A model course to enjoy MatsusakaCity to its fullest♪ We took a day trip to popular recommended spots!

Matsusaka beef is a brand of meat that everyone knows. But to be honest, I don't really understand the other charms of Matsusaka.
On this day trip, I would like to explore the charms of MatsusakaCity. First, go to the MatsusakaCity Tourist Information Center.

When you enter, you will see a lot of tourist pamphlets surrounding MatsusakaCity. They also offer bicycle rental and temporary luggage storage.

What you should definitely check out at the MatsusakaCity Tourist Information Center is the Goshuin stamp of the Matsusaka Castle ruins (200 yen).
Castle tours are becoming more and more popular among the younger generation.
Today, I would like to go to the Matsuzaka Castle ruins as well!

[MatsusakaCity Tourist Information Center]
Address: 507-2 Kyomachi MatsusakaCity
Phone number 0598-23-7771
Business hours 9:00-18:00 *Cycle rental and temporary baggage storage until 17:30
Fee Bicycle rental: 400 yen for 4 hours (500 yen for electrically assisted vehicles) *100 yen for each additional hour
Temporary baggage storage: 200 yen per piece
Closed: Year-end and New Year holidays (12/30-1/2)
Access Immediately after getting off at JR/Kintetsu “Matsuzaka” station (Exit: JR side)

In the shopping district on the way to the Matsuzaka Castle ruins, I found a shop with a particularly fashionable exterior. The word ``tea'' is written on the noren. I'm a little nervous because it seems like it's a bit difficult to enter, but I'll try it.

The interior of Chayuzen Chaju, a long-established restaurant that has been in business for over 150 years, has a dignified atmosphere that gives you a sense of history, but also a modern atmosphere.

This is a shop that sells ``Japanese tea'' including ``Fukamushi Sencha'' from MatsusakaCity and the Iinan area, as well as ``Living utensils.''

The shop's signature product, ``Daidensho Senman no Rei,'' is steamed using high-pressure steam for several times the normal steaming time, resulting in a rich roasting process that is as powerful as charcoal. A masterpiece that brings out the flavor.

At the tasting service, we were provided with ``cold-brew sencha'' from the ``Senman no Rei, passed down from generation to generation.'' The deep flavor is extracted and the refreshing bitterness is delicious!
The tea leaves grown in the Iinan area, which are grown using organic fertilizers, have thick stems and thick mesophyll, so a deep steaming method is used to finely grind the leaves.

After having a drink of tea, I wandered around the store. The shop owners, a husband and wife, purchase various ``lifestyle utensils'' that they like at trade shows and sell them.
There are many designs that you don't usually see, and it's fun just looking at them.

Mai Tsukamoto, the young proprietress, was happy to help with everything from explaining about tea to preparing cold brew sencha. I had no idea that Matsusaka's deep steamed sencha was so delicious.
thank you very much!

[Chayuzen Chaju]
Address: 819 Shinmachi MatsusakaCity
Phone number 0598-21-0701
Official URL http://www.cha-ju.com
Business hours 10:00-18:00
Closed on Sunday
Access: Approximately 2 minutes by car from JR/Kintetsu Matsusaka Station

About 5 minutes by car from Chayuzen Chaju, you will arrive at Matsusaka Castle Ruins, a nationally designated historical site. The stone walls based on Nozurazumi still remain, and the park is also familiar to citizens as Matsusaka Park.

As you walk toward the castle tower, you will find the History and Folklore Museum along the way.
There is also MotooriNorinaga Memorial Museum, which is a perfect spot to learn about Matsusaka's history.

From the hill, you can see the center of Matsusaka, which is a very nice view. The wind was pleasant and it was a place where I wanted to stay for a long time.

As I was looking for a better view, I came across a space full of historical atmosphere.
During the Edo period, the ``Gojo Ban Yashiki'' was a samurai residence where the Kishu feudal retainers who were in charge of guarding GojobanYashiki lived.

The stone pavement and beautifully arranged makigaki fences on both sides add to the atmosphere. It's a spot where you'll want to take a commemorative photo.

Today, the houses are still maintained and managed by their descendants and are also used as rental houses, but one of them is open to the public free of charge.
It's wonderful that a mansion like this still exists!


[Matsuzaka Castle Ruins (Matsuzaka Park)]
AddressTonomachi MatsusakaCity
Phone number 0598-23-7771 (MatsusakaCity Tourist Information Center)
Access: Approximately 15 minutes from Ise Expressway “Matsuzaka” IC

[GojobanYashiki]
Address: 1385 Tonomachi MatsusakaCity
Phone number 0598-26-5174
Opening hours 10:00-16:00
Closed on Mondays (the next day if Monday is a holiday), New Year holidays
Access: Approximately 20 minutes from Ise Expressway “Matsuzaka” IC

For souvenirs from this trip, I thought, ``I want to buy sweets that are unique to Matsusaka,'' so I decided to look for a shop.
About 2 minutes by car from the Matsuzaka Castle ruins, I found a ``Japanese sweets shop in town.''

Established in the first year of the Taisho era, Tatsumido is a shop that continues to make handmade Japanese sweets using local specialties.
Japanese sweets wrapped in colorful packages are lined up inside the store.

The shop's signature product is ``Tsuru no Tama,'' which won a gold medal at the National Confectionery Expo. It was named after the childhood name "Tsuruchiyo" of Gamo Ujisato, a famous warlord during the Sengoku period who built Matsuzaka Castle.

This baked manju is made by wrapping white bean paste in a dough containing ground sesame seeds and baking it, then finishing it with honey containing local Kintoki ginger.

Another popular item is "Mo-chan Manju".

The bean paste is a combination of Shigureni Matsusaka beef and strained red bean paste, which is very innovative. It's wrapped in rice flour dough and then deep-fried, so the skin is fragrant, making it an irresistible dish for those with a sweet tooth.

The proprietress, Ms. Takakura, brightened the atmosphere of the shop.
Feel at home with his warm personality. thank you very much!

[Tatsumi-do]
Address 2172 Honmachi MatsusakaCity
Phone number 0598-21-1337
Official URL http://tatsumido.jp
Business hours 8:00-19:00
Closed on Wednesday
Access: Approximately 15 minutes from Matsusaka IC on the Higashi-Meihan Expressway

The sun was almost setting, and it was time for dinner.

One of the purposes of this trip is to fully enjoy the ``meat art'' Matsusaka beef!
Go to the Matsusaka beef specialty store "Matsusaka Maruyoshi" Kamata main store.

Meat shop near the entrance. We have a wide selection of high quality Matsusaka beef, including marbled meat.

When you enter the back, you will find a restaurant space with a calm atmosphere. You can enjoy a leisurely meal here.

I ordered "Matsusaka Beef Toro Sukiyaki" (10,638 yen per person/tax included).
The sukiyaki uses rare parts that can only be harvested from about 600kg to 7kg per head.
This is Matsusaka beef, which is characterized by its fine-grained meat and rich flavor!

When combined with beaten eggs, the taste becomes mellow and is also delicious. I was so happy to be able to enjoy the authentic taste!

Discover interesting products in the shop space! “Matsuzaka beef marbled towel”! !
I take my hat off to that idea and the high reproducibility of marbling.

What's more, it's a collaboration with oboro-towel, which is known for its ease of use, so it's sure to be a great gift.

The product that the staff has is ``Matsusaka Beef Shigureni''. It has a sweet flavor with a hint of ginger, making it a perfect accompaniment to rice. Thanks to this restaurant, I was able to end my trip in a great mood.

[Matsusaka Maruyoshi Kamata Main Store]
Address 239-2 Kamatacho MatsusakaCity
Phone number 0598-51-2240
Official URL http://www.matsusakaushi.co.jp
business hours
(Restaurant) 10:00-21:30 (LO20:30)
(Meat section) 9:00-19:00
Closed on Wednesdays (open if Wednesday is a holiday)
Access: Approximately 15 minutes from Matsusaka IC on the Higashi-Meihan Expressway

It's a little far from the JR/Kintetsu Matsusaka Station area that we visited on this trip, but if you have time, we recommend stopping by MatsuuraTakeshiro Memorial Museum.

MatsuuraTakeshiro was an explorer from MatsusakaCity, and his most notable accomplishment was naming the place previously known as Ezochi, Hokkaido.

〇 Click here if you want to know more about “MatsuuraTakeshiro”!
200th anniversary of the birth of MatsuuraTakeshiro, the godfather of Hokkaido. It will be made into a drama on NHK! Introducing the life of an explorer from MatsusakaCity in detail.

A day where I was able to learn about the history, tea, sweets, and other charms of Matsusaka that I didn't know about before.
And, of course, the overwhelming deliciousness of Matsusaka beef made this trip special.
I think this town still has many hidden charms, so I would like to visit Matsusaka again!

*Information as of July 2018. Dates, prices, etc. may have changed, so please check with your contact information before going out.