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Nagano

Mountain adventures at Japan's Alps

About Nagano
Photo: Ben Beechey | JT

Top Attractions in Nagano

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Around Nagano

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Nagano Top 10

  1. Climbing Mt. Asama
    1

    Climbing Mt. Asama

    Karuizawa
  2. Karuizawa Stone Church
    2

    Karuizawa Stone Church

    Karuizawa
  3. The Venus Line, Nagano
    3

    The Venus Line, Nagano

    Matsumoto
  4. A Day Trip to Obuse
    4

    A Day Trip to Obuse

    Culture
  5. Frog Street in Matsumoto
    5

    Frog Street in Matsumoto

    Matsumoto
  6. Kamikochi: Hiking along Azusa River
    6

    Kamikochi: Hiking along Azusa River

    Matsumoto
  7. Trip to Matsumoto Castle
    7

    Trip to Matsumoto Castle

    Matsumoto
  8. Nagaoka Festival
    8

    Nagaoka Festival

    Culture
  9. Camping Site near Kappa-bashi
    9

    Camping Site near Kappa-bashi

    Matsumoto
  10. Karuizawa Kogen Church
    10

    Karuizawa Kogen Church

    Karuizawa

Upcoming Nagano Events

Nagano Ebisukō Fireworks Festival
Culture

Nagano Ebisukō Fireworks Festival

Late Nov

If you think fireworks festivals in Japan are only typical of the summer, then you should visit Nagano around the end of Novem..

Saigawa Daini-ryokuchi Koen.. 10 Free
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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..

2
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Places to stay in Nagano

HOSHINOYA Karuizawa
Accommodation

HOSHINOYA Karuizawa

Featured

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
Phoenix Hotel, Hakuba
Accommodation

Phoenix Hotel, Hakuba

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With its sophisticated appearance and comfortable, friendly atmosphere, Phoenix Hotel is an ideal base for getting down to some..

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Latest Nagano Reports

Nagano Olympic Museum
Culture

Nagano Olympic Museum

Kim B

Nagano played host to the Winter Olympics in 1998, and the Nagano Olympic Museum was created to inspire interest in the Games. It..

2
Healthy Penguin Cafe
Food

Healthy Penguin Cafe

Kim B

Matsumoto is Nagano Prefecture's second-largest city. If you're visiting as a vegetarian or vegan (or if you just love delicious..

6
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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. 

Around Nagano

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