Walk or Cycle to Nagano City’s Most Popular Attractions

Nagano is a small, liveable city. Easily accessible from Tokyo using the Hokuriku Shinkansen, Nagano is in other ways far from the hustle and crowds of the capital. Forget the crowded subways and endless urban jungle, Nagano is a city where you can walk or cycle to most of the popular attractions with local buses running to nearby destinations including the beautiful forests and shrines of Togakushi – pictured below.

Hotel Kokusai 21 is ideally located for accessing the city’s attractions on foot, bicycle, or by taxi. Approximately 20 minutes on foot from Nagano Station, the hotel places you at a convenient midpoint between the surrounding attractions.

Around 15 minutes on foot from the hotel, Zenko-ji Temple is Nagano’s cultural and spiritual centre. First established in 642, the near-1400 year history of Zenko-ji makes it one of the oldest and most important temples in the country. Not only is Zenko-ji one of the  important Buddhist temples – housing the first known Buddhist statue brought to Japan – it is also one of the most welcoming. Every day of the year, the temple conducts a morning service and blessing to attendees and a range of activities including guided meditation, calligraphy and prayer ceremonies through the day, available upon request. Hotel Kokusai 21 is ideally located to walk to and from the temple and hotel staff can provide information about morning services – the time changes through the year – and book activities at the temple.

Uruoikan is another nearby destination. As the only natural ‘onsen’ (thermal hot spring) in Nagano City, Uruoikan is a great option for guests wanting to unwind, relax, and enjoy the popular Japanese past-time of soaking in a hot spring. Particularly enjoyable in the cooler months of autumn and cold of winter, Uruoikan is an easy 15 minute stroll from the hotel and includes a restaurant offering lunch and dinner services.

Most guests come to and from Nagano City through Nagano Station. Located approximately 20 minutes on foot from Hotel Kokusai 21, the station and the many restaurants and bars surrounding it, are easily accessible. For guests looking for entertainment and dining options in the evening, the pleasant stroll back toward the station will present plenty of choice including indoor and outdoor dining at Monzen Terrace Enya.

Nagano City lies in a valley, surrounded by mountains from all sides. If you know the right vantage point, you can see all over the plains of Zenko-ji and surrounding areas like Obuse and even up to the Snow Monkey area. Here you can find our recommendations for the best view over Nagano:

Hotel Kokusai 21

Hotel Kokusai 21 (Hotel International 21 in English) is one of Nagano City’s finest hotels. It has amazing service, spacious rooms, and a wide range of different restaurants that specialize in the Japanese, Chinese, Italian, and French kitchen. This French restaurant is the one you need to go to if you’re looking for the best view over Nagano City. The restaurant is called Boulanger and is found on the 16th floor, which makes it the highest restaurant in Nagano City. Take a seat at one of the many tables of the hotel’s sky lounge for lunch or dinner and enjoy the fine cuisine while taking in the scenery of the city, river, and mountains.

Bikura (Japanese dining restaurant in front of Nagano Stn.)

If you’re in the middle of the city center and are hungry and thirsty, we recommend taking a seat at on of Bikura’s tables. Bikura is a restaurant on the 10th floor of the the high-rise building right across from the Zenko-ji exit of Nagano Station. This restaurant opens in the late afternoon, so you can see the orange and reds of sunset and the electric lights lighting up the city in the later hours.  Grab yourself a nice drink and dish made of local produce and enjoy the hustle and bustle of life around the city center and serene views of the far away mountains.

Unjoden

Unjoden (translated into Hall beyond the Clouds) is one of the 37 temples of the Zenko-ji Temple complex. While most temples are close to the main hall, the beating heart of the complex, Unjoden is 1 km away, built on top of one the surrounding mountains of the Zenko-ji Plains. It is the ash repository of Zenko-ji, and absolutely stunning in autumn when the trees change to red and orange colors, and spring when the 650 cherry blossom trees start blooming. Besides the temple grounds being attractive, the scenery of the Plains that can be seen from the temple might be even more memorable.

Hotel Kokusai 21 also provides a free shuttle service to and from the station – our recommendation when you first arrive and upon check-out. Hotel staff will meet you in the station and assist you with luggage as you are quickly transported to the hotel and upon check-out, you will be taken back to the station. Requesting this option can be done at time of booking, by phone or email or once at the hotel.