Hi! Do you have any recommendations of where to stay in or outside of nagano? We stayed at a ryokan in Shibu onsen last year as couples- end of April were taking 3 kids 7-13!
Hi, thanks for your message! I’d love to help! Do you have any specific areas in mind? Nagano is huge, so if you have a preference—like Shiga Kogen or other places you’re planning to visit—it’ll be easier for me to recommend something. I did a little research on accommodations that might be fun for kids, and there are quite a few great options! Let me know what kind of stay you’re looking for, and I’ll be happy to share some recommendation!
HI, I did a little research, and personally, I think these three are must-visits!
1) Bessho Onsen – If you haven’t booked a place yet, staying here for the night would be amazing. It’s one of the oldest hot spring towns in Nagano, and the atmosphere is super relaxing.
2) Ueda Castle – The Sanada clan is really famous in Japan, and this castle has a great history behind it. Plus, since you’ll be there during cherry blossom season, I’d say this is a must! The castle grounds are beautiful when the sakura are in full bloom.
3) Anraku-ji – This temple has Japan’s oldest octagonal pagoda, and it’s such a peaceful spot. If you like history and architecture, it’s definitely worth checking out.
If you have extra time, Yanagimachi Street is a nice place to wander around, and Mugonkan is a unique little art museum with a deep story.
I hope this will help, and I hope you'll have an amazing trip!
Thanks for this article. I am planning a trip for this June and July, and the intention was to go north to Akita, Aomori and Hokkaido, but maybe we should weave Nagano in as well. We have explored popular spots on three previous trips to Japan and found Kyoto to be a very overcrowded and unexciting experience. Being out in nature will hopefully be a better experience. We are interested in hiking easy to moderate trails. Can you suggest a resource for planning these walks? I have not found it easy to find a walking guide book. Good luck with your medical studies (from an old doctor)!
Hi, I just posted about Akita, including some hiking trails! Let me know if you have any other questions. I’ll be writing about Aomori and Hokkaido sometime this month too!
Thanks Miki, I saw that. We had already booked in Nyuto, and have some accommodation organised for Akita itself, but I might have more of a look and see if I can work in some of the forests and trails. Then there’s a scenic coastal rail when we head to Aomori.
I’m glad you booked Nyuto! For forests and trails, my recommendation would be Komagatake—you can apparently hike up in about an hour. If you have any questions, just let me know!
Thank you so much for your message! That’s awesome that you’re coming to Japan in June and July! Nagano, Akita, Aomori, and Hokkaido are all great summer spots—anywhere south of Tokyo can get pretty hot, so heading north is a solid choice.
If you’re interested, I can put together a newsletter on nature spots in Akita, Aomori, and Hokkaido, focusing on easy to moderate hiking trails. Would it be okay if I cover each prefecture separately? I think that way, you can get a better feel for each and decide where you’d like to go.
I’m thinking of getting the first one out by Friday and all three by the end of the month, so that you’ll have plenty of time to plan. Let me know if that sounds good!
Also, I appreciate the good luck wishes—especially from a fellow doctor!
Hi! Do you have any recommendations of where to stay in or outside of nagano? We stayed at a ryokan in Shibu onsen last year as couples- end of April were taking 3 kids 7-13!
Hi, thanks for your message! I’d love to help! Do you have any specific areas in mind? Nagano is huge, so if you have a preference—like Shiga Kogen or other places you’re planning to visit—it’ll be easier for me to recommend something. I did a little research on accommodations that might be fun for kids, and there are quite a few great options! Let me know what kind of stay you’re looking for, and I’ll be happy to share some recommendation!
I would like to visit Nagano sometime and this was very useful. Thank you for writing!
Thank you! That means a lot—that’s exactly what motivates me to write! Hope you get to visit Nagano soon!
I am spending a night and day in Ueda in two weeks. Any tips? I would really appreciate any you might have!
HI, I did a little research, and personally, I think these three are must-visits!
1) Bessho Onsen – If you haven’t booked a place yet, staying here for the night would be amazing. It’s one of the oldest hot spring towns in Nagano, and the atmosphere is super relaxing.
2) Ueda Castle – The Sanada clan is really famous in Japan, and this castle has a great history behind it. Plus, since you’ll be there during cherry blossom season, I’d say this is a must! The castle grounds are beautiful when the sakura are in full bloom.
3) Anraku-ji – This temple has Japan’s oldest octagonal pagoda, and it’s such a peaceful spot. If you like history and architecture, it’s definitely worth checking out.
If you have extra time, Yanagimachi Street is a nice place to wander around, and Mugonkan is a unique little art museum with a deep story.
I hope this will help, and I hope you'll have an amazing trip!
Thank you so, so much!
That sounds great! I’ll do a little bit of research tonight and get back to you with some tips!
Thanks for this article. I am planning a trip for this June and July, and the intention was to go north to Akita, Aomori and Hokkaido, but maybe we should weave Nagano in as well. We have explored popular spots on three previous trips to Japan and found Kyoto to be a very overcrowded and unexciting experience. Being out in nature will hopefully be a better experience. We are interested in hiking easy to moderate trails. Can you suggest a resource for planning these walks? I have not found it easy to find a walking guide book. Good luck with your medical studies (from an old doctor)!
Hi, I just posted about Akita, including some hiking trails! Let me know if you have any other questions. I’ll be writing about Aomori and Hokkaido sometime this month too!
https://ikigaicarejapan.substack.com/p/akita-japans-untouched-sanctuary
Thanks Miki, I saw that. We had already booked in Nyuto, and have some accommodation organised for Akita itself, but I might have more of a look and see if I can work in some of the forests and trails. Then there’s a scenic coastal rail when we head to Aomori.
I’m glad you booked Nyuto! For forests and trails, my recommendation would be Komagatake—you can apparently hike up in about an hour. If you have any questions, just let me know!
Is Komagatake in Akita? I can only find it south of Nagano. That might be the wrong direction for us this trip.
I'm sorry if I caused any confusion. There are actually several Komagatake mountains, but the one I’d recommend in Akita is Akita Komagatake. This one is in Akita and is a great option for hiking. I found an English link that gives more details about Akita Komagatake—I hope this helps!: https://www.japan.travel/national-parks/parks/towada-hachimantai/see-and-do/mount-akita-komagatake-hiking-trail/
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3656.html
Thanks, I worked that out just after I posted :)
Thank you so much for your message! That’s awesome that you’re coming to Japan in June and July! Nagano, Akita, Aomori, and Hokkaido are all great summer spots—anywhere south of Tokyo can get pretty hot, so heading north is a solid choice.
If you’re interested, I can put together a newsletter on nature spots in Akita, Aomori, and Hokkaido, focusing on easy to moderate hiking trails. Would it be okay if I cover each prefecture separately? I think that way, you can get a better feel for each and decide where you’d like to go.
I’m thinking of getting the first one out by Friday and all three by the end of the month, so that you’ll have plenty of time to plan. Let me know if that sounds good!
Also, I appreciate the good luck wishes—especially from a fellow doctor!
That sounds absolutely awesome. Thanks so much for responding
Of course! I’ll message you again once they’re ready!