Nagano is a charming city nestled in the heart of the Japanese Alps, a mountain range located in the center of Honshu, Japan’s main island. Though relatively small, Nagano gained international recognition in 1998 when it hosted the Winter Olympic Games, showcasing its pristine landscapes and world-class winter sports facilities.
How to get to Nagano from Kyoto
This trip took several hours due to the distance between the two cities. There are several options, including the fast Shinkansen train or slower but cheaper express or local trains. The easiest way to find the perfect train is to go to the ticket machines in Kyoto and enter your destination. The ticket machine will provide you with all possible options, including times and fares. Trains don’t usually sell out in Japan, so you can simply show up and buy your ticket.
Nagano & Yamanochi
When I was on the train towards Nagano and checking for a place to stay, nearly all of the affordable options (except hostels) were booked out. Whoops! Not wanting to spend over 100.- € per night, I expanded my search to the neighboring towns and found Yamanochi. This little village can be reached from Nagano by local train in about 45 minutes. Nestled in the mountains, it is famous for its many onsen (public hot spring baths) and for its Snow Monkeys, a special kind of white-furred macaque that lives only in Japan. Unlike their tropical cousins, they are the only type of macaques fit to live through Japan’s snowy winters.
Coming to Yamanochi because I wanted to avoid the rather expensive Nagano was quite a lucky find! I stayed in an authentic ryokan with its own in-house onsen, which was perfect for relaxing at the end of the day before retreating to my cozy little room, where I slept on a futon on the floor. The owner was one of the kindest people I met during my trip, providing me with so many helpful tips and even spontaneously offering me a free ride to the Monkey Park.
Things to do in the Nagano area
- In Nagano, you can visit Zenko-ji Temple, one of Japan’s most significant Buddhist temples.
- In Obuse, which is halfway between Nagano and Yamanochi, you can visit a museum dedicated to the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, whose most internationally renowned work is certainly “The Great Wave off Kanagawa.”
- In Yamanochi, you can visit the Snow Monkey Parc where you can obsever the monkeys taking baths in the hot springs. Fun fact: this bath was explitelly build for the monkeys in order to draw their attention away from the nearby gueshouse and the baths for its guests!
- In Yamanochi, you can explore Shibu Onsen, a district with so many hot spring baths that all you have to do is choose one.
