Surrounded by a large number of mountains of close to 3,000 meters in height, the region is blessed with a variety of highlands and hot springs.
Nagano Prefecture is located in the center of Honshu, and shares borders with eight other prefectures. Karuizawa is just an hour or so on the Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo, and Nagano City just an hour and a half. Connected by a convenient rail network to the urban centers of Aichi, you can take the Chuo Main Line from Nagoya or the Iida Line from Toyohashi. You can also get here easily from Tokyo by taking either the Joshin-Etsu Expressway or the Chuo Expressway. Also accessible by multiple air routes, we’re just 90 minutes from Sapporo (New Chitose), 55 minutes from Osaka (Itami), and 90 minutes from Fukuoka.
The real charm of Nagano is its landscape, around 80% of which is covered in forests. With 15 mountains of 3,000 meters or greater, and 29 of the “100 Famous Japanese Mountains,” Nagano is also well-known for its mountains. With not just hiking but also gondolas, ropeways, lifts, and more, there’s no end of ways for you to experience these amazing peaks. You can also visit a number of fascinating historical sites, including Zenko-ji Temple, Togakushi Shrine, and Suwa Shrine, as well as Ueda, which is famous as the setting of a popular NHK historical drama, Sanada-maru, which aired in 2016.
The refreshing highlands of Nagano are an especially popular location within this prefecture that is famous for its rich natural scenery. With no shortages of peaks exceeding 2,000 meters, our many highland areas such as the Shiga Highlands, Kirigamine Highlands, and Norikura Highlands provide you with a refreshing environment surrounded by magnificent natural scenery. In particular the Tateshina Highlands, spreading out at the foot of Mt. Yatsugatake, is considered the grandfather of Japan’s health resorts. The great filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu said of this place that the water, sake, and air are all excellent, to the point that he made himself a holiday home here. Boasting the beautiful Lake Shirakaba, many leisure facilities also dot the landscape, and it is the perfect place for a comfortable and luxurious mountain getaway. The famous medieval warlord Takeda Shingen is also known to have enjoyed bathing in the remote springs in this area.
Nagano is famous in Japan for being No. 1 at a lot of things. It has the longest river, the Shinano, and the longest pontoon bridge, the Ama-no-Ukihashi on Lake Reisenji. It also shares borders with more prefectures than any other prefectures in Japan, with a total of eight. Its rich soil and fresh, clean air make it the perfect land for growing crops like lettuce, cabbage and other mountain vegetables, and it is also famous for delicious apples such as Sanfuji and Shinano Gold. Be sure to also try our local delicacies including Shinshu soba (buckwheat noodles), oyaki (fermented buckwheat dumplings), and nozawana (a local leaf vegetable). Our varied local cuisine is filled with the flavor of Nagano!
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Nagano Prefecture is located in the center of Honshu, and shares borders with eight other prefectures. Karuizawa is just an hour or so on the Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo, and Nagano City just an hour and a half. Connected by a convenient rail network to the urban centers of Aichi, you can take the Chuo Main Line from Nagoya or the Iida Line from Toyohashi. You can also get here easily from Tokyo by taking either the Joshin-Etsu Expressway or the Chuo Expressway. Also accessible by multiple air routes, we’re just 90 minutes from Sapporo (New Chitose), 55 minutes from Osaka (Itami), and 90 minutes from Fukuoka.
The real charm of Nagano is its landscape, around 80% of which is covered in forests. With 15 mountains of 3,000 meters or greater, and 29 of the “100 Famous Japanese Mountains,” Nagano is also well-known for its mountains. With not just hiking but also gondolas, ropeways, lifts, and more, there’s no end of ways for you to experience these amazing peaks. You can also visit a number of fascinating historical sites, including Zenko-ji Temple, Togakushi Shrine, and Suwa Shrine, as well as Ueda, which is famous as the setting of a popular NHK historical drama, Sanada-maru, which aired in 2016.
The refreshing highlands of Nagano are an especially popular location within this prefecture that is famous for its rich natural scenery. With no shortages of peaks exceeding 2,000 meters, our many highland areas such as the Shiga Highlands, Kirigamine Highlands, and Norikura Highlands provide you with a refreshing environment surrounded by magnificent natural scenery. In particular the Tateshina Highlands, spreading out at the foot of Mt. Yatsugatake, is considered the grandfather of Japan’s health resorts. The great filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu said of this place that the water, sake, and air are all excellent, to the point that he made himself a holiday home here. Boasting the beautiful Lake Shirakaba, many leisure facilities also dot the landscape, and it is the perfect place for a comfortable and luxurious mountain getaway. The famous medieval warlord Takeda Shingen is also known to have enjoyed bathing in the remote springs in this area.
Nagano is famous in Japan for being No. 1 at a lot of things. It has the longest river, the Shinano, and the longest pontoon bridge, the Ama-no-Ukihashi on Lake Reisenji. It also shares borders with more prefectures than any other prefectures in Japan, with a total of eight. Its rich soil and fresh, clean air make it the perfect land for growing crops like lettuce, cabbage and other mountain vegetables, and it is also famous for delicious apples such as Sanfuji and Shinano Gold. Be sure to also try our local delicacies including Shinshu soba (buckwheat noodles), oyaki (fermented buckwheat dumplings), and nozawana (a local leaf vegetable). Our varied local cuisine is filled with the flavor of Nagano!
