Zenkō-ji temple has drawn pilgrims for 1,400 years. Snow monkeys soak in hot springs nearby. In winter, some of the best powder in Japan falls on Hakuba and Nozawa. Nagano is where spiritual Japan meets adventure Japan.
What Nagano is known for
Top-rated in Nagano
Yamakawa’s Apple Orchard
4.9restaurant
Pick sun-ripened Shinshu apples directly from the orchard, tasting varieties unavailable elsewhere in Nagano.
Happo pond
4.7nature
Small lake on the ridge trail to Mt. Karamatsu, with reflections of surrounding peaks on clear days.
Mt. Yakedake
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Mt. Yakedake, 'burning mountain,' is an active twin-peaked volcano near Kamikochi that still vents steam from its slopes.
Mt. Yarigatake
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At 3,180 meters, Mt. Yarigatake is the fifth highest peak in Japan, named for its spear-shaped summit.
The Hotaka Mountain Range
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The Hotaka mountain range includes 8 of the 21 mountains in Japan with elevations of over 3,000 meters.
Mt. Jyonen
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Mt. Jyonen stands at 2,857 meters in Chubusangaku National Park, its pyramid outline visible from both Matsumoto and Azumino on clear days.
Dakesawa
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Dakesawa is a gently sloping glacial valley with marshy swampland as its base.
Shimizu River
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The Shimizu, a 300-meter-long tributary of the Azusa River, splits from the Azusa just upstream of the iconic Kappa Bridge.