Tokyo and Matsumoto - Japan

Music trip with a stop in Tokyo and a festival in the Japanese Alps (August/September 2026)

Japan is a country full of contrasts.

This tour takes you to the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival in the Japanese Alps.

You start in Tokyo and then travel to Matsumoto, where we coordinate your concert evenings and the corresponding festival days for you.

If you would like to see more than just Tokyo and Matsumoto, we can extend your trip with additional stops of your choice. You will benefit from our many years of experience in Japan and our personal recommendations.

This will allow you to discover Japan from different perspectives.

The Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival will take place in Matsumoto from 16 August to 8 September 2026. The city is located on the edge of the Japanese Alps and is known for its original black Matsumoto Castle and historic warehouse streets.

In the municipal art museum, you can see works by Yayoi Kusama, who was born in Matsumoto, among others.

The musical highlight

The announced highlight is Messiaen's Turangalîla Symphony. It will be conducted by Nodoka Okisawa and performed by the Saito Kinen Orchestra. Keigo Mukawa will be the soloist on the piano, and Takashi Harada will play the ondes Martenot.

The exact performance date within the festival period is yet to be announced. As soon as the official programme is published, we will reserve seats and coordinate the travel dates accordingly.

If you would like to plan additional festival evenings, we will be happy to make reservations for you.

Tokyo as a starting point

Tokyo is an ideal starting point because you can arrive after your flight and settle into the rhythm at your own pace.

We recommend two nights here. This gives you a whole day to explore the city before continuing your journey the next day.

We are happy to give you our recommendations and focus on whatever interests you most, such as architecture and design, art and museums, classic highlights or culinary destinations.

Your travel options

This trip is designed as a short tour of Japan, with a clear focus on Matsumoto and the festival, plus a stop in Tokyo.

A possible itinerary is a travel period of about 12 to 14 days.

If you would like to make the trip a longer tour, we would be happy to plan a follow-up programme, for example to Nikkō or Fuji Hakone Izu National Park, continuing on to Kyōto and Nara, to the coast at Amanohashidate and then west via Himeji to Hiroshima and Miyajima Island. From experience, we know which combinations complement each other particularly well and can use this knowledge to create an eventful extension to your trip.

Your accommodation options

Tokyo

HOSHINOYA Tokyo *****

A special Tokyo option, because the hotel brings the atmosphere of a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn, to the heart of the city.

The hotel is about a ten-minute walk from Tokyo Station, and you are also right next to the underground lines.

Cyashitsu Ryokan Asakusa ***

If you are looking for a modern city ryokan feel, this accommodation is a great choice. The rooms are designed like modern tea rooms, with tatami floors and a deliberately minimalist design. To sleep, you lay out the futon on the tatami, and in the morning it is put away again.

Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyobashi ****

The hotel is only about a five-minute walk from Tokyo Station. From here, you are not only close to all train connections, but also within easy reach of Ginza for shopping and strolling, the Imperial Palace for a walk, or Marunouchi with its cafés and elegant streets.

The rooms are modern and Western in design.

Matsumoto

Matsumoto Hotel Kagetsu ***

You will be staying in the historic city centre, within walking distance of many attractions. The famous castle is about a 10-minute walk away, and the train station is about a 15-minute walk.

The Kagetsu is a hotel steeped in history, founded in 1887. Inside, you will encounter the Mingei style, Japanese folk art and crafts, with authentic, handmade furniture from the region. This is precisely what characterises the hotel: lots of wood, clean lines and warm colours.

The rooms also reflect this principle. Depending on the wing, you will stay in rooms with exposed wooden beams and a slightly nostalgic feel, or in a classic Western style.

Nunoya Ryokan, Matsumoto ***

The Nunoya Ryokan is located in the centre of Matsumoto on a historic shopping street known for its former warehouses. Today, you will find small shops, crafts and cafés here. From here, it is about a 5-minute walk to Matsumoto Castle and about 10 minutes to the train station. The location is particularly convenient for the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival, as the Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre is only a 6-minute walk away.

The building itself is a small, traditional, three-storey wooden building with lots of character, more like a guesthouse than a hotel.

The rooms reflect this old style of construction, with exposed beams and finely crafted wooden elements.

Your individual journey

Journey option: with a stop in Tokyo

You fly to Tokyo and stay there overnight so that you don't have to travel straight on after arrival. The next day, you take the Limited Express Azusa from Shinjuku directly to Matsumoto, which takes about three hours.

What is included in the price?

The tour package includes:

• Long-haul flights in economy class from/to Frankfurt with Lufthansa or JAL Japan Airlines
• Train journey from Tokyo to Matsumoto and back (Limited Express ‘Azusa’ in ordinary class)
• Accommodation in Tokyo (2 nights) and Matsumoto (4 nights) in your chosen hotel combination, breakfast included depending on accommodation.
• 2 concerts at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival 2026
• Complete planning of your round trip itinerary

Booking and enquiries

Please let us know whether you would prefer to start your stay in Tokyo in classic Western-style luxury or immerse yourself in the ryokan atmosphere of HOSHINOYA Tokyo. Please also let us know your desired room occupancy and a rough time frame, either late August or early September 2026. We will send you a detailed quote based on the information you provide.

Examples:

Travel period: End of August or beginning of September 2026, 6 nights in total

Two nights in Tokyo, four nights in Matsumoto

Travel option 1: HOSHINOYA Tokyo + Matsumoto Hotel Kagetsu

Accommodation in Tokyo: HOSHINOYA Tokyo

Accommodation in Matsumoto: Matsumoto Hotel Kagetsu, including breakfast

Price: from €2,560 per person in a double room

Price: from €3,350 in a single room

Travel option 2: HOSHINOYA Tokyo + Nunoya Ryokan, Matsumoto

Accommodation in Tokyo: HOSHINOYA Tokyo

Accommodation in Matsumoto: Nunoya Ryokan, Matsumoto

Price: from €2,630 per person in a double room

Price: from €3,430 in a single room

Travel option 3: Cyashitsu Ryokan Asakusa + Matsumoto Hotel Kagetsu

Accommodation in Tokyo: Cyashitsu Ryokan Asakusa, including breakfast

Accommodation in Matsumoto: Matsumoto Hotel Kagetsu, including breakfast

Price: from €2,380 per person in a double room

Price: from €2,780 in a single room

Travel option 4: Cyashitsu Ryokan Asakusa + Nunoya Ryokan, Matsumoto

Accommodation in Tokyo: Cyashitsu Ryokan Asakusa, including breakfast

Accommodation in Matsumoto: Nunoya Ryokan, Matsumoto

Price: from €2,420 per person in a double room

Price: from €2,840 in a single room

Travel option 5: Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyobashi + Matsumoto Hotel Kagetsu

Accommodation in Tokyo: Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyobashi

Accommodation in Matsumoto: Matsumoto Hotel Kagetsu, including breakfast

Price: from €2,280 per person in a double room

Price: from €2,590 in a single room

Travel option 6: Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyobashi + Nunoya Ryokan, Matsumoto

Accommodation in Tokyo: Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyobashi

Accommodation in Matsumoto: Nunoya Ryokan, Matsumoto

Price: from €2,160 per person in a double room

Price: from €2,660 in a single room

Services not included

 - Domestic connecting flights within Germany.

 - Individual extra nights or additional stays in other locations.

 - Travel cancellation insurance and other insurance policies. We offer comprehensive travel insurance through our partner HanseMerkur.

Contact us for your personalised quote:

Telephone: +49 30 21964804

Email: info@musictravelhideaways.com

For a non-binding booking enquiry

Are you interested in further music tours to Japan? You will find additional tours and ideas in our Japan overview in ‘Around the Globe’.