Stepping Back in Time at the Matsumoto City Museum of Clocks

Table of Contents

Enjoying Matsumoto City: Beyond the Castle

A Moment to Reflect on the Past at the Matsumoto City Museum of Timepieces

Next, I head to the Matsumoto City Museum of Timepieces along the Metoba River. The building itself is impressive too, with a giant clock built into it.

Naturally, the exhibits inside are all clocks—but amazingly, the clocks are still running.

Looking at an 18th-century French clock, I found myself wondering if this is what the world of "Beauty and the Beast" feels like.

Victorian-style mantel clock with candlesticks (France, 18th century)

Tortoiseshell-covered clock (France, 18th century)

There were also lots of large grandfather clocks, but I forgot to take any photos…

Bonus: I really liked the still-active kanban kenchiku storefront of "Midori Yakuhin" on nearby Nakamachi Street.

With so many buildings adding tiled roofs to create a castle-town look, it's nice to see one that still preserves its traditional signboard-style facade, a characteristic feature of kanban kenchiku.