Walk of life

Matsudai Station まつだい駅 is a train station located along Hokuhoku line ほくほく線, a railway located in Niigata Prefecture and operated by Hokuetsu Express 北越急行.

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What's nearby?

(1) Bus stop, in front of the train station.

- Tokei Bus 東頸バス Tokamachi line 十日町線 heading for Matsunoyama Onsen 松之山温泉.

Bus schedule: http://www.marukei-g.com/files/libs/2626/202003301156494333.pdf

(2) Michi no eki Matsudai Furusato Kaikan 道の駅まつだいふるさと会館, a roadside station connected seamlessly to the train station. This roadside station, located along Japan National Route 253, houses a Family Mart (opened in May 2017), souvenir shop, restaurant and tourist information center.

Website: https://www.tokamachishikankou.jp/matudai/cgi-bin/kaikan/

(3) Matsudai Nobutai まつだい「農舞台」, about 2 mins walk from the train station.

This unique looking building, designed by a group of architect from Netherlands, and its surroundings is one of the venue of Echigo Tsumari Art Field 越後妻有大地の芸術の里 and Echigo Tsumari Art Triennale 越後妻有大地の芸術祭, an international art festival held every three years. Permanent and seasonal art works are displayed in the galleries of Nobutai and dotted in the outfield for enthusiasts to explore on foot.

Website: https://www.echigo-tsumari.jp/

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Commemorative stamps:

Monday, May 25, 2020

Chubu 2016 中部の旅 - Soup Curry Hanjiro スープカレーハンジロー

Visited 20.10.2016 (Thu)

Soup curry fan! Arrived at Azumino city 安曇野市 just in time for lunch. Followed a recommendation in Mappuru Shinshu まっぷる信州 and took a taxi from Hotaka Station 穂高駅 to Hanjiro ハンジロー, a restaurant that specialises in soup curry スープカレー. I became a fan of soup curry after trying it for the very first time in Hokkaido. As the name implies, it is more soupy than the thicker, gravy like Japanese curry. Usually served together with chicken, a variety of vegetables or seafood, the flavour of the soup curry packs a punch and goes extremely well with rice. Hanjiro occupies a two storey, country style wooden house which stands right beside a stream and is located in the vicinity of a wasabi farm and salmon rearing farm. Though the restaurant was fully packed when we arrived, we were only separated from our lunch by another family standing in the queue. Looked through the menu and decided to have their set lunch which comes with appetiser, ice cream and drink. Ordered two sets of soup curry with assorted vegetables and three different types of mushroom (彩り野菜と３種類キノコのスープカレー), and one set of soup curry with their specialty hamburg steak made from pork and beef (牛と豚こだわり肉のハンバーグスープカレー). Each soup curry is also served with rice. The spiciness level ranges from 0 to 30 and we opted for level 2 spiciness, which is equivalent to medium spicy.

Delicious. Upon stepping into the restaurant, my nose was instantly captivated by the delicious aroma of soup curry that filled the air in the dining area. We were assigned to the window counter seats which face the clear water stream. Started the lunch with a small plate of salad as appetisier. When my soup curry (with assorted vegetables and mushrooms) was served, I was surprised how aesthetically pleasant the dish was. The hearty bowl of soup curry was decorated with colourful, seasonal vegetables such as cherry tomato, pumpkin, broccoli and asparagus and topped with a halved hard boiled egg. Tasted a scoop of the soup and was totally blown away by the multiple layers of flavours that unfolded on my tastebuds. The secret to their soup curry is its Bouillon soup base, created using ingredients such as beef, potherbs and fruits, which are cooked together for 12 hours and left to sit overnight; while the curry is made up of around 20 types of spices. Level 2 spiciness was just right for my palate, complementing the natural sweetness infused in the broth. As for the soup curry with hamburg steak, the meat patty was well seasoned and seared to the right level of doneness. Wrapped up our enjoyable lunch with a scoop of ice cream and hot milk tea.

Glad to discover a good soup curry restaurant outside of Hokkaido!

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Soup Curry Hanjiro スープカレーハンジロー
長野県安曇野市穂高4857-1
Operating hours: 1100 - 1430 hrs (Lunch); 1730 - 2030 hrs (Dinner)
http://hanjiro.jp/

How to get there?
20 minutes walk from Hotaka Station 穂高駅.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Chubu 2016 中部の旅 - Matsumoto Station 松本駅

Matsumoto Station 松本駅 is a train station on Shinonoi line 篠ノ井線 and the terminus station for Oito line 大糸線 and Alpico Kotsu Kamikochi line 上高地線.

Trains serving this train station include:
(1) Limited Express Azusa あずさ, commuting between Shinjuku 新宿駅 and Minami Otari 南小谷駅, stopping by stations such as Matsumoto 松本駅, Hotaka 穂高駅, Shinano Omachi 信濃大町駅 and Hakuba 白馬駅.
(2) Resort View Furusato リゾートビューふるさと, a seasonal train commuting between Nagano and Minami Otari, stopping by stations such as Matsumoto 松本駅, Hotaka 穂高駅, Shinano Omachi 信濃大町駅 and Hakuba 白馬駅.
Website: https://www.jreast.co.jp/railway/joyful/resortfuru.html
(3) Limited Express Shinano しなの, commuting between Nagoya 名古屋駅 and Nagano 長野駅.
(4) Local trains operating between Matsumoto and Shinshimashima 新島々駅 via Alpico Kotsu Kamikochi line 上高地線.

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What's nearby?

(1) Bus stops, on both the east (Oshiro Guchi お城口) and west (Alps Guchi アルプス口) exit of the train station.

East Exit Platform 1:
- Town Sneaker North Course タウンスニーカー北コース (Bus No. 200), for Nawate dori 縄手通り, Matsumoto Castle 松本城, Matsumoto City Museum 松本市立博物館 and former Kaichi School 旧開智学校.
- Asama line 浅間線 (Bus No. 32) for Asama Onsen 浅間温泉.
https://www.alpico.co.jp/traffic/local/matsumoto/asama/

East Exit Platform 2:
- Town Sneaker East Course タウンスニーカー東コース (Bus No. 210), for Matsumoto Timepiece Museum 松本市時計博物館, Nakamachi 中町, AEON Mall and Matsumoto City Museum of Art 松本市美術館.
- Town Sneaker South Course タウンス南コース (Bus No. 220).

East Exit Platform 3:
- Kitashi Inner line 北市内線, comprised of east loop 東回り (Bus No. 100 / anticlockwise) and west loop 西回り (Bus No. 110 / clockwise). Kitashi Inner line east loop bus provides more direct accessibility to Matsumoto City Museum of Art, as compared to Town Sneaker East Course.
https://www.alpico.co.jp/traffic/local/matsumoto/kitashinai/

West Exit: Town Sneaker West Course - Long Course タウンスニーカー西コースロングコース (Bus No. 230), for The Japan Ukiyo-e Museum 日本浮世絵博物館 and Matsumoto City Open Air Architectural Museum 松本市歴史の里.

For Town Sneaker North and East Course, the bus fare is 200 yen per ride.
For Town Sneaker South and West Course, the bus fare varies between 150 to 200 yen per ride.
Town Sneaker: https://www.city.matsumoto.nagano.jp/kurasi/sumai/bus/town.html

(2) Matstumoto City Tourist Information Center 松本市観光案内所, within the train station.
Operating hours: 0900 - 1745 hrs

(3) Matsumoto Bus Terminal 松本バスタミナール, less than a minute walk from east exit of train station. Alpico Plaza アルピコプラザ, which has replaced the former Ario アリオ, is connected to the bus terminal.
Alpico Plaza: http://www.alpico-plaza.jp/

Matsumoto Bus Terminal 松本バスタミナール:
- Platform 2 for Shin Asama line 新浅間線 (Bus No. 21) to Matsumoto City Museum of Art 松本市美術館 and Asama Onsen 浅間温泉.
https://www.alpico.co.jp/traffic/local/matsumoto/shinasama/
- Platform 3 for Utsukushigahara Onsen line 美ヶ原温泉線 (Bus No. 31) to Utsukushigahara Onsen 美ヶ原温泉.
https://www.alpico.co.jp/traffic/local/matsumoto/utsukushigaharaonsen/
- Platform 5 for Kuko, Asahi line 空港・朝日線 to Shinshu Matsumoto Airport 信州まつもと空港.
https://www.alpico.co.jp/traffic/local/matsumoto/kuko_asahi/
- Platform 8 for direct Airport Shuttle エアポートシャトル to Shinshu Matsumoto Airport 信州まつもと空港.
https://www.alpico.co.jp/traffic/local/matsumoto/airport_shuttle/

(4) Midori, a shopping mall connected seamlessly to the train station. Here, you are find MOS Burger (Level 1), Matsumoto Kiyoshi (Level 2) and Starbucks Coffee (Level 3). Restaurants are located on 4th floor of the shopping mall.
https://www.eki-midori.com/matsumoto/

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Commemorative stamp:

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Chubu 2016 中部の旅 - Niigata Station 新潟駅

Niigata Station 新潟駅 is a train station on Echigo line 越後線, Hakushin line 白新線 and Shin Etsu main line 信越本線, and the terminus station of Joetsu Shinkansen line 上越新幹線. Niigata city is the capital of Niigata Prefecture and the city is divided into two halves (north and south) by Shinano River 信濃川. The symbol of Niigata, Bandai Bridge 万代橋 is one of the bridges that span across the river. During our stay in Niigata city, we spent a day each to explore the north and south area. South area is where the main train station, Bandaicho-dori 万代町通り and Nuttari Terrace Shopping Arcade 沼垂テラス商店街 are located at, while Furumachi 古町 and Kamifurumachi 上古町 are two other shopping streets located in the north area.

Trains serving this train station include:
(1) Shinkansen Toki / Max Toki とき travels southwards to Tsubame Sanjo 燕三条駅, Nagaoka 長岡駅, Urasa 浦佐駅, Takasaki 高崎駅 and Tokyo 東京駅, via Joetsu Shinkansen line 上越新幹線.

(2) Genbi Shinkansen 現美新幹線, a special themed Shinkansen which commutes between Echigo Yuzawa 越後湯沢駅 and Niigata 新潟駅 via Joetsu Shinkansen line 上越新幹線.

(3) Limited Express Inaho いなほ, commutes between Niigata 新潟駅 to Akita 秋田駅 via Hakushin line 白新線 and Uetsu main line 羽越本線. Train stations served by this train include Niigata 新潟駅, Toyosaka 豊栄駅, Shibata 新発田駅, Murakami 村上駅, Atsumi Onsen あつみ温泉駅, Tsuruoka 鶴岡駅, Sakata 酒田駅, Ugo Honjo 羽後本荘駅, Akita 秋田駅, etc.

(4) Kairi 海里, a special themed train introduced by JR East in Oct 2019, which commutes between Niigata and Sakata (in Yamagata Prefecture), via Hakushin line 白新線 and Uetsu main line 羽越本線. Train stations served by this train include Niigata 新潟駅, Shibata 新発田駅, Murakami 村上駅, Atsumi Onsen あつみ温泉駅, Tsuruoka 鶴岡駅, Sakata 酒田駅, etc.

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What's nearby?

(1) Bus terminals on both Bandai Exit 万代口 and South Exit 南口 of train station.

Bandai Exit Platform 0 for Bandai Bashi line BRT 萬代橋ライン.
http://www.niigata-kotsu.co.jp/~noriai/brt/rosenjikoku.htm

Bandai Exit Platform 2 for Niigata City Kankou Loop Bus 新潟市観光循環バス. Bus fare = 210 yen/ride; One day pass = 500 yen
http://www.city.niigata.lg.jp/kanko/kanko/kankobus/kankobusnitsuite.html

Bandai Exit Platform 3 for Niigata Kotsu Bus Sado Kisen line 佐渡汽船線 heading for Sado Ferry Terminal.
http://www.niigata-kotsu.co.jp/~noriai/route-bus/sadoferry/

South Exit Platform 5 for Limousine Bus heading directly for Niigata Airport 新潟空港.
http://www.niigata-kotsu.co.jp/~noriai/route-bus/info/200427_limousine_bus.html

(2) Niigata Station Bandai Exit Tourist Information Center 新潟駅万代口観光案内センター, near Bandai Exit of train station.

(3) CoCoLo Niigata, within the train station building.
Ponshukan ぽんしゅ館 operates a smaller branch in CoCoLo Niigata West Building. Adopting the same concept as its main branch in Echigo Yuzawa Station, there is a sake tasting corner here where one can taste test an extensive collection of sake sourced from breweries in Niigata Prefecture.
CoCoLo Niigata: http://www.cocolo-station.jp/pc/?sc_name=niigata
Ponshukan: https://www.ponshukan-niigata.com/

Poshukan, situated in CoCoLo Niigata West Building.

Had dessert at Aunt Stella's Cookies Cafe, situated in CoCoLo Niigata East Building.

(4) Lovela Bandai ラブラ万代 and Lovela 2 ラブラ２, two shopping malls located about 10 minutes walk from Bandai Exit of train station. The tenants of the shopping malls include Uniqlo, GU, Muji, LOFT, Kinokuniya and Can Do 100 yen shop.
https://mitsui-shopping-park.com/lovela-bandai/

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Commemorative stamps:

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Chubu 2016 中部の旅 - Yahiko Station 弥彦駅

Yahiko Station 弥彦駅 is the terminus station on Yahiko line 弥彦線 and the train station nearest to Yahiko Jinja 彌彦神社. The 17.7 km long railway line connects Yahiko Station 弥彦駅 to Higashi Sanjo Station 東三条駅, passing by Yoshida Station 吉田駅 (which connects to Niigata Station 新潟駅 via Echigo line 越後線) and Tsubame Sanjo Station 燕三条駅 (Joetsu Shinkansen line 上越新幹線). The design of the train station building was inspired Yahiko Jinja and I am amazed by the level of details showcased by it. To mimic a shrine, there is even a temizuya 手水舎 where worshippers will cleanse their hands with water from the basin before entering a shrine, set up near the entrance of the train station. The vermilion pillars and beams make the building looked particularly stunning in the day; do keep a lookout for cute rabbits depicted on the onigawara 鬼瓦 of the roof as well.

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What's nearby?

(1) Bus stop, just beside the train station.

Yahiko, Tsubame Area Loop Bus Yahiko-go 弥彦．燕広域循環バス「やひこ号」:
- For Yahiko Jinja 彌彦神社, board Yahiko-go bus heading for Yoshida Station 吉田駅 and Vision Yoshida ビジョンよしだ and alight at the next stop.
- For Yahiko Onsen 弥彦温泉, board Yahiko-go bus heading for Temari no yu てまりの湯.
Yahiko-go bus only operates on weekdays and the fare is 100 yen per ride.
http://www.city.tsubame.niigata.jp/life/013001000.html

(2) Yahiko Koen 弥彦公園, about 1 minute walk from the train station.

(3) Yahiko Tourist Information Center 弥彦観光案内所, 2 minutes walk from the train station.

(4) Yahiko Jinja 彌彦神社, about 10 minutes walk from the train station.

(5) Yahiko Ropeway 弥彦ロープウェイ, about 20 minutes walk from the train station.
The 1 km long ropeway ferries visitors from the base to the summit of Yahikoyama 彌彦山. A panoramic view of Echigo Plain (Echigo Heiya 越後平野) and the Sea of Japan can be captured at the summit of this 634 m tall mountain. Regular shuttle bus service operates between the base ropeway station and Yahiko Jinja as well.
https://www.hotel-juraku.co.jp/yahiko/

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Commemorative stamp:

Friday, August 16, 2024

2023 Toden Arakawa Line, Kanagawa Prefecture Travel 都電荒川線、神奈川県の旅 - Day 2 Itinerary: Yokohama City 横浜市, Yokosuka City 横須賀市

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

2023 Toden Arakawa Line, Kanagawa Prefecture Travel 都電荒川線、神奈川県の旅 - Day 1 Itinerary: Toden Arakawa Line 都電荒川線 and Yokohama City 横浜市

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Chubu 2016 中部の旅 - Matsudai Station まつだい駅