Things to do in Nagano

Nagano Prefecture offers a diverse array of attractions, from the Karuizawa Oiwakejuku Museum of Local History to the peaceful Komyo-ji Temple. Visitors can explore a rich mix of temples, museums, and shrines.

Mount Kasa

Mount Kasa

NAGANO · PLACE

A 2,076-meter lava dome in the Shiga Highlands offering panoramic views and a summit shrine for...

Shirahone Onsen

Shirahone Onsen

NAGANO · PLACE

A historic mountain hot spring resort in a national park famous for its milky white therapeutic...

Matsumoto Folkcraft Museum

Matsumoto Folkcraft Museum

NAGANO · MUSEUM

See 6,800 folk art items in a storehouse-style museum with a garden.

Karuizawa Oiwakejuku Museum of Local History

Karuizawa Oiwakejuku Museum of Local History

NAGANO · MUSEUM

Explore Karuizawa's past at this museum, showcasing local history and cultural artifacts.

Sarashina Shrine

Sarashina Shrine

NAGANO · SHRINE

Ancient shrine with unique historical artifacts, relocated after a landslide in 887.

Akasunasaki Park

Akasunasaki Park

Akasunasaki Park is a modern lakeside park designed by Toyo Ito, offering recreation and disaste...

Raigaku-ji Temple

Raigaku-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Raigaku-ji Temple is a historic Soto Zen temple dedicated to a local lord and his family.

Komyo-ji Temple (Iida, Nagano)

Komyo-ji Temple (Iida, Nagano)

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Komyo-ji Temple is an ancient Shingon temple with important Buddhist statues.

Santaku-ji Temple

Santaku-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Santakuji is a historic Nichiren-shu temple with unique stone cultural properties.

Jurin-ji Temple

Jurin-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Jurin-ji Temple is a historic site with unique monuments, founded in 1601 as a prayer temple.

Hokke-ji Temple

Hokke-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Hokke-ji Temple is a historic Rinzai Zen temple with a 13th-century Buddha and a warlord's grave...

Jōun-ji Temple

Jōun-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Jōun-ji Temple is a historic Jōdo-shū Buddhist temple founded in 1213, housing ancestral tablets...

Ichimura Shrine

Ichimura Shrine

NAGANO · SHRINE

Ichimura Shrine is an ancient shrine in Nagano City, enshrining Suwa Daimyojin, worth visiting f...

Sakaki Shrine

Sakaki Shrine

NAGANO · SHRINE

Sakaki Shrine is an ancient shrine dedicated to Okuninushi no Mikoto, with a history dating back...

Nagakura Shrine

Nagakura Shrine

NAGANO · SHRINE

Nagakura Shrine is an ancient shrine in Karuizawa, dedicated to Hachiman and other deities.

Kazakoshi Park

Kazakoshi Park

Kazakoshi Park offers year-round sports facilities, including Japan's largest curling rink, in K...

Tatsuoka Castle

Tatsuoka Castle

NAGANO · CASTLE

Tatsuoka Castle is a rare star-shaped Edo-period fortress, a nationally designated historic site...

Takashima Castle

Takashima Castle

NAGANO · CASTLE

Takashima Castle, a rare lake castle, offers a glimpse into Edo period engineering and history.

Shinano Kokubun-ji Temple

Shinano Kokubun-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Historic temple in Ueda City with a notable pagoda and main hall, successor to an ancient provin...

Mount Higashikawa

Mount Higashikawa

NAGANO · PLACE

A 2,671-meter peak on the Kiso Mountains ridge featuring rocky terrain, creeping pine, and a his...

Suwa City Museum of Art

Suwa City Museum of Art

NAGANO · MUSEUM

Japan's fifth oldest public art museum, on Lake Suwa, with 1400 works.

Kinshō-ji Temple

Kinshō-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Kinshō-ji Temple is a Sōtō Zen temple with a history of transformations.

Kyōfuku-ji Temple

Kyōfuku-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Kyōfuku-ji Temple is a historic Shingon temple with unique artifacts and monuments.

Shinano Hiei Kōjō-in Temple

Shinano Hiei Kōjō-in Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Shinano Hiei Kōjō-in Temple is a Tendai temple with a historic 'Immortal Dharma Lamp'.

Taizan Shrine

Taizan Shrine

NAGANO · SHRINE

Taizan Shrine, rebuilt after a fire, offers a glimpse into local history and a peaceful garden.

Nagano Prefectural Art Museum

Nagano Prefectural Art Museum

NAGANO · MUSEUM

Modern art museum in Nagano City, showcasing local artists and Higashiyama Kaii's works.

Kurumayama Shrine

Kurumayama Shrine

NAGANO · SHRINE

A mountaintop shrine in Nagano, offering unique festivals and panoramic views.

Ikedahachiman Shrine

Ikedahachiman Shrine

NAGANO · SHRINE

Ikedahachiman Shrine is a historic site in Nagano, known for its unique annual festival.

Asama Jomon Museum

Asama Jomon Museum

NAGANO · MUSEUM

Explore ancient Jomon culture and volcanic history near Mount Asama.

Yōfuku-in Temple

Yōfuku-in Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Yofukuin is a Soto Zen temple founded in 1695, worth visiting for its historic bell.

Hōzen-ji Temple

Hōzen-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Hōzen-ji is an ancient Sōtō Zen temple, home to a significant Amitābha statue and pilgrimage sit...

Matsushiro Castle

Matsushiro Castle

NAGANO · CASTLE

Explore a historic flatland castle with moats, a National Historic Site built in 1559.

Sōen-ji Temple

Sōen-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Sōen-ji Temple is a historic Jōdo-shū Buddhist temple with notable architecture and clan graves.

Ootomo Shrine

Ootomo Shrine

NAGANO · SHRINE

Ancient shrine in Nagano with imperial ties, dedicated to important deities.

Buppōshōryū-ji Temple

Buppōshōryū-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Buppōshōryū-ji Temple is a historic Shingon temple with ancient artifacts and a sacred ginkgo tr...

Chōgaku-ji Temple

Chōgaku-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Chogakuji Temple, founded in 828, offers historic statues and a unique pagoda in Nagano.

Saihō-ji Temple

Saihō-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

A 17th-century Jodo Shu temple in Saku hosting a nationally recognized ritual dance inside its h...

Jōkyū-ji Temple

Jōkyū-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Jokyuji Temple is a historic Jodo-shu temple with unique statues and family graves.

Sebaiwa Gorge

Sebaiwa Gorge

NAGANO · PLACE

A scenic river gorge in a quasi-national park featuring a waterfall and historical trade route r...

Omishinmeigū

Omishinmeigū

NAGANO · SHRINE

Omishinmeigū is a historic Shinto shrine protecting a sacred area, worth visiting for its ancien...

Maruyama Banka Memorial Museum

Maruyama Banka Memorial Museum

NAGANO · MUSEUM

A municipal art museum showcasing 1,000 works by Maruyama Banka, a prominent Japanese painter.

Lake Aoki

Lake Aoki

NAGANO · PLACE

A deep, high-altitude lake in Nagano formed by a landslide, known for its clear water and cinema...

Agata-no-mori Park

Agata-no-mori Park

Agata-no-mori Park is a historic urban park in Matsumoto, offering green space and cultural heri...

Lake Suzuran

Lake Suzuran

NAGANO · PLACE

An artificial lake and dam in Nagano offering scenic views within Hijiriyama Kogen Prefectural P...

Miharashi Farm

Miharashi Farm

Miharashi Farm offers hands-on agricultural experiences, local produce, and scenic views of the...

Informel Nakagawamura Museum

Informel Nakagawamura Museum

NAGANO · MUSEUM

A unique museum in Nagano dedicated to Informel abstract art by Takashi Suzuki, worth visiting f...

ILF Douga Museum of Art

ILF Douga Museum of Art

NAGANO · MUSEUM

This museum celebrates children's picture books, especially Takeo Takei's art, offering a unique...

Karuizawa Erz Toy Museum

Karuizawa Erz Toy Museum

NAGANO · MUSEUM

Karuizawa Erz Toy Museum displays wooden toys from Germany's Erzgebirge region, offering a uniqu...

Sunritz Hattori Museum of Arts

Sunritz Hattori Museum of Arts

NAGANO · MUSEUM

A modern museum overlooking Lake Suwa, housing national treasures and diverse art collections.

Shaw House Memorial Hall

Shaw House Memorial Hall

NAGANO · MUSEUM

Historic villa of Karuizawa's founder, Alexander Croft Shaw, with free admission.

Karuizawa Shaw Memorial Church

Karuizawa Shaw Memorial Church

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Karuizawa's oldest church, founded by its "father," offers a glimpse into the town's origins.

Chūsen-ji Temple

Chūsen-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Chusen-ji is a historic Tendai temple in Ina City, Nagano, known for its ancient statues and ema...

Sezon Museum of Modern Art

Sezon Museum of Modern Art

NAGANO · MUSEUM

See modern art masterpieces and outdoor sculptures in a tranquil Karuizawa setting.

Bee Museum

Bee Museum

NAGANO · MUSEUM

See unique beehives and learn about bees at this small, fascinating museum.

Musée Peynet

Musée Peynet

NAGANO · MUSEUM

The world's first museum dedicated to Raymond Peynet, showcasing his romantic art.

Risshaku-ji Temple

Risshaku-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Risshakuji Temple, founded in 857, is a historic Shingon temple with important cultural properti...

Honsei-ji Temple

Honsei-ji Temple

NAGANO · TEMPLE

Honseiji is a historic Jodo Shinshu temple with ties to feudal lords and a unique main image.

Kobayashi Issa Museum Issakan

Kobayashi Issa Museum Issakan

NAGANO · MUSEUM

Explore Kobayashi Issa's life and works at this museum, home to Japan's largest collection of hi...

Mount Sanpō

Mount Sanpō

NAGANO · PLACE

The highest peak in Saitama Prefecture, this 2,483-meter mountain offers a quiet hiking experien...

Sanbon Waterfalls

Sanbon Waterfalls

NAGANO · PLACE

A scenic spot featuring three distinct waterfalls standing side by side at the base of Mount Nor...

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