Nagano
長野市36°39′ N 138°12′ ECityPop. 367,184Nagano
Nagano is the prefectural capital and temple town of Zenko-ji, and its Shinkansen station is the hub for buses to Hakuba, Shiga Kogen, Nozawa and Togakushi. It suits travellers who want city hotels and food with day trips to the snow, at the cost of an hour or more on a bus each way.
Photo くろふね · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
Stay in Nagano if you want a city base with Zenko-ji on foot and buses fanning out to four ski regions. Skiers who want first lifts every day are better off in the resorts.
Eat in Nagano
Things to do in Nagano
Nagano grew up as the temple town of Zenko-ji, and Chuo-dori still climbs from the station to the temple gates. The city hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics, and today the Hokuriku Shinkansen reaches Tokyo in 80 to 100 minutes with several trains an hour.
For skiers the station is the transfer point. Alpico's express bus to Hakuba leaves from here, as do buses to Nozawa Onsen in about 1 hour 20 minutes and to Shiga Kogen in about 70 minutes. The Nagaden line under the station runs to Obuse and Yudanaka, and Togakushi's shrines are about an hour away by bus in the forest northwest of the city.
The old streets around the temple hold the city's best places to sleep, from shukubo temple lodgings to small guesthouses in converted shops. Stay near the station instead if you have an early bus to catch.
Quick answers about Naganoよくある質問
How long is the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano?
The Hokuriku Shinkansen takes 80 to 100 minutes from Tokyo to Nagano, with several trains an hour, according to japan-guide.com.
Can you day-trip to Hakuba from Nagano?
Yes. Alpico's express bus takes from 1 hour 10 minutes to Hakuba, so a ski day from a Nagano hotel works with an early bus.
Is Nagano a good place to stay?
Stay in Nagano if you want a city base with Zenko-ji on foot and buses fanning out to four ski regions. Skiers who want first lifts every day are better off in the resorts.
Within 12 km
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