Enjoy the Nature of the Japanese Alps and the Historic Culture Found Across the Region! A Nagano Travel Guide

If you are traveling in Nagano, the Shinshu One-Day Pass is highly recommended.
It is a ticket that allows unlimited rides on local trains in the Shinshu area, including Echigo-Kawaguchi and Kobuchizawa stations.
It costs 2,680 yen for adults and 1,050 yen for children.
If you get on and off trains four times or more in one day, it can save you money on transportation.
The Shinshu One-Day Pass can be purchased at Midori no Madoguchi ticket offices and reserved seat ticket machines at stations within the eligible area.
It can also be used for access to Nagano Station and Matsumoto Station, which are key travel bases, so if you plan to sightsee in the central area where many of Nagano’s popular attractions are located, be sure to make use of it.

Located in northern Nagano, the Kita-Shinano Area often serves as the gateway to the prefecture because it is home to Nagano Station, where the shinkansen stops.
In Nagano City, where Nagano Station is located, a temple town spreads out around Zenkoji, which has a history of 1,400 years, lined with temple lodgings, souvenir shops, and restaurants.
Along with Zenkoji, which has many highlights including its National Treasure main hall and Important Cultural Properties such as the Sanmon Gate, Kyōzō Sutra Repository, and Niō statues, enjoy strolling through the temple town as well.
Suzaka City, located east of Nagano City, is also a historic kura warehouse town with a long history dating back to the Edo period (1603–1868).
Buildings constructed from the Meiji period (1868–1912) to the early Showa period (1926–1989) line the streets, allowing visitors to feel the atmosphere of those times.
Another attraction of the Kita-Shinano Area is its retro-style hot spring towns and hot spring hopping, including Yudanaka Shibu Onsen-kyo and Takayama Onsen-kyo.
At the two national parks, Joshinetsu Kogen National Park and Myoko-Togakushi Renzan National Park, you can go trekking through rich, largely untouched nature.

Located in the northeast, the Japanese Alps Area is home to many of Nagano’s popular sightseeing spots.
The National Treasure Matsumoto Castle and its castle town are especially popular, where you can enjoy shopping and local Nagano food while strolling through the charming streets.
Narai-juku, selected as a National Important Preservation District for Traditional Buildings, is also in the Japanese Alps Area.
In the western part of the area lies the Hida Mountains, a range of 3,000-meter-class peaks, and at its foot in Azumino, beautiful rural landscapes spread out.
Kamikochi, a popular mountain resort located at the trailhead for climbing the famous peaks of Hakuba and the Hotaka Mountain Range, is also not to be missed.
Registered as both a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and a Special Natural Monument, Kamikochi offers breathtaking natural scenery, whether you want serious mountain climbing or a leisurely walk.

Located in eastern Nagano, the Eastern Shinshu Area is a highland resort area at an elevation of 600 meters.
You can fully appreciate natural beauty at places such as Yunomaru Highlands, where natural monument azaleas grow in clusters, and Utsukushigahara Highlands, where you can enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.
Amid this rich natural setting, historic spots such as Komoro Castle Ruins, Kaikoen Garden and Ueda Castle are scattered throughout the area, and one of its attractions is the tasteful scenery created by historic buildings in harmony with the changing seasons.
One of Japan’s leading resort destinations, Karuizawa, is also in the Eastern Shinshu Area.
It prospered as a post town from long ago, and during the Meiji period developed as a villa area marked by foreign culture and summer homes.
As a result, there are many places to enjoy not only sightseeing but also shopping and gourmet food, offering many ways to spend your time. Scenic spots such as Kumoba Pond and Shiraito Falls are also scattered nearby.
Don’t forget to enjoy vegetables, wine, and sake produced using the climate unique to the highlands.

The Suwa Area is located in central Nagano.
Its appeal lies in the great natural scenery of the Yatsugatake Mountains and Kirigamine Highlands surrounding Lake Suwa.
In winter, when the lake completely freezes and conditions align, such as temperatures dropping to around 14°F for several days, a mystical natural phenomenon called Omiwatari can be seen, in which the ice on the lake surface rises up with a loud cracking sound.
Around Lake Suwa, there are spots where you can feel Japan’s history and culture, such as Suwa Taisha, said to be one of the oldest shrines in Japan, and ruins from the Jomon period (Approx. 18,000 BC–300 BC).
There are also many museums, hot springs, and cafés, so you can enjoy not only seasonal natural scenery but many other experiences as well.

Located in southwestern Nagano, the Kisoji Area is a region that has been registered as a Japan Heritage site.
Forests cover over 90% of its area, and rich nature spreads throughout alongside post towns scattered along the Nakasendo (Kisoji).
The Nakasendo was a road connecting Kyoto and Tokyo, and during the Edo period it was an important highway.
There were 69 post towns where travelers rested, and 11 of them were located along Kisoji.
Places such as Tsumago-juku and Magome-juku, which still retain the atmosphere of those days, are now popular tourist destinations.
If you visit these post towns lined with Edo-period inns and lacquerware shops, you can feel as if you have traveled back in time.
It is also recommended to stroll while enjoying Nagano’s local foods, such as freshly grilled gohei mochi and oyaki.
You can also appreciate natural beauty at Nezame no Toko, a scenic spot in Kisoji known for its mountain passes continuing along the Kiso River, and at Ontake Lake, where Mt. Ontake is reflected on the water’s surface.
Experience the culture, traditions, and natural beauty rooted in this deep mountain region.

Located in southern Nagano, the Inaji Area is bordered by the Kiso Mountains to the west and the Akaishi Mountains to the east.
This area also has many scenic spots, especially Tenryukyo, famous for the unusual rock formations rising on both banks of the Tenryu River. If you join a river boat ride, you can enjoy both dynamic scenery and thrilling excitement.
At Senjojiki Cirque in the Kiso Mountains, you can enjoy seasonal activities and scenery throughout the year, including snowshoeing and skiing in spring, a variety of alpine plants blooming across the rocky slopes in summer, colorful autumn grasses in fall, and pure white winter landscapes with star-filled skies in winter.
Also not to be missed is Takato Castle Ruins Park, one of Japan’s three great cherry blossom spots.
Within the park, cherry blossoms beautifully frame historic buildings such as Takato-kaku, designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan, and the Tonya Gate, relocated from the castle town, creating a deeply atmospheric scene.
If the timing works out, try attending festivals such as Oshika Kabuki and Niino no Yuki Matsuri, which are designated as Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties of Japan.

Day 1 starts in Nagano City and heads south while visiting popular sightseeing spots in each area.
In just one day, you can experience Nagano’s diverse appeal, including history, food, nature, art, and hot springs.

On Day 2, visit Nagano’s classic sightseeing spots that you could not fit in on the first day, including Matsumoto Castle, Narai-juku, and Lake Suwa.
Later in the day, you can stroll around the vast Lake Suwa and stop by a hot spring, helping you recover from the past two days of travel.

Shinshu soba is one of Nagano’s signature local dishes. While many regions across Japan have their own local soba, Shinshu soba is especially well known for its delicious flavor.
The secret to its taste lies in high-quality buckwheat grown in Nagano’s cool climate and the pure, cold water flowing from the surrounding mountain ranges.
Also worth knowing is that Shinshu soba is a general term for soba made in Nagano, so there are many varieties.
Among them, Togakushi soba is especially famous.
Made with noodles tightened in Togakushi’s cold water, it is exceptional for both its smooth texture and rich buckwheat flavor.

This simple but satisfying dish features shredded cabbage over hot rice, topped generously with pork cutlet dipped in Komagane’s secret sweet-savory sauce.
Another appealing point is its hearty volume, so large that the lid of the bowl will not close.
To be called Komagane sauce katsudon, it must meet specific standards designed to preserve its flavor and defining characteristics.
Here are some of those rules.

In this way, although it is simple, the local community works together to preserve the delicious quality of Komagane sauce katsudon.
Thanks to those efforts, its popularity has gradually spread, and today it is enjoyed throughout Nagano.

Oyaki, made by wrapping red bean paste or vegetables in thinly stretched dough made from wheat flour and buckwheat flour kneaded with water and then baking it, is also one of Nagano’s representative local dishes.
The fillings are varied, including seasonal vegetables such as eggplant and mushrooms seasoned with miso or soy sauce, as well as pickled Nozawana, a Nagano specialty.
There is not only baked oyaki, but also steamed, baked-steamed, and pan-fried varieties.
At sightseeing spots in Nagano, you will likely come across shops selling oyaki everywhere.
Try comparing different kinds of oyaki as a snack between sightseeing stops.