Nakamachi-dōri was the main street of the old castle town's merchant quarter, lined with kura — the white-walled, black-lacquered storehouses where Edo-period merchants kept their stock safe from fire. Many of these buildings survive and now house craft shops, sake bars, cafés and small galleries. The street is closed to most through-traffic during the day and is the most pleasant place to wander in central Matsumoto.
The crafts focus is real, not invented for tourists: Matsumoto-mingei (folk craft) has been a living movement here since the 1940s, and you can find good furniture, lacquerware and indigo-dyed textiles in the smaller shops. The Crafts Centre at the southern end of Nakamachi offers a useful overview.