Good morning! Another beautiful day awaits us!
Today was supposed to be a day of adventure, visiting the snow monkey park and also checking out the famous chestnut cuisines in Obuse.
Due to the freezing temperature over at Jigokudani, we decided to give this a miss. Instead, we will head over to Narai-Juku.
It’s a manageable 1 hour drive from where we stayed.
It’s also easy accessible via the local trains.
Why are we going there? Based on the photos I saw online, this place looks stunning. I was excited to admire the architecture of the historical buildings set against the autumn scenery.
If you are into a slower paced holiday, you can consider doing the hike between the towns. It will take you half a day to complete.
For us, we are doing the Singaporean thing, touch and go. See see, look look, have some snacks and onwards to the next stop. Ha!
My wife did commented that you will see similar sites in Kyoto. Myself, I have never been to Kyoto (yet!) so Narai-Juku is a first of such historic town for me.
We were there about 10am or so. The pavement is wide, easy to trek and is not too crowded.
It’s not bustling with shops and restaurants like the one I visited in Hida. Only a handful souvenir shops and some cafes were operating.
Brunch at Kanameya
Did some research online and noted this vintage cafe named Kanameya. Stepping into Kanameya in Naraijuku feels like traveling back in time to the Edo period. The moment you arrive, you’re enveloped by the charm of a bygone era.
The cafe is helmed by a friendly elderly man. The snacks and coffee are decent.
I think allocating 1 to 2 hours in Narai Juku is adequate. If you like what you see online (minus the crowd), you can put this place in your itinerary.
Nagano Apples: Some of the Best in Japan
For some reasons, everyone was weary from the few days of travelling and the group decided to take it easy and head back to hotel to rest.
Before that, we did a quick detour to Matsumoto City Alps Park. Over there you can find a cluster of apple farm.
Shinshu Yokoya Farm (信州よこや農園無人直売所)
The owner is nowhere to be seen. The stall is right there, honour system. Take what you want and drop the payment into the container.
We bought some fresh apple jam. It was damn good.
We sneaked into the perimeters of the farm and took some photos. I assure everyone that no apples were harmed in the process.
And oh yes, the Matsumoto City Alps Park has got some amazing views too.
Light Snacks before Dinner: Matsumoto Karaage Center
This shop is easily accessible as it’s right next to the Matsumoto Train Station. I am not sure why the Google review is less than 4. I quite like their fried chicken. The karaage is so crunchy yet juicy and tasty at the same time.
I think the poor reviews resulted from their lack of consistency. Luckily for us, the young chap on duty that day did a fantastic job!
Actually, I felt the star was their chicken skin in ponzu sauce. The richness of the chicken skin, with its slightly smoky undertones, is perfectly complemented by the tangy brightness of ponzu sauce. It’s the perfect pre-dinner / after-work snack with a mug of ice cold beer!
The rest of the day was rather uneventful so I shall stop here for now. We had shabu-shabu and sukiyaki for dinner. It was a random pick from google with decent ratings but to me, it was a tad disappointing.
So it is not true that everything in Japan is delish. Always trust tablelog over Google for food in Japan.
Click below for day 5!
Autumn in Japan, Two Weeks Self-Drive Travel Itinerary (Nagano, Hakone, Izu, Tokyo) – Day 5
Click below to read about the rest of my trip!
Autumn in Japan, Two Weeks Self-Drive Travel Itinerary (Nagano, Hakone, Izu, Tokyo)
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