Where is nagano ken japan

Jigokudani Wild Monkey Park is the only place in the world you can see wild monkeys bathing in an onsen. Seeing their human-like expression on their faces as they soak is sure to bring a smile to your face.

In addition to a multitude of golf courses and tennis courts and a well-appointed ski area, Karuizawa also features an expansive outlet shopping mall for year-round leisure enjoyment.

Matsumoto Castle has the oldest 5-storied wooden donjon in the country and is a designated national treasure. Its black and white stucco siding provides a striking contrast with the beautiful Japan Alps in the background. Tsumago-juku , thanks to the preservation efforts of its townspeople, looks much the way it did during the feudal Edo era.

Stepping into this classic post town gives one the feeling of having slipped back in time. Many people enjoy walking the 8 kilometers to Magome along the old Kyoto-to-Edo Tokyo Nakasendo Road, parts of which have the original cobblestone. In addition, thanks to the crisp, clean water and air, Nagano is famous for its delicious soba noodles, apples and sake, as well as oyaki dumplings, gohei mochi snacks, bamboo leaf-wrapped sasa-zushi. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. The Hakuba Valley.

Walking the Nakasendo. Nagano's Hidden Autumn Sightseeing Spots. Nagano Day Trip to Obuse and Togakushi. Where to See Autumn Leaves in Nagano. Hot Springs and Waterfalls in Matsukawa Gorge. Back to the Furusato: Cycling in the Countryside of Iiyama. Self-Guided Cycling Trip to Nozawa. Summer Mountain Biking in Nagano. Cycle through the Japanese Countryside in Chikuma. Nagano City is Nagano Prefecture's capital and its largest city, low-rise and spread out, with about , people. Nagano was host city for the Winter Olympics and is an entrance point to the Japan Alps area for skiing and hot springs in the winter.

A number of good hot spring resorts are within easy reach of Nagano, including Yudanaka - home to Japan's "snow monkeys" and Nozawa Onsen, which is also a famous ski resort as are the slopes at Hakuba. Nagano enjoys cooler weather in Japan's hot summers, so is popular for hiking and walking in the summer. Zenkoji Temple , is Nagano's must-see attraction and is among Japan's most-visited temples.

Dating from the 7th century, Zenkoji houses the Ikko-Sanzon Amida Nyorai, according to legend, the first Buddhist image to arrive in Japan from Korea in the 6th century. A copy of the image is displayed to the public every six years in the Gokaicho Festival.

The original is kept behind a curtain and cannot be viewed. The temple complex also includes some impressive wooden gates - Sanmon and Niomon. Underneath Zenkoji's main hall is a winding, pitch-black tunnel okaidan that represents the road to enlightenment. On the way through the darkness, you should discover a metal handle, which is the "key" to salvation.

Admission to the tunnel is yen and the experiece is not for the claustrophobic. It is possible to stay at on of the 39 temple lodgings - shukubo - which offer shojin ryori vegetarian food for guests.