Nagano

Zenkō-ji's temple town and a major Hokuriku Shinkansen stop, surrounded by Jigokudani's bathing snow monkeys, Togakushi Shrine's cedar-lined trail, the chestnut town of Obuse and the ski slopes of Shiga Kogen.

Nagano City is the capital of Nagano Prefecture, set in the Zenkōji-daira basin in central Honshu and ringed by the Northern Alps, the Togakushi range and the mountains of Shiga Kogen. The city grew up as the temple town of Zenkō-ji and hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics. The climate is inland: summers are cool, and winters are cold with little precipitation in the city but heavy snow in the mountains. Winter (Dec–Mar) is peak season for watching the snow monkeys bathe in the hot springs at Jigokudani and skiing at Shiga Kogen and Nozawa Onsen; in April, cherry blossoms bloom at Zenkō-ji, Ueda Castle and Matsushiro; Oct–Nov brings the best autumn colors to the Togakushi and Shiga Kogen highlands; and in summer the mountains are a popular escape from the heat. The area breaks down into several parts. In the city, Zenkō-ji and its Omotesando approach are the core: join the early-morning O-asaji service, then explore the temple town and the Nagano Prefectural Museum of Art. To the northwest, the Togakushi Highlands offer the cedar-lined approach to Togakushi Shrine's Okusha (inner shrine), Kagami-ike Pond and Togakushi soba. Northeast along the Nagano Electric Railway line are Obuse, home of chestnuts and Hokusai; Yudanaka and Shibu Onsen; and Jigokudani Monkey Park, with Shiga Kogen and the sea of clouds at Ryuoo SORA Terrace farther up. To the south lie Matsushiro, the castle town of the Sanada clan, and the Kawanakajima battlefield; continuing south past the Obasute rice terraces, or by Shinkansen, you can reach Ueda Castle and Bessho Onsen. To the north are the ski village of Nozawa Onsen and Lake Nojiri. Getting there: the Hokuriku Shinkansen reaches Nagano Station from Tokyo in about 1 hr 20 min, and Kanazawa is about 1 hour away. Buses are the main way to get around the city and to Togakushi and Matsushiro, the Nagano Electric Railway runs to Obuse and Yudanaka, and in snow season direct buses serve the snow monkey park and ski resorts. Plan on 2–3 days: one day for the city and Togakushi, one for Obuse plus the snow monkeys and Shibu Onsen (you can stay at a ryokan), with skiing on top. Tips: in winter, some roads around Togakushi and Kagami-ike are closed, and the snow monkey trail gets snowy and icy, so wear non-slip footwear; Jigokudani Monkey Park can also be combined with a trip toward Hakuba.

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Itineraries