Hakuba for the winter season - if you're looking to do a short ski/snowboarding tour around Japan, look no further than here! As the site for the 1998 Winter Olympic games, Hakuba has become increasingly popular throughout the years among both Japane..
Hakuba is considered one of Japan's premier alpine resort getaways, located in the Japanese Alps in Nagano and gaining recognition worldwide as one of the featured venues in Nagano's 1998 Winter Olympics.
Kamikochi is a popular resort and often associated with some of the best natural beauty that the central Japanese Alps-and indeed Japan-have to offer. Go for a hike on one of the many trails or follow the river and its crystal-clear waters. Kamikochi is usually only open during the warme..
Many people think of Matsumoto in Nagano prefecture as an overnight spot before heading to the Japan Alps or Utsukushigahara Heights. If not for my wife having a good friend who is a resident, the city probably would not have been on my list of places to visit. Before our trip I had not seen much ad..
On a visit to Matsumoto one time, I visited the town's excellent art museum late in the morning, lingered longer than I'd expected over the exhibition, and emerged very ready for lunch. Just a quick walk down the main road I found Le Blanc: f..
On a Golden Week visit to Matsumoto one time, I went to the castle in the morning then, rather than deal with the crowds, I decided to head away from the station instead of towards it, hoping to find a quiet place for lunch. This doesn't always w..
St. Cousair, an award-winning winery located in northern Nagano Prefecture’s town of Iizuna, is a delightful spot to relax, enjoy gourmet cuisine and fine wines, take a tour of the winery, and, from a cozy setting, view the breathtaking scenery..
Being a popular destination for Japanese travelers, Matsumoto has the full range of accommodation options, from a backpackers' hostel up to high-end hotels. I'm not a high roller, and I quite enjoy capsule hotels, so when I was looking for a ..
Hoshino Resorts KAI Alps lies in the deep Omachi onsen territory of Nagano's Northern Alps mountain range, and promises an invigorating mix of rejuvenation for body and mind, with unparalleled dining, soothing hot springs and local Shinshu cultur..
With only seven rooms, Ryokan Katsuraso is a lovely family-run inn located in the heart of Bessho Onsen. It sits beside a temple and is only a one minute walk to Bessho Onsen's old main street. Although the building itself is older, the ryokan ha..
Ten or fifteen minutes' walk east of Matsumoto station, Fukashi-jinja is a large Shinto shrine, dedicated to two local deities: Suwa-myojin, the god of war, and Sugawara-no-michizane, the god of learning. There are plenty of attractive or interes..
Matsumoto is a nice, compact city to walk around, and it was good to see that city officials want to make it a nice place for residents. So on its streets and intersections, you'll find a range of public art, variously cute, classical and traditi..
If you want to take a day off to enjoy the serenity and quietness of the Japanese countryside, Obuse is a must-see. It is easily reachable from cities like Tokyo and Kanazawa. Only 30 minutes away from Nagano station by train, you won't find an..
