Nagano Photo Gallery

Nestled in the mountains, Nagano is not a big tourist destination until winter but is a good place to relax and get away from Tokyo's crowds. They have a lot to offer, from temples to modern museums and of course, cherry blossoms during the spring.

Visiting is easy thanks to the Shinkansen connection from Tokyo, which takes less than 2 hours. Consider bundling your visit with Niigata and make use of the JR East Pass to tick off two off-the-beaten-track destinations in a jam-packed week.

My 5 days using the pass begins in Nagano, then continues to smaller towns en route to Niigata such as Tomioka and Ikaho Onsen, then finishing back in Tokyo.

Let's start with 3 sections, and we'll update further from here.

Shopping

Olympic Museum

Togakushi