A few minutes more or less immediately north of Matsumoto station, Kasamori Inari is a small but pleasant Shinto shrine, worth stopping off at for a quick look on your way to the castle, the town's main attraction.

There are plenty of interesting features in just a small space: a population of guardian komainu wolf-dogs, one pair in plain smooth stone, one pair painted like dolls; at a little side shrine there's a tightly packed row of bright red tori gates, fun to duck under; and at the prayer hall you'll find brightly painted wooden carvings under the eaves. It's always worth looking up when you visit a temple or shrine.

Immediately next to the shrine is Jyorin-ji, a Buddhist temple, which has a very compact but exquisitely landscaped garden, where you can rest and catch your breath by a small pond, enjoying the tranquil atmosphere.