Shinshu is a nickname for Nagano prefecture. Many people visiting Shinshu enjoy visiting the famous historical buildings such as Matsumoto Castle and Zenkoji, and also enjoy mountain climbing to refresh themselves. Those spots are relatively well known to foreigners. However, there are many wonderful hidden places in Shinshu. If you come to Shinshu, why not enjoy Shinshu more deeply? Now, I dare to introduce 3 maniac places that are not so famous. There is no doubt that you will want to visit.
1. Naraijuku
2. Togakushi
3. SORA terrace
1. Naraijuku
Naraijuku is the place called “Shukubamachi”. “Shukubamachi” means post town. Naraijuku is the longest Shukubamachi in Japan and is 1km long. The scenery as if you had traveled back in time to the Edo period is wonderful. Also, the old ryokans are remaining, and you can feel that the old people’s lives are still alive. The impression is completely different between daytime and nighttime. In the daytime, the scenery of the old buildings based on black and white is very beautiful. At night, the buildings are illuminated, the scenery is really romantic. You can take special pictures that color your SNS! Furthermore, there are a lot of old house cafes and sundry shops, so you can enjoy an extraordinary walk without getting bored or tired at all.
There are many food shops along the way, and you whenever can heal your tired body while walking. Especially, Shinshu’s famous foods like Shinshu Soba, Oyaki, and Goheimochi are popular. This is the only place where you can enjoy the traditional cityscape and local cuisine! Exactly, two birds with one stone!
There are still some wonderful places around Naraijuku. Very beautiful rivers such as Kiso river and Tenryu river also flow near Naraijuku, so if you’d like, please visit and enjoy the spectacular view of nature! I’m sure it will be the vitality from tomorrow. Furthermore, in the Kiso area where Naraijuku is located, there is a speciality product named Kiso-Shikki. It is a beautiful vessel made from lacquer. You can try making Kiso-Shikki, so why not try it as a souvenir?
2. Togakushi
Togakushi is said to be one of the best power spot in Japan. If you are tired of daily life or want to develop your power, I recommend visiting here without hesitation. We walk along the road lined with many cedar trees leading to Togakushi Shrine. These cedar trees are 400 years old and were planted during the Edo period. The scenary of about 200 of cedar trees are lined up is truly spectacular. There are 5 shrines in total, and you can really feel the atomosphere of going to see god.
The second picture of pond is called Kagami-ike. It is surrounded by magnificient nature, and when there is no wind, the scenery is reflected on the surface pf pond, which is called Kagami-ike because it is beautiful like a mirror. There is also a sacred atmosphere here, and it makes you feel very calm.
There is soba called Togakushi soba in Togakushi. I have introduced soba from Naraijuku. However, it’s a bit different. Togakushi soba is one of the three biggest soba in Japan with Wanko soba and Izumo soba. It’s a characteristic soba with 5 bundles of soba arranged in a bite size. It is called “Bottimori”. You can eat it at a soba restaurant in the mountains that well-known only by those in the know, but on holidays, it is surprisingly crowded with locals and tourists. After visiting Togakushi shrine, it is happy to eat Togakushi soba and fill your stomach. There are a lot of types of soba in Shinshu, so I think it is interesting to try and compare them.
3. SORA terrace
SORA terrace is a cafe located at 1770m. To get there, we take the largest ropeway in the world. If you are lucky, you can relax at cafe while watching the sea of clouds, and in the evening, you can even see the sunset. Even if you can’t see the sea of clouds, you can see the mountains of the Northern Alps and Sea of Japan if the weather is nice, and you can enjoy a great view whenever you come. There are many beautiful flowers and plants unique to high places, so you can refresh your heart. The average temperature in summer here is 18 degrees, which is 10 degrees different from Tokyo, so it is also recommended as a summer resort. Summer is of course great, but in autumn, the autumn leaves seen from the ropeway are also very beautiful, and in winter, you can enjoy the entire silver world with snow. It is a place that shows a different look whenever you come.
By the way, in the town called Yamanouchi town where SORA terrace is located, there is a famous place called Jigokudani where you can see wild monkeys in hot spring during the winter, so you can enjoy completely different ways in summer and winter.
Shinshu is a friendly place for people of all ages! This time, I introduced Shinshu people’s recommended spots, which are not famous at all. The places I introduced this time are just a handful. Shinshu has many other wonderful places like no other, but I hope you feel my article helpful. Delicious food, friendly people, and beautiful nature are waiting for you! Thanks to the abundant nature, there are many places that show different expressions every time. This is the strong point of Shinshu that you cannot enjoy in cities such as Tokyo. By the way, if you use the Shinkansen, you can get from Tokyo in less than 2 hours.
Welcome to WORLD CLASS RESORT!