Nagano City, the Prefectural Capital, located in the northern part of the prefecture, has developed as the gate town of Zenkoji Temple. Thanks to the Hokuriku Shinkansen [bullet train] Line, the city is able to be reached from Tokyo or Kanazawa in less than two hours. The Togakushi and Iizuna Plateaus, both at elevation of 1,000 meters, offer a variety of activities such as camping, trekking, cycling, skiing and snowboarding for visitors to enjoy nature all year round.
The cold climate which was unsuited to grow rice, made soba [buckwheat] cultivation become the farming focus and a culture of eating soba [buckwheat noodles] emerged. “Togakushi soba” is one of the three most famous soba types in Japan, and the cool, tasty water of Togakushi region is perfect complement to smooth-tasting soba.
The northern area of Nagano City is renowned for apple-growing, and with a 7 Km apple tree line called the “Apple Line”, an impressive scenery dotted with bright red apples in fall is a site to behold.

by Plane

Shinshu Matsumoto Airport → Matsumoto Bus Terminal (about 30 minutes by local bus) → JR Matsumoto Station (about 5 minutes on foot) → JR Nagano Station (about 1 hour by Limited Express Shinano)

by Train

JR Nagoya Station → JR Nagano Station (about 3 hours by Limited Express Shinano)
JR Tokyo Station → JR Nagano Station (about 1 hour and 40 minutes by Hokuriku Shinkansen)

Points of Interest

Nagano City is home to the Zenkoji Temple and other historical sites. Ventur to the outskirts of the city and enjoy spectacular nature of the mountains and countryside. The city has numerous sites to see and, activities to do, including trips to historical sites, nature-indulging activities, and onsens [hot springs].

Zenkoji Temple / 善光寺 (Nagano)

• Nagano
• Nagano
• Cultural Experience
• Temples & Shrines
• Historical Sites

Zenkoji Temple dates back over 1,400 years and has been widely known and endeared since ancient times as a temple not affiliated with any particular religious sect, but rather welcoming to people of a...

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Togakushi / 戸隠 (Nagano)

• Nagano
• Nagano
• Onsen
• Cultural Experience
• Skiing and Snowboarding
• Beautiful Places
• National Parks
• Mountaineering & Hiking

Togakushi is located in the northwestern part of Nagano City and was once visited by many ascetic practitioners as a sacred site. The area is designated as Myoko-Togakushi renzan National Park, where ...

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