Tokusawa-en

Top choice in Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps


This marvellously secluded place is in a wooded dell 7km northeast of Kappa-bashi. It's both a campground (¥700 per person) and a lodge, and has capsule-style dorm rooms, Japanese-style rooms (with shared facilities), and hearty meals served in a busy dining hall. There's a nice bath, a cafe and a small shop. Access is by walking only (about two hours).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps attractions

1. Hirayu Folk Museum

9.14 MILES

Admission to Hirayu Onsen's only attraction, a quaint museum of folk memorabilia, includes entrance to a rather lovely and lesser-known little rotemburo …

2. Rokuzan Bijutsukan

11.95 MILES

Ten minutes' walk north from JR Hotaka Station, Rokuzan Bijutsukan showcases the work of Meiji-era sculptor Rokuzan Ogiwara (1879–1910; aka the 'Rodin of…

3. Dai-ō Wasabi-Nōjo

13.21 MILES

Fancy some wasabi wine or ice cream? This farm, a 15-minute bike ride from JR Hotaka Station, is a must for wasabi-lovers. An English map guides you among…

4. Chihiro Art Museum Azumino

13.39 MILES

This popular art museum showcases the work of Chihiro Iwasaki (1918–74), who became world-renowned while specialising in children's-book illustrations…

5. Matsumoto Open-Air Architectural Museum

13.81 MILES

Adjacent to the better-known Japan Ukiyo-e Museum, amid fields and rice paddies beneath the gaze of the Alps, stand these five examples of striking late…

6. Japan Ukiyo-e Museum

13.85 MILES

Housing more than 100,000 woodblock prints, paintings, screens and old books, this renowned museum exhibits but a fraction of its collection. The museum…

7. Kaichi School Museum

15.59 MILES

A few blocks north of the castle, the former Kaichi School is both an Important Cultural Property and the oldest elementary school in Japan, founded in…

8. Matsumoto-jō

15.69 MILES

Must-see Matsumoto-jō is Japan's oldest wooden castle and one of four castles designated National Treasures – the others are Hikone, Himeji and Inuyama…