Built in the latter half of the 16th century by the daimyo Sanada Masayuki, Ueda Castle, or in Japanese Ueda-jo, was one of Nagano's major castles as well as a force to recon with and this primarily is thanks to the skill of Sanada Masayuki in war strategies and tactics. Destroyed after the battle […]
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Yamada Onsen is an onsen (hot spring) village located in Nagano and is famous for its many ryokans. Like many onsen villages Yamada Onsen does not offer much however, we could argue that this is what exactly what onsen villages are designed to be; a place where you can relax and enjoy nature in […]
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Founded in the 7th century, Zenkō-ji Temple is actually one of the most important and popular temples in Japan, and stores the first ever Buddhist statue bought in Japan when Buddhism was first introduced during the 6th century. Zenkō-ji’s fame does not stop here, since the temple itself was founded before Buddhism in Japan split […]
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Our last video on the Togakushi shrine will be dedicated to not a shrine itself but to one of its gates, the famous Zuishinmon Gate (随神門). Zuishinmon Gate is in fact part of the Togakushi-Okusha (奥社) located far off in the Togakushi village forest, and rather difficult to access, especially in winter. In fact, the […]
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The Togakushi-Hōkōsha (宝光社) shrine is the second of the three major Togakushi shrines and is located rather close to the the main shrine the Togakushi-Chūsha (中社). Just slightly smaller than its bigger brother, this shrine is only accessible by a long and difficult set of stairs that will quickly do its best to make your […]
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Today’s video will be a little special since it is actually the first video in a series of three. Indeed the famous shrine (jinja) Togakushi (Togakushi Shrine) in Nagano is spread across three main locations with each place hosting respectively, the main shrine the Togakushi-Chūsha (中社), the Togakushi-Hōkōsha (宝光社) and the Togakushi-Okusha (奥社). There are […]
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Located in Nagano and close to Matsumoto and it’s gorgeous castle, the Daio Wasabi Farm is one of Japan’s largest wasabi farms. It is a very popular tourist destination for both wasabi lovers and fans of the 1989 movie “Dreams”, directed by the late great Akira Kurosawa, that used the location’s unique scenery as the […]
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Established in 1434 by the 12th Kiso lord Nobumichi, Kōzen-ji Temple, also known as Kozenji, is a Rinzai buddhist Myoshinji temple of the Kiso and Yamakura clans. Small in size, this temple comes with many little wonders in the form of four different gardens with the Syoryu Garden, Shyumisen Garden, Mansho Garden and Kanuntei Garden […]
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As a result of centuries of erosion cutting the granite bedrock it is only recently, and after the flow of the river had been lowered due to hydropower construction, that the gorgeous Nezame No Toko scenery was unveiled to us all! Located near the Agemmatsu village, Nezame No Toko is today a nationally designated scenic […]
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Like Narai-Juku, Tsumago is yet another famous post town alongside the Nakasendo Highway section of the Kiso Valley during the Edo period that linked Kyoto to Edo, known now as… Tokyo. Unlike Narai-Juku however, Tsumago-Juku is one of the best preserved post towns in Japan and its residents have gone to great lengths to protect […]
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Located in the southwestern part of Nagano prefecture, Narai-Juku was once a section of this historic Nakasendo Highway connecting Kyoto with Edo (presently known as Tokyo). Because of its strategic location between both cities, Narai-Juku quickly became one of the wealthiest towns in the Kiso Valley. While similar in its historical role to Tsumago and […]
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English Depending on where you are getting your information from, Matsumoto Castle in Nagano is either the second or third most beautiful castle in Japan, and to be fair, we cannot disagree here! Located about 220km away from Tokyo it is considered to be one of Japan’s most important national treasures. Built in the 16th […]
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