My family was here until last week, visiting me in Japan. We mostly stayed in Tokyo, but we took a trip to Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture for a weekend.
In addition to its famous castle (pictured below), there is also a pretty cool art museum with an impressive Yayoi Kusama exhibit. Nagano is also known for its soba (buckwheat noodles) and other local food. In comparison to Tokyo and other big cities here, however, vegetarian and vegan-friendly food is harder to find. This post includes a couple options I found.

After sightseeing, one of my goals was to have my family try some soba as well as other regional specialties here.

Pictured above is a plate of

Next, I had

Lastly, I managed to go to one of the only all-vegan establishments in Matsumoto. I took my family to the Healthy Penguin Cafe, which is a small, adorable restaurant a close distance from the castle.
I ordered the burrito bowl, which consisted of beans, tomato, and various vegetables. It was very satisfying and the presentation was beautiful. My family ordered vegan french toast and a quinoa curry, which were also apparently delicious. English is spoken here and there is also an English menu. The owners of the shop appear to be a couple, and one of them is from Australia. This is a convenient and delicious option if you are in Matsumoto!
Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/healthypenguincafe/
次の投稿ではクリスマス・冬季のテーマをします。