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Established in 1964, the Jigokudani Monkey Park (Jigokudani Yaen Koen, 地獄谷野猿公苑) was created as a refuge for a local troop of monkeys who now frequent the park on a daily basis. With approximately 1...

  The Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route can rightly lay claim to being one of Japan’s most iconic and spectacular landscapes. Inaccessible during winter, the Alpine Route emerges (and is carved) from the s...

Less than 30 minutes walk from Nagano Station, Zenkoji is one of Japan’s oldest and most important Buddhist temples. Built in dedication to the first known Buddhist statue to be brought to Japan, the...

Hidden in the scenic mountains of Central Japan, Takayama offers a timeless journey through Japan’s past with its beautifully preserved Edo Period streets. This historic town, once a thriving hub of ...

Shirakawa-go, the largest of the three famed gassho-zukuri farmhouse villages and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995, is nestled in the high mountains of Toyama and Gifu Prefectures. ...

Narai-juku is a historic post town - known as 'juku' or 'shukubamachi' - that once serviced a 70km trade route through the Kiso Valley, part of the greater 500km 'Nakasendo Road' that connected Kyoto...

Running 20km from Unazuki Station to Keyakidaira Station, the Kurobe Gorge Railway is one of Japan’s most scenic train-rides. Taking approximately 80 minutes to complete the journey between Unazuki a...

Located approximately 50km to the west of Matsumoto City, the stunning alpine valley of Kamikochi is one of Nagano’s most iconic destinations. Once considered the home of a sea god known as Hotakam...

Sitting quietly in the mountains bordering Nagano City and within the larger Myoko-Togakushi Renzan National Park, Togakushi is home to some of Japan’s most important Shinto shrines set among a...