You should totally do a castle series.... travel to, eat a local dish, and visit each castle. That would be amazing!

I really love the happiness you get out of demonstrating simple pleasures of eating, sleeping, and looking at cool stuff. Totally relatable.

Thank you for taking us along. See you soon.

Matsumoto Castle in the winter is spectacular, when the moat is surrounded by mist and the castle seems to be floating above it. Truly one of Japan's most beautiful castles.

Hello from North Carolina in the US. My husband is retired military and we were stationed at Yokota AB for four years in the 80's. We lived in Tachikawa for 7 months waiting for on base housing. I was so pleased to see that stop listed on your trip! We still love curry and katsudon.

What a incredible place.. Maybe I'll choose Japan for my next video

Perfect example of how travel is not always perfect 😅.

That tricky vegetable! Looking like a fish cake... Ooo, I like that the train seats have built in limits on how far they can recline, so you're not crowding the person behind you.

Today I learned that Wasabi paste is not green! Thank you for taking us with you!

I am most fascinated by the vast amount of train services and the different providers in Japan

Matsumoto Castle was featured in the movie Shogun in the 1980s. It was shot primarily on location in Japan and featured acting legend Toshiro Mifune. It is through this exposure that tourists may flock to the location while visiting.

matsumoto is lovely

It’s good to know there are some alternative ways to travel between those cities, other than Shinkansen. About a month ago I was in Nagoya and Shinkansen stopped due to heavy rain. Highway was also closed. Many people were stranded in Nagoya station just waiting for the Shinkansen to resume.. I had to go to Osaka so I took Kintetsu express (not Hinotori, though) which was operating normally. One of my friends had to go to Tokyo so he took Shinano and Azusa via Shiojiri. Though it took a lot longer, we made it.

that bowl of noodles look delish

I've always wanted to visit Japan. I will never have that opportunity. Your videos are amazing and grant me a great trip around your awesome country! Arigatou Gozaimasu!

I've been fascinated by your channel since I found it, so thank you for taking me along on your adventures. Maybe someday I'll be able to do some of these myself.

Japanese trains are amazing. Even the normal ones.

This was a very interesting trip. I would have enjoyed seeing more of the castle- the whole area had a very tranquil feeling. Thank you for taking us along again- stay safe in your travels.

Enjoyed the ride, bumps and all. Makes me wonder how a non-Japanese person could possibly get from A to D, changing trains at B and C. The castle was beautiful, maybe we can see it again in another journey. The beef and noodles was something I would enjoy. Will see you in the next one. Take care and stay safe.

It's fascinating as having lived in North America my whole life seeing the similarities and the differences in Japan .

I really wanted to see the castle. Outside looked beautiful.

Would have loved to have toured the castle. Next time please!!! Thank you.

Awesome! So fun to be on a journey with you!

Usually read before bed, currently re reading " book of five rings " but tonight I must fall asleep with this relaxing video

The outside of Matsumoto Castle is stunning. I can only imagine the indoors is just as amazing. In my next life, I hope to travel to Japan and visit as many castles as possible. Just beautiful.

This trip had a few snags. Good thing everything worked out ok. The chicken looked so-so, but the beef looked very nice and tasty. I always check to see your Striped Socks. 🧦 As always, great video, great channel and thank you for the Magical Content 🪄. ✌️🎃🧡🦇🤘👻

I’d love to see a full tour of the castle! It’s so pretty ! Love seeing more of the historical side of Japan too

I love your videos. It makes me want to go to Japan and ride all the trains, ferries, and busses and stay in a capsule.😁

Looks like tourism in Japan is getting better now.

Thanks for sharing another interesting Train ride.. Love to visit Japan to try these trains.

Complicated the issue of tickets ... incomprehensible. Thanks for the ride 🇺🇾

A slightly cursed trip, but still so entertaining. I'm looking forward to your return visit to the castle. It is beautiful from any angle. Thanks for always posting:)

Mr. STJ, thank you 🙏 always enjoy yr video🌸

I enjoyed a lot... Thanks for uploading this type of awesome videos.. Keep it up 👍

I totally understand your confusion with the tickets. We have exactly the same problems with long distance express services in the UK!!

For some reason this one brought back lots of memories for me. Certainly seeing Matsumoto-jo was one of them. I think that it does have mysterious attraction for us foreigners. When I took my kids to Japan long ago, Matsumoto was the only place I took them off the Tokaido. We took the limited express out and back for a day trip. We did have time to go in and up to the top. It's very cool. I think much of the interior is fairly original, and you can go to the very top. I felt like I was the daimyo surveying my lands from up there. So I've been someplace in Japan you haven't been to. I have been to customer's offices that you haven't been to, probably. I've even been to the historically significant Mitsubishi Gunma. For answering machines, though, not fighter planes. I prefer to translate eki ben as station box, or maybe station meal box, since I have had them for breakfast and dinner as well as lunch. And eki is probably my favorite Japanese character. I love that a station is represented by a horse with a little guy with a shovel standing behind it. Shinagawa eki is probably the Japanese character set I'm most likely to recognize. 3 boxes, 3 lines, horse and little guy. I always used to stay in Shinagawa on my business trips to Tokyo, because our sales office was in Shibaura, home of the Japanese electronics industry. Shinagawa station looked different from what I remember. So many more memories, but I'll stop there.

I think your delays are contagious! I had to pause to buffer this video so often that it took me about 40 minutes to watch your 27 minute video! I guess my bad internet decided to give your trip that "traveling right along with him" vibe 🤣. Matsumoto Castle was beautiful - I'm looking forward to touring it when you get back next time. This trip was fun in spite of the delays on both side of the Pacific.

No better way to cap off my weekend than to watch your channel. Thanks again for inviting us along on another wonderful journey.

Always good to see you! 🖐 ☺

Good video, not everything goes smoothly all the time😊

so, you are painting Fuji-san with your route 😉 Thank you very much for showing us different kinds of travelling around. so many ideas to copy 😂 And always caring for your stomach, and I have to roam the kitchen at midnight now. Still, domo arigato!

Matsumoto is also known for Shinichi Suzuki who created the Suzuki method for music. If you check the area near the train station there's a statue of a girl playing the violin, as well as some of the manhole covers have unique musical designs.

I'm gonna have to go visit Matsuyama Castle, looks fun! First time I went to Japan I landed at Narita and had to take the Narita Express into Tokyo. The trained stopped at some point for like an hour and I had to sit there after nearly 24 hours since waking up and seeing the railroad workers walk along the track. Then I got lost in Tokyo Station trying to find my proper metro line... I got to my hotel pretty late... But that was the biggest hitch on a wonderful trip.

I forgot how expensive Japanese trains are :O Great video! I miss Japan. Can't wait to be back in March :)

What a wonderful experience! Thank you for always posting such comprehensive videos. So helpful!!

Japanese trains are amazing, Thank you STJ.

Always watch these food and travel channels of Japan. I am soooo jealous of the food. This is the first lunch box I felt was so unappetizing. But like you said, it is the experience.....

Matsumoto Castle is worth the entire trip. If I had the possibility, I would spend a day there.

Thank you for taking us with you always!! The castle was very neat, and that Hinotori! THAT was a super super nice train. Would ride.

I love watching your videos and japan is so beautiful out there.

you do a great job.I CANT SLEEP BEFORE WATCHING YOUR VIDEOS..AHH ITS RELAXING AND CALMING..PLEASE START VISITING HOTELS AND STAY THERE AS WELL..LOVE FROM PAKISTAN♥️🇵🇰🇯🇵

you have to be tired because I am tired from all our travel today.. God Bless and be safe.

As a Japanophile, it is both enjoyable and informative to watch videos about travels in Japan. Because the country has always been a technology pioneer, it makes all the sense that transportation is the backbone of the country for both locals and visitors. I am excited to commence my vacation to Japan in May and have planned as many of your tips into my itinerary.

🎉great video with many helpful train ride tips, beautiful ride scenery, good food n places to visit.. that I so appreciate u share with us. Enjoy 😉 it very much!

I've been to Matsumoto castle. It's well worth the going to the top. I've also been to Himeji and Kumomoto which were very similar. There is also a wasabi farm North of Matsumoto which is worth a visit. Fresh wasabi is so much better than the stuff you usually get

Thank you bro.... i always love your videos!

Nice little trip!! Very enjoyable to watch as usual!

Thank you for taking me along your journey.. I love trains!

Yes we know about the Matsumoto Castle! Matsumoto is a good pit stop for those of us going to the Alpine Route Tateyama, naturally we search for sightseeing spots around the city :)

Awesome! I was wondering when you would post - I really enjoy your videos! Thank you!

Thanks for sharing Matsuyama Castle and food pictures with us! Regarding the pair of lockers, I think one uses an electronic key card and the other uses a mechanical key; I think both are physical keys.

You made the best of it! 😎✌🏼

The only Matsumoto I know in Japan gets his butt slapped very hard whenever he laughs! 😁

Enjoyed it as always, my fav youtube channels

What a journey you had my friend, but like you, I enjoyed watching the video to the end…!! Until the next voyage..!!

That was a very interesting trip! I love trains.

Nice to see you again!

I very much enjoyed the trip! Thank you from Indiana, USA!

Thank you I greatly appreciate your videos, hopefully I can visit your beautiful country one day. Stay safe!

Enjoyed the ride great video.

Love the video thanks for posting so virtual for me

20:53 blue suit lives dangerously

Very, very cool video my friend. Japan is an intriguing destination for the world traveler. I hope to visit one day. Thank you for a most excellent and informative post! Cheers.

I enjoyed the trip ☺

On the Hinotori, you showed the premium seats then the standard seats and really the standard ones look more comfortable to me haha!

The Matsuyama 🏰 is amazing 👏 and so is the video 📹

I live in Gunma. Matsumoto isn’t that long of a trip. I’ll have to go!

I like your videos, your style and your good mood. With you I am getting to know your country more. I live on the other side of the planet, Brazil. Congratulations.

Thank you for your video. Your videos may be one of the reasons for increased tourism. Usually when I get hot coffee, I ask for a glass of ice water. I then add ice to the hot coffee to avoid burns. It may be difficult for a hot beverage from a vending machine to add ice. Because usually there is not enough room in the cup. Thank you for making the video enjoyable.

The worst part of these trains though is figuring out what tickets to get. It's very unintuitive. But once you're on it's a dream.

this was so amazing especially the castle we need to see more of them and the food looked so tasty and I really want to learn how to use chopsticks

Great video again, Solo San, but so many hiccups! Goodness, you're so patient!

Thanks

Once Japan announced open to tourism, here a lot of HKG people run to there😊

It would have been nice if you had of planned a stop at the castle to explore, maybe a future adventure.

Definitely do another video of the Hinotori first class.

Is that canal at the end the one the baseball fans threw Colonel Sanders into back in the '80s? Well, his statue. The actual Colonel Sanders was dead by then.

The Hinotori is a really nice train. I want to go to Nagoya just so I can go on it. 😁

Nice how light system will tell you state of seat.

This is a wonderful video that evokes feeling of travel by train. I have traveled from Tokyo to Nagoya by taking the Shinkansen on the outward trip, and the Limited Express on the return trip. According to JR's basic fare rules, you must take a one-stroke route with a single ticket. Your route is like Y-shape, so you had to transfer to the Shinano at Shiojiri Sta. (junction point), not at Matsumoto Sta. Of course, you can drop in Matsumoto by paying round-trip fare from Shiojiri to Matsumoto.

You made a challenging journey into an informative one for all of us viewers. Thank you for sharing. I hope you enjoyed your visit to Osaka.

The castle at 9:55 is spectacular.

I really like the approach going by more than one train to Tokyo or back. This is a route I'd much rather take than the Shinkansen one I think!

Sounded like one heck of a hectic journey HAHAHA.

It must be nice to have so many options to travel around your country. I bet that few people feel the need to have an automobile in Japan, at least near the larger train stations.

The Castle is gorgeous. You should make a special trip back. Is these some delicious local specialty to go with it? The castle has been in movies but I know it from Ultraman. Those noodles look yummy.

"Welcome back to the confusion" 😊 Good to hear that JR East is only 99% perfectly efficient...

well that was clearly an adventure! I'm glad you got to eat something tasty after the disappointing popular ekiben. And that you got to sit down most of the way.

Went to Matsumoto Castle in 2007 on my first trip to Japan and I think it is better than Himeji Castle. Perhaps do series on castles visited.

Wow 45 minute delay is crazy especially for Japan