Matsumoto, nestled in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture, is a city of around a quarter million people that's justly famed for its magnificent castle, which dates from the late 1500s and is one of the very few original castles still extant in Japan.

Listed as a National Treasure of Japan, Matsumoto Castle features a striking black-lacquer exterior from which it gets its nickname of "Karasu-jo" ("Crow Castle").

From there, the castle is reached by a leisurely stroll of about ten minutes.

I bought my ticket, asked for an English-language brochure, and headed for the entrance.

At the gate, I was greeted by two members of the castle's Omotenashi-tai, a troupe in period costumes on hand to greet visitors.

Once inside the castle, you're immediately faced with a set of steep stairs – the first of many on your way to the top. Some of these stairways are so sharply inclined they seem more like ladders!

From the outside, the castle looks like it's five stories high, but inside there are actually six floors, with a nearly windowless secret story that served as a hidden stronghold for soldiers in times of battle.

Some floors contain display cases showing the armor and weaponry of the day.

Also on exhibit are one of the former wooden rooftop shachi – mythical marine monsters that were held to provide protection against fire – as well as some of the tilework and other materials used in the castle.

Speakers along the way provide multilingual commentary about the castle.

From the top floor you have views of the grounds and city beyond, and when the weather is clear, you can see the imposing peaks of the Japan Alps that surround Matsumoto.

There's also a small Shinto shrine in the rafters.

Once back outside, I explored the grounds a little, and found the gift shop.

Near the Kuromon gate I also found a free English guide service that you can take advantage of.

A couple blocks east along the main road there's a friendly tourist-information center offering maps and brochures in English and other languages.

I then headed a few blocks south to the castle town that lies along the river, stopping along the way to enjoy a delicious lunch of fresh handmade soba noodles – a specialty of this part of Nagano Prefecture.

Nawate-dori, the street running along the river's northern bank, has adopted a frog theme. I was told that this came from when the city was smaller and less developed, and the river was home to a species of frog noted for its especially pleasant call.

The street is lined with many food stands and shops selling souvenirs and more. Some of them offer items in keeping with the street's "frog" theme.

I stopped at one food stall to try a taiyaki, which is sort of a fish-shaped filled waffle. Normally the filling is sweet – azuki bean paste and custard are common – but this one was savory, and contained a sausage. Very tasty!

I was tempted to wash it down with one of the local craft beers also available at this stand.

Instead, though, I opted for a locally produced soda on sale at another nearby shop. Cold and refreshing!

Then I crossed the river and explored Nakamachi-dori, the street on the southern bank.

Here I found more souvenir and food vendors, including a taproom operated by the brewery of the bottled craft beers I'd spotted earlier.

One grocery was selling mochi – cakes of pounded rice with a pleasingly sweet coating of kinako, made from powdered soybeans.

I also found a shop devoted to tsukudani – sweet soy-stewed items that include fish, vegetables...

...and even such insects as grasshoppers, bee larvae, and silkworm pupae!

Moving on, I stepped into the showroom for a dealer in locally handcrafted furniture.

Wandering a bit further afield, I encountered many public wells maintained by the city. The water in Matsumoto is considered especially pure and good-tasting, and many of the soba restaurants, coffee shops, and other businesses in the area make a point of using water from these wells.

I also noticed that many of the structures in the castle town maintain the traditional look of tile roofs and a latticed outer wall design known as namako-kabe, a combination of tile and outward-rounded joints of white clay used to protect against fire and other damage.

Even one of the convenience stores had gotten into the act!

Matsumoto offered far more to explore than I had time for on this excursion, so I definitely plan to go back again!