Ueda, home of Yukimura Sanada, who gained popularity in the Taiga Drama. Komoro is famous for Shakusonji Kannon-do Temple, which hangs over a precipitous cliff. Saku, home to the Tatsuoka Goryokaku, is another area that has been attracting attention in recent years.
Ueda, Komoro, and Saku are home to such tourist attractions as the Utsukushi-ga-hara Plateau Art Museum, Bessho Onsen Hot Spring, Kitamukai Kannon, Ueda Castle, Shinshu-Ueda Sanadamaru Taiga Drama Museum, Sugadaira Plateau, Anrakuji Temple, Komoro Castle, Takamine Plateau, and Asama Mountain.
Mushiri, Anyoji Ramen, Saku Carp, Komatsu Misokatsu-don (miso katsu-don on rice topped with pork cutlet), Mimidare Yakitori (grilled chicken with a delicious sauce), and other local specialties are also recommended.
Utsukushigahara Open-Air Museum is an extraordinary outdoor sculpture museum located at an elevation of approximately 2,000 meters in the Utsukushigahara Highlands of Ueda, Nagano Prefecture. Surrounded by vast grasslands and spectacular mountain scenery, the museum offers a unique experience in which nature itself becomes part of the exhibition space. The museum occupies an expansive site of app...»
Michi-no-Eki Utsukushigahara Kogen is a roadside station located in the Utsukushigahara Highlands of Nagano Prefecture. Situated at an elevation of approximately 2,000 meters, it is known as the highest-altitude roadside station in Japan. Standing high above the surrounding valleys, the facility offers visitors the feeling of being close to the sky. Located at the end of the scenic Venus Line, it...»
Utsukushigahara is one of Japan’s most spectacular highland areas, stretching across Matsumoto City, Ueda City, and Nagawa Town in Nagano Prefecture. Located in the northwestern part of the Yatsugatake-Chushin Kogen Quasi-National Park, it is also one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains. The broad plateau rises to around 2,000 meters above sea level and offers an extraordinary sense of openness rarel...»
The Venus Line is one of Japan’s most spectacular mountain roads, crossing the highlands of Nagano Prefecture from Chino City to the Utsukushigahara Highlands in Ueda City. The route stretches for approximately 76 kilometers and has an average elevation of around 1,400 meters, creating the sensation of driving along a road in the sky. Developed during the Showa period, the road was originally mad...»
Ogawa Village is a peaceful mountain village in northern Nagano Prefecture, located roughly halfway between Nagano City and Hakuba. Surrounded by forested mountains, deep valleys, and clear streams, the village is known for its beautiful rural landscapes and traditional way of life. Ogawa is particularly famous for its panoramic views of the Northern Japanese Alps. The scenery has been selected f...»
Kozanji Temple stands quietly amid the mountains of Ogawa Village in northern Nagano Prefecture. Belonging to the Buzan School of Shingon Buddhism, this historic temple is known by its mountain name, Hojuzan, and enshrines Shokannon Bosatsu, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, as its principal object of worship. Kozanji is the 33rd and final temple of the Shinano 33 Kannon Pilgrimage. Because it marks...»
Iwahana Cliffs is a striking natural landmark located along the Chikuma River near the border between Ueda City and Sakaki Town in Nagano Prefecture. The Chikuma River is the name used for the Shinano River within Nagano Prefecture, and here it flows between two imposing cliffs that face one another across the river. The cliff on the left bank is known as Hangai Iwahana, while the cliff on the ri...»
A Strategic Stronghold at the Heart of Sengoku Shinano Katsurao Castle was a mountain fortress located in what is now Sakaki Town, Nagano Prefecture. During Japan's Sengoku period, when regional warlords fought for control of the country, it served as the principal stronghold of the powerful Murakami clan. Located among mountains and overlooking important routes through northern Shinano, the cas...»
A Peaceful Retreat in the Mountains of Ueda Sugawako Lake is a tranquil mountain lake located in the Suwagata area of Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. Surrounded by forests and mountains, it offers a peaceful escape from the city and a chance to enjoy the changing scenery of the Japanese countryside. The lake lies on the slopes of Mt. Komakiyama at an elevation of approximately 700 meters. It cover...»
Sakaki Town is located in northern Nagano Prefecture, at the meeting point of the Hokushin and Toshin regions. Surrounded by mountains and crossed from north to south by the Chikuma River, the town combines beautiful natural scenery with a long history, distinctive local cuisine, agriculture, and a strong tradition of manufacturing. Sakaki is part of Hanishina District and lies within the souther...»
Ueda City is located in eastern Nagano Prefecture and serves as the cultural, economic, and transportation center of the Toshin region. With a population and urban scale that make it one of Nagano Prefecture's major cities, Ueda offers a fascinating combination of samurai history, Buddhist temples, mountain scenery, hot springs, traditional food, and modern industry. The city is particularly famo...»
A Castle Famous for Strategy and Samurai History Ueda Castle is a historic flatland castle in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. Construction began in 1583 under the command of Sanada Masayuki, one of the most skilled military leaders of Japan's Warring States period. The castle became famous for the remarkable victories of the Sanada clan against much larger Tokugawa forces. Today, the castle ruins ...»
Shinano Kokubunji Temple is a historic Tendai Buddhist temple in Kokubu, Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. Its principal image is Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing and medicine. The temple carries on the legacy of the original Shinano Kokubunji, one of the provincial temples established throughout Japan by imperial order during the Nara period. It is also widely known as Yokado and is one of Ueda'...»
Ueda City Museum is a municipal museum located within Ueda Castle Ruins Park in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. The museum introduces the history, culture, traditional industries, and natural heritage of the region, with a particular focus on Ueda Castle, the former Ueda Domain, and the castle town. For visitors exploring Ueda Castle, the museum offers an opportunity to look beyond the surviving wa...»
Shinano Omiya Shrine is a historic Shinto shrine in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. It is traditionally regarded as the former provincial grand shrine, or Sosha, of Shinano Province, where provincial governors are believed to have worshipped the major deities of the region. For centuries, the shrine has been revered as a guardian of the local community. During Japan's modern shrine-ranking system, ...»
Ikushima Tarushima Shrine is a historic Shinto shrine in Shimonogo, Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. Traditionally regarded as the former provincial shrine, or Sōsha, of Shinano Province, it has been revered as an important guardian shrine since ancient times. The shrine is recorded in the Engishiki Jinmyōchō, a 10th-century compilation of Japan's important shrines, and was ranked among the prestigi...»
Jorakuji Temple is a historic Tendai Buddhist temple in the Bessho Onsen area of Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. Known as a special head temple of the Tendai school, it has long been an important center of Buddhist faith and learning in the region. The temple's mountain name is Kongozan, and its principal object of worship is Myokanzechi Nyorai. Jorakuji is also known as the head temple of Kitamuki...»
Anrakuji Temple is a historic Zen temple in Bessho Onsen, Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. Belonging to the Soto school of Zen Buddhism, it is traditionally regarded as the oldest Zen temple in Nagano Prefecture. The temple is known by the mountain name Sofukuzan and the temple name Gokoku-in, and its principal object of worship is Shaka Nyorai, the Buddha Shakyamuni. The temple's greatest treasure...»
Zensanji Temple is a historic Buddhist temple located at the foot of Mt. Tokko in Maeyama, Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. It belongs to the Chisan school of Shingon Buddhism, and its principal object of worship is Dainichi Nyorai, the Buddha who represents the universal truth at the heart of Buddhist teachings. The temple is also known by the mountain name Tokkosan or Dokkozān. Standing at the sou...»
A Historic Thatched-Roof Temple in the “Kamakura of Shinshu” Chuzenji Temple is a historic Buddhist temple located in Maeyama, Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. It belongs to the Chisan School of Shingon Buddhism and is traditionally known by the mountain name Ryuo-zan and the temple name Enmeiin. Surrounded by the beautiful landscape of Shioda Plain at the foot of Mt. Tokko, the temple has long been...»
A Legendary Hot Spring Town Surrounded by History and Tradition Bessho Onsen is a historic hot spring resort located at an elevation of approximately 570 meters in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. Known as one of the oldest hot spring resorts in Shinshu, the region has been associated with healing waters since ancient times. According to local legend, the hot springs were discovered by Yamato Taker...»
A Peaceful Hot Spring Retreat Surrounded by Nature and Tradition Kakeyu Onsen is a historic hot spring resort located in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. Nestled along the clear waters of the Uchimura River, the resort is surrounded by mountains and forests, creating a peaceful atmosphere far from the bustle of major cities. Kakeyu has long been known as a destination for toji, the traditional Japa...»
A Peaceful Hidden Gem Surrounded by Nature and History Reisenji Onsen is a small and secluded hot spring resort nestled in the mountains of Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. Surrounded by forests and mountain scenery, this quiet destination offers a traditional atmosphere where nature, history, and hot spring culture come together. Unlike larger Japanese hot spring resorts, Reisenji Onsen has very f...»
A Museum Dedicated to the Literature of Shotaro Ikenami and the Sanada Clan The Ikenami Shotaro Sanada Taiheiki Museum is a literary museum in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, dedicated primarily to Sanada Taiheiki, a historical novel by renowned Japanese author Shotaro Ikenami. The novel tells the dramatic story of the Sanada clan, a powerful samurai family active during Japan's turbulent Sengoku p...»
A Rare Museum Dedicated to the Art of Woodcarving The Ozawa Woodcarving Museum is a specialized museum in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, dedicated to the art and culture of woodcarving. One of the few museums in Japan devoted specifically to this art form, it introduces visitors to the beauty of hand-carved wood through an extensive collection created by Chiharu Ozawa and his son Toshiharu Ozawa. ...»
Discover the Artistic Heritage and Creative Spirit of Ueda The Ueda City Museum of Art is a cultural and artistic center in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. It introduces visitors to the region's rich artistic heritage while providing spaces where local residents and artists can create, exhibit, and experience art. The museum's history is closely connected with Kanae Yamamoto, a pioneering Western-...»
A Memorial Museum for Student Artists Lost in World War II Mugonkan is a unique art museum in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, dedicated to the works and memories of young student artists who lost their lives during World War II. Opened in 1997 through the efforts of museum founder Seichiro Kubo, it is both an art museum and a place of remembrance. The museum does not simply present paintings as wo...»
Where the Afterglow of Their Art Lives On KAITA EPITAPH Zanshōkan is an art museum located in Maeyama, Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. Opened in 2020, the museum carries on the spirit and collection of the former Shinano Dessin Museum, creating a new space where the art and memory of artists who died young can continue to be experienced. Set quietly in the mountains of Ueda, the museum offers visi...»
Discover How Fire and Light Shaped Everyday Life in Japan The Takeshi Tomoshibi Museum in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, is a unique museum dedicated to the history and culture of traditional lighting. Its collection includes a wide variety of objects such as oil lamps, candle holders, lanterns, and other lighting devices, offering an insight into how people used fire and light in everyday life be...»
A Spacious Mountain Resort for Skiers and Snowboarders of All Levels Sugadaira Kogen Snow Resort is a historic ski resort located in the scenic highlands of Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, in the area formerly known as Sanada Town. Opened in January 1928, it has welcomed skiers for generations and is now widely known as Sugadaira Kogen Snow Resort. The resort is made up of several interconnected s...»
A Local Specialty Born in Ueda Oidadare Yakitori is a distinctive local specialty from Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. Unlike ordinary yakitori, in which grilled chicken is typically brushed with sauce or seasoned before serving, Oidadare Yakitori is enjoyed with a rich soy sauce-based sauce containing plenty of grated garlic. The freshly grilled chicken skewers are either dipped into the sauce or...»
A City Where History, Mountain Scenery, and Local Culture Meet Komoro City is a historic city in eastern Nagano Prefecture. Located in the highlands of eastern Shinshu, the city is surrounded by mountains and blessed with dramatic landscapes, historic sites, traditional culture, hot springs, and locally produced food and wine. Komoro became a municipality in 1954. During the Edo period (1603–186...»
A Prestigious Edo-Period Lodging and Transportation Facility The Former Komoro Honjin stands in the historic Komoro Post Town along the old Hokkoku Kaido in Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. Dating from the Edo period (1603–1868), the building served both as a honjin, a prestigious lodging facility for high-ranking travelers, and a tonya-ba, an administrative station responsible for managing transp...»
Historic Castle Ruins in the Heart of Komoro Komoro Castle is a historic castle site in Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. Once located in the former Saku District of Shinano Province, the castle played an important role in the history of the region from the Sengoku period through the Edo period. Komoro Castle is also known by several distinctive names, including Kaigetsu Castle, Anajo (“Sunken Cas...»
A Glimpse into the World of Edo-Period Travelers Komoro Post Town Honjin Omoya is a historic building associated with Komoro Post Town, which flourished along the Hokkoku Kaido during the Edo period. Together with the nearby Former Komoro Honjin, it preserves an important part of the history of the highway and the post town that once welcomed daimyo, court nobles, and high-ranking samurai traveli...»
Preserving the Spirit of a Pioneering Private School The Komoro Gijuku Memorial Museum is a historical museum in Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. The building is a reconstructed main school building of Komoro Gijuku, a private school that operated during the Meiji period. After being relocated and restored, it opened as a museum in 1994. The museum introduces the history of Komoro Gijuku through ...»
Where Art, Architecture, History, and Mountain Scenery Come Together The Komoro Kogen Museum of Art and Shirotori Eisetsu Museum is a municipal art museum located near the summit of Mt. Iizunayama in the northwestern part of Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. Opened on October 7, 1998, the museum was established as a center for promoting the arts and bringing together the cultural heritage of the lo...»
A Peaceful Highland Retreat in the Mountains of Komoro Hishino Onsen is a quiet hot spring resort tucked away in the mountains of Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. Located at an elevation of approximately 1,000 meters, the area is surrounded by fresh mountain air, forests, and beautiful seasonal scenery. With the mountains around Mt. Asama forming the backdrop, Hishino Onsen offers a peaceful atmo...»
A Secluded Retreat Surrounded by the Silence of Nature Takamine Onsen is a secluded hot spring destination in Hishidaira, Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. Located at an elevation of approximately 2,000 meters in the Takamine Highlands, the hot spring is surrounded by the pristine natural environment of Joshin'etsukogen National Park. With clear mountain air, vast highland scenery, and an atmosphe...»
A Sacred Mountain Temple Where History and Nature Meet Nunobiki Kannon, formally known as Nunobikisan Shakson-ji Temple, is a historic Tendai Buddhist temple in Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. The temple is dedicated to Shō-Kanzeon Bosatsu, the Sacred Kannon, and is the 29th temple on the Shinano Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage, a traditional pilgrimage route devoted to Kannon, the Buddhist bodhis...»
Komoro City Zoo is a municipal zoo located in Komoro, Nagano Prefecture, within the historic grounds of Kaikoen Garden. Established in 1926, it is known as the oldest zoo in Nagano Prefecture. Although relatively compact in size, the zoo offers visitors the chance to encounter a wide variety of animals in a friendly and accessible setting....»
A Memorial Museum Dedicated to One of Japan's Leading Modern Writers Komoro City Toson Memorial Museum is a literary museum located within Kaikoen in Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. The museum commemorates the life and literary achievements of Toson Shimazaki, one of Japan's most influential poets and novelists of the modern era. Designed by renowned Japanese architect Yoshiro Taniguchi, the mus...»
Art, Architecture, and the Spirit of Komoro The Keizo Koyama Museum of Art is located in the scenic grounds of Kaikoen in Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. The museum is dedicated to Keizo Koyama, one of the leading Japanese Western-style painters of the Showa era, and preserves his artistic legacy for future generations. The museum building was designed by renowned Japanese architect Togo Murano ...»
Kaiko Shrine is located in the heart of Kaikoen, the park surrounding the former site of Komoro Castle in Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. The shrine stands on what was once the castle's main compound, or honmaru, making it a unique place where visitors can experience the history of Komoro through both its castle ruins and religious traditions. Surrounded by the seasonal beauty of Kaikoen, the shr...»
Saku City is a scenic city in eastern Nagano Prefecture, located in the Tōshin region near the border with Gunma Prefecture. The city stretches across the Saku Basin at an elevation of around 700 meters, surrounded by mountains including Mount Asama, Mount Arafune, and the mountains of the Yatsugatake and Tateshina areas. The eastern and southern parts of Saku are blessed with beautiful highland ...»
An-yoji Temple is a historic Rinzai Zen temple in Yasuhara, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture. Belonging to the Myoshinji school of Rinzai Buddhism, the temple is officially known as Horinzan An-yoji. Surrounded by the peaceful scenery of the Saku Basin, An-yoji has long served as an important center of local Buddhist faith. Its grounds contain historic buildings, cultural treasures, and fascinating l...»
Ryuunji Temple is a historic Soto Zen temple located in Iwamurada, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture. Its mountain name is Otazan, and its principal Buddhist image is the Eleven-Headed Kannon, a form of the bodhisattva of compassion. Quietly situated amid the historic landscape of the Saku Basin, Ryuunji has played an important role in the area's religious and cultural history for centuries. The templ...»
Teishoji Temple is a historic Soto Zen temple in Maeyama, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture. Its mountain name is Dogenzan. Surrounded by quiet natural scenery, the temple has long been a place of Buddhist faith and meditation, and is counted among the 100 Historic Temples of Shinshu. The peaceful grounds are home to impressive historic buildings, stone monuments, and old trees. Together, they create ...»
The Former Nakagomi School is a historic schoolhouse in Nakagomi, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture. Built in the early years of the Meiji period, it is one of Japan's notable examples of giyofu architecture, a style that combined traditional Japanese construction techniques with Western architectural ideas. The building is designated as a National Important Cultural Property and Historic Site. More t...»
Komagata Shrine stands in Tsukahara, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture. With a history rooted deep in the medieval period, the shrine is home to a remarkably preserved Muromachi-period main sanctuary, recognized for its architectural and historical importance as a National Important Cultural Property. Surrounded by greenery and a quiet atmosphere, Komagata Shrine offers visitors a glimpse into the rel...»
Shinkai Sansha Shrine stands in Miyashiro, Taguchi, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture. Also known as Shinkai Shrine, it has long been one of the most important places of worship in the Saku region. Once regarded as the principal shrine of Saku District, the shrine attracted widespread devotion and was also ranked as a former prefectural shrine in modern times. Its traditional crest, featuring a paulow...»
Tatsuoka Castle is a remarkable historic site in Taguchi, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture. Built during the final years of the Edo period, it is famous for its unusual five-pointed star-shaped fortress design, known in Japanese as a goryokaku or bastion-style fortification. Japan has only two surviving examples of this distinctive star-shaped fortress design: Tatsuoka Castle in Nagano and the much l...»