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Nagano

Mountain adventures at Japan's Alps

About Nagano

Things to do in Nagano

Around Nagano

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Nagano Top 10

  1. A Day Trip to Obuse
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    A Day Trip to Obuse

    Culture
  2. Matsumoto Frog Festival
    2

    Matsumoto Frog Festival

    Matsumoto
  3. Karuizawa Kogen Church
    3

    Karuizawa Kogen Church

    Karuizawa
  4. Karuizawa Stone Church
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    Karuizawa Stone Church

    Karuizawa
  5. Nagano Prefecture
    5

    Nagano Prefecture

    Prefecture
  6. Starry Nights in Japan: Achi Village
    6

    Starry Nights in Japan: Achi Village

    Activities
  7. The Venus Line, Nagano
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    The Venus Line, Nagano

    Matsumoto
  8. Climbing Mt. Asama
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    Climbing Mt. Asama

    Karuizawa
  9. Frog Street in Matsumoto
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    Frog Street in Matsumoto

    Matsumoto
  10. Nagano - Togakushi Day Trip
    10

    Nagano - Togakushi Day Trip

    Culture

Tours and experiences

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Where to eat in Nagano

St. Cousair Winery
Food

St. Cousair Winery

Robert Grey

St. Cousair, an award-winning winery located in northern Nagano Prefecture’s town of Iizuna, is a delightful spot to relax, en..

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Places to stay in Nagano

HOSHINOYA Karuizawa
Accommodation

HOSHINOYA Karuizawa

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Hidden away in the valley of the Yukawa River, HOSHINOYA Karuizawa is a ryokan mixed with a luxury hotel and a spa retreat, an..

4
Nojiri Lake Resort 8
Accommodation

Nojiri Lake Resort

Sherilyn Siy

For a change of pace, head to Nagano, and for a moment, you will feel like you have stepped into Switzerland. And for the best accommodation..

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Inside Karasu-jo 12
Culture

Inside Karasu-jo

Elena Lisina

Matsumoto Castle is one of Japan's five original standing castles. Its wood interior, darkened by time, is severe and functional...

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About Nagano

Okinawa Nagasaki Fukuoka Saga Kumamoto Kagoshima Miyazaki Oita Ehime Kochi Tokushima Kagawa Yamaguchi Hiroshima Okayama Tottori Shimane Hyogo Kyoto Osaka Wakayama Nara Shiga Mie Fukui Ishikawa Toyama Gifu Aichi Nagano Shizuoka Niigata Yamanashi Kanagawa Tokyo Saitama Gunma Tochigi Chiba Ibaraki Fukushima Miyagi Yamagata Iwate Akita Aomori Hokkaido
Region Chubu
Island Honshu
Capital Nagano
Population 2,152,449
Area 13,561.56 sq. km

The mountainous prefecture of Nagano Prefecture (長野県, Nagano-ken) is the perfect summer resort to avoid the heat, with the town of Karuizawa being one of the most popular summer getaway spots in Japan.

Take advantage of the relatively cool weather to explore the famous Matsumoto Castle, one of Japan's oldest shrines in Suwa Taisha, and Zenko-ji, a major pilgrimage site. Nagano's many tall mountains serve as challenging but beautiful hiking trails, especially those of Kamikochi.

That being said, Nagano is also a great destination in the winter, and it was the host of the 1998 Winter Olympics. The prefecture's mountains are some of the largest ski resorts in Japan, most notably Shika Kogen and Mount Hakuba. After being out in the cold, seek warmth in one of Nagano's many famous hot springs.

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