Must-see attractions in Nagano Region

  • Zenkō-ji

    Nagano Region

    Founded in the 7th century, National Treasure Zenkō-ji is home to the revered statue Ikkō-Sanzon, said to be the first Buddhist image to arrive in Japan …

  • Togakushi-jinja

    Nagano Region

    Comprising three sub-shrines, Togakushi-Hōkōsha, Togakushi-Chūsha and Togakushi-Okusha, each a few kilometres apart, Togakushi-jinja honours the 1911m…

  • Hokusai Museum

    Nagano Region

    Japan's most famous ukiyo-e (woodblock print) artist, Hokusai, spent his final years in Obuse. There's an audiovisual presentation on his life in the…

  • Togakushi-Okusha

    Nagano Region

    From Okusha bus stop it's 2km (40 minutes' walk) to Okusha (meaning 'Upper Shrine') – the innermost of the three sub-shrines making up Togakushi-jinja –…

  • Jigokudani Monkey Park

    Nagano Region

    Pleasant in winter when shrouded in snow but less appealing when seasonally bare, Jigokudani Monkey Park is wildly popular. Made famous by the 1992 film…

  • Asama-yama Magma Stone Park

    Nagano Region

    Here's your chance to get up close and personal with Asama-yama – so close, you could almost touch it. Formed in 1783 by Asama's last violent eruption,…

  • Usui Pass Lookout

    Nagano Region

    On the border of Gunma and Nagano Prefectures, about 4km east of Karuizawa on Rte 18, you'll find the Usui Pass, historically an important point on the…

  • Togakushi Folk Museum & Ninja House

    Nagano Region

    Above the Okusha bus stop you'll find this museum housing artefacts from a time when local yamabushi (mountain monks) practised what became known as ninpo…

  • Kitamuki Kannon

    Nagano Region

    The grounds of this Tendai temple have some impressive ancient trees and sweeping valley views. The temple's name comes from the fact that this Kannon…

  • Togakushi-Hōkōsha

    Nagano Region

    Although it's nestled among cedars apparently close to the village, Hōkōsha, the pretty lower sub-shrine of Togakushi-jinja, is reached via 274 ancient,…

  • Former Mikasa Hotel

    Nagano Region

    This property, one of the first Western hotels in Japan, welcomed guests from 1906 to 1970. An exceptional example of elaborate Meiji-era architecture, it…

  • 'Umi' Museum of Contemporary Art

    Nagano Region

    This light-filled gallery showcases an impressive collection of contemporary work by Japanese artists who have found fame abroad in genres such as oil…

  • Togakushi-Chūsha

    Nagano Region

    One of the three sub-shrines of Togakushi-jinja, intimate Chūsha, meaning 'middle shrine', is the most accessible, located prominently in the centre of…

  • Anraku-ji

    Nagano Region

    Of the Sōtō Zen sect, Anraku-ji is the oldest Zen temple in Nagano. Dating from AD 824–34, it's a National Treasure, renowned for its octagonal pagoda…

  • Takai Kōzan Kinenkan

    Nagano Region

    Takai Kōzan, woodblock artist Hokusai's friend and patron, was a businessman and an accomplished classical artist specialising in elegant Chinese-style…

  • Japanese Lamp & Lighting Museum

    Nagano Region

    Showcasing lighting through Japanese history, including oil lamps and lanterns, this neat museum will flip the switches of design aficionados.

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