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Brian Beatty, one of our Tour Leaders at InsideJapan, takes us on a 24 hour trip to Nagano in the Chūbu region of Japan.
Before I get started, let me tell you a little bit about Nagano. In Japanese, Nagano is 長野, which literally means long field, a bit misleading because the topography of Nagano is actually quite mountainous. The elevation is around 790 metres, it has a population of 380,000 and is best known for delicious apples, soba noodles (buckwheat noodles), and hosting the 1998 winter Olympics. Now that you have a little overview of the area, let’s get into what I think would be the perfect day in Nagano.
Zenkoji
I’m a spiritual sort of person, so the first thing I will do is head to Zenkoji, a 7th-century Buddhist temple that overlooks the city, for a blessing from the head priest. A 6am start might not sound like the most tempting prospect when you’re on holiday, but trust me when I say, there is nothing quite like getting blessed by a priest before breakfast.
Fujiya Gohonjin Hotel
After that, it’s off to the Fujiya Gohonjin Hotel, for a nice posh breakfast, because that’s how I roll. Now that I’m full, I’m ready to call it a day and take a nap…Just kidding. But, maybe just a little nap. That morning blessing was pretty early.
Togakushi jinja
Before heading to Nagano station I’ll pick up some cold soba noodles and maybe an apple for lunch, both really refreshing on a hot day. From the station, I can take a bus up into the mountains to visit a shrine called Togakushi.
Togakushi is related to an important story in Japanese mythology. The story goes that the goddess of the sun was hiding in a cave because her brother did something bad, in doing so, she brought darkness over the lands. The other gods danced outside of her cave to try and get her to come out and bring back the sunlight. Finally she peeked outside, and as she did, one of the gods threw the door off the cave and it flew all the way to Nagano where Togakushi shrine is. Hence the name Togakushi, meaning, “hiding door”.
Togakure Ninpo Museum
This museum was originally a Ninja school and it’s just around the corner from the upper Togashi shrine area. Legend says it was founded by a samurai in the 12th century who combined two different ninja styles together to create the Togakure ninja style. The museum displays all kinds of ninja weapons, spy items, and real ninja scrolls and books. There is also a maze, secret passage ways and a ninja throwing star range.
After I’m done with all that I’m going to be feeling pretty ninja-like, so a run into the forest for some sneaking and jumping around is in order before heading back to society. Hopefully nobody sees me running around like a weirdo. Either way, I’ll be okay because I have ninja-fast reflexes.
Kagami Pond
After running around I’ll be hungry and tired so I’ll stop by the Kagami pond nearby for some lunch and a little meditation. Kagami means “mirror”.
Jigokudani Monkey Park
Back at Nagano station, I’ll take another bus to the Jigokudani Monkey Park just outside of the city. Ancient people called this valley jigokudani, “hell valley”, because of the very steep cliffs surrounding the area and the steam from the hot springs. During winter though, this place is heaven on Earth for the monkeys as they warm their bodies in the hot springs.
Enza café
Just down the road from the monkey park, there’s a nice cafe to escape the cold. I think I’ll get some hot cocoa and warm up.
Uruoikan hot spring
After seeing the monkeys do it, I think it’s a good idea to get warm and clean before heading out for dinner. This place has not only indoor and outdoor hot spring baths, but also has a sauna, steam room, massage chairs, and many other treats to soothe your body.
Ichiryu Manpei
A little restaurant that’s perfect for a healthy lunch or dinner, not far from the Fujiya hotel. At lunchtime it’s buffet style and at dinner there’s a choice between three different courses, all of which won’t disappoint.
Tonkotsu ramen Hakata-yatai
Now that I’ve eaten some healthy food I won’t feel so guilty about having the bad stuff! This is a great place for beer, gyoza (dumplings), and, of course, ramen. There are many kinds of ramen but tonkotsu is my favourite. This kind comes from a southern part of Japan called Kyushu, so it’s not a Nagano speciality, but this is the perfect place to meet locals.
Afterwards, I’ll walk back past Zenkoji, it’s very peaceful and quiet at night and the temple looks even more beautiful when it’s lit up.
There you have it – a jam-packed 24 hours in Nagano. To experience a stay at Zenkoji temple lodgings, a 6am temple blessing or a dip in the Uroikan hot spring for yourself, have a gander at the Japan Unmasked small group tour. For more information call our team on 0117 370 9751 or email: [email protected].