 1:30 p.m.–3 p.m.
Location: Matsumoto Castle Honmaru Garden (admission into the garden is free)

Autumn Craft Picnic

A hands-on craft event in Agatanomori Park with craft-making workshops and handmade goods made by Japanese craftsmen and artists.

Dates: Saturday, October 14 to Sunday, October 15
Time: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Location: Agatanomori Park