Nakamachi Street — Merchant Quarter with Black-Walled Kura

**Sake brewery visits:** Kameya Honten (亀屋本店, founded 1877) is Nakamachi's working sake brewery. Free tastings of 5+ sake varieties (10:00–18:00, closed Tuesdays). Their junmai daiginjo (¥3,500 per 720ml bottle) uses Nagano-grown Hitogokochi rice and Alpine snowmelt water — elegant, fruity, minimal acidity. The shop's Meiji-era interior (wooden beams, earthen walls) is preserved. **Craft shopping:** Nakamachi specializes in Matsumoto folk crafts. Chikiriya Craft Shop (ちきりや工芸店) sells handmade mingei pottery and indigo-dyed textiles. Hikaru (ひかる) offers Matsumoto temari (ornamental thread balls, ¥2,000–8,000) — geometric embroidered spheres that make unique gifts. **Cafe culture:** Nakamachi Coffee (中町珈琲, housed in a 130-year-old kura) roasts beans daily and serves siphon-brewed coffee (¥650). Order the 'Shinshu blend' and sit in the upstairs tatami room overlooking the canal. Pair with apple tart (¥550) made with local apples. **Combine with:** The Japan Ukiyo-e Museum (日本浮世絵博物館, 15-min bus from Nakamachi, ¥1,000) houses one of the world's largest private ukiyo-e collections (100,000+ prints) including rare Hokusai and Hiroshige works. Serious art lovers should allocate 90 minutes.