NAGANO TRAVEL GUIDE 🥷🍤 | 10 Things to do in Nagano City, Japan

NAGANO TRAVEL GUIDE 🥷🍤 | 10 Things to do in Nagano City, Japan

Welcome to Nagano welcome to Nagano the home of  the Olympic Games in 1998 hello and greetings from   Nagano City in Japan today we’re visiting the  capital and largest city of Nagano prefecture   in this video we’ll explore one of the oldest  and most important temples in Japan and you  

Walk through this dark pitch black tunnel  relive moments from the 1998 Winter Olympic   Games super cool and unexpected but there’s  actually a training session for scam skating   sample sake and amazake at a local Brewery  try it see how you like Feast on soba and  

Tempura huge amounts of noodles and embark on  a day trip to visit Forest shrines in a ninja   folk Village if you dreamt of being a ninja  as a kid you’re going to like this place so   hit that subscribe button and let’s check  out some of the best things to do in Nago

[Music] Japan we are currently walking down  senoji nakam street this is a historic Road   lined with beautiful buildings and it leads  straight to senoji Temple where we’re headed   to next so yeah just beautiful day to be out  exploring this area it’s just so lovely and  

Can’t wait to bring you along nakami street is the  street that leads you towards zji Temple and it’s   a place filled with cafes restaurants souvenir  shops and stores Galore shortly after Crossing   one of the Temple Gates we too were tempted  by some of the delicious desserts on [Music]

Display so we found a little shop it’s called  Benny Benny and we were just so tempted by   their picture of this apple pie with custard  salted caramel and it looks like corn flakes   on top so a little midm morning treat why not  we need our energy to visit the temple anyway  

So get a sugar kick going huh that’s so good  that is really tasty love the custard and apple   combo lots of Apple in there well worth it the  cream is just oozing out show us the cream and  

I thought I’d mention the the apples for this  pastry are from Nagano prefecture they use lots   of local ingredients they have a little display  that explains like the milk comes from here the   apples come from here the apples they have on  display look Immaculate like they look almost  

Fantasy like they look so interesting that’s a  messy dessert though I got to say you’re going   to need some napkins I don’t have any you  don’t have any oh you’re going to have to   figure something out let me just say this street  is one Temptation after the next so many desserts  

So many sweets ice creams pastries custards  so I think apple pie was enough for now but   we’ll probably grab something else along  the way cuz it just all looks so [Music] good then it was time to explore the temple  complex zenkoji Temple is a Buddhist temple  

That dates back to the 7th Century what makes this  Temple special is that it is said to house the   first Buddha statue to have been brought over to  Japan however there’s a lot of secrecy surrounding  

This statue and no one is allowed to see it every  6 years a copy of the statue is brought out just   for a few weeks so pilgrims have an opportunity  to gaze at it this did not coincide with our visit  

But we were pretty content getting to climb  the sanon gate and enjoy the [Music] views [Music] so no filming allowed indoors but it’s  okay once you’re out on the balcony and you just   get some beautiful views not just of the temple  grounds but the city the mountains off in the  

Distance this Temple is amazing hands down the  most impressive Temple we’ve been to on this trip   and we’ve seen a lot of temples yeah it’s enormous  like for us to explore everything just getting   like just looking in all dire directions we’re  going to be here for a while and that’s a good  

Thing all righty one of us was a little braver at  this Temple and it was not me normally it would be   you you normally do the more daring things you’ve  done like tree pop walks and zip lining which I  

Haven’t done but I was the one who went into the  dark tunnel yes where you literally cannot see   anything and you have to keep your hand on the  right side of the wall the entire time like you  

Literally can’t even see the person in front of  you or behind you so I’ll give a little background   so so you guys understand like what is this tunnel  so basically there is a tunnel underneath the  

Temple it is called Idan migi and it’s considered  one of the holiest parts of the temple and you   walk through this dark pitch black tunnel because  it’s supposed to represent um what life is going  

To be like after you’re dead and um Sam was able  to do it I I couldn’t I I tried it’s a whole lot   of dark nothing yeah but um yeah I’m going to  tell you if you don’t like confined spaces and  

You’re not particularly fond of the dark you’ll  be using up all of your courage points for the day   and it does go on a little bit further than you  think but uh I I’m glad I did it it was it was an  

Interesting experience and just one foot after the  other don’t bump into the next person if you can   just go slow some people might bump into you that  happened to me I’ll add something else to to the  

Tunnel thing it wasn’t the darkness that bothered  me because I’ve done the dine in the dark where   it’s like pitch black um it was the fact that it’s  a tight space and there are lots of people going  

Through the tunnel like obviously obviously you  go one in front of the other um but still it was   the amount of people and the confined space like  the size of the tunnel it wasn’t the darkness that  

Was the issue so keep keep that in mind it’s more  like claustrophobia it’ll Trigg it’ll trigger your   claustrophobia for sure the other thing that I  was worried about too because there’s probably   no country in the world where it’s worse to be  over 6 feet tall I kept thinking I’m I’m going  

To hit my head so I was like crouching down hand  on the wall like that but it was fun I’m glad I   did it I’m glad I did it but the temple itself  it is beautiful impressive I am so glad we went  

In there um it it’s just so ornate and elegant  and dark wood and lots of gold it reminded me of   visiting temples in Thailand and also the burning  incense reminded me of Nepal so it was cool no I  

I’m even going to upgrade this attraction I think  it’s the most impressive attraction we’ve been to   on our entire trip it’s just like you could  probably spend half the day here if you were   going to dine in the restaurants eat the snacks  and visit every site and take it all in it’s  

A it’s a massive place and um it way exceeded  my expectations that’s for sure for sure well   friends we sure worked up an appetite here walking  around that amazing Temple and Nago I’m having   some hot tea we were honestly looking around for  a place to eat for a while and not really didn’t  

Really find anything that particularly tickled  our fancy but after coming down the hill a bit   we found this kind of it’s a SAA and ramen and  sake bar all rolled into one but I also noticed  

On the wall I’m not sure if we’ll do this but you  can do sake tasting you can get three different   varieties looks like they’re pretty big glasses  with a some snacks to go along with it food has  

Arrived and my goodness it looks amazing the  portions are gig gantic take a look at how big   my noodles are just a huge amount of noodles and  then over here we’ve got a sorted tempera you can  

See this one is a shrimp um this one is one I’m  really looking for to these are these look like   forest mushrooms and uh looks like there may be  some carrot some sweet potato oh some nice mix and  

Instead of having like a a tempura sauce something  to dip into they gave us all be salt so going to   grab a bit of that sprinkle it on and try it think  I’ll go for the mushroom oh no no this is a sweet  

Oh it’s the pumpkin guys big pumpkin [Music] fan  nothing like PE and going to try the noodles of course m again really tasty this place was a real  find like a little bit further away from the the  

Tourist area around the temple so very happy to be  here I also have a bowl of tempora that I’m very   excited about and to accompany or rather for my  main I got the the SOA these are the the dipping  

Kind take it for a swim you’ve seen us have  these before this is the thing to eat in Nago prefecture oh it looks really good  from here oh good job you finished them [Music] all [Music] okay so we are currently at  the Yoshino saki Brewery and the space is kind of  

Divided into different buildings we’re currently  inside their Museum and then we’re going to pop   over to their other building you can do a sakeet  tasting and they’ve got some really lovely helpers   that we’ve already met and they speak English  so yeah looking forward to trying some sake but  

First visiting the museum seeing some old photos  of what the brewery was like in its beginnings   and also a cool building architecturally it’s  fascinating there’s something else that’s really   cool about this Museum that distinguishes itself  from other Japanese museums you don’t have to take  

Your shoes off there’s no one really watching  what you’re doing and it just feels like you   can kind of openly explore it’s great yes take  photos too and video after visiting the museum   we did a free sake and amazake tasting we were  already familiar here with sake or rice wine but  

Amazake was something completely new for us this  is a sweet drink made from fermented rice and   it can be alcoholic or non-alcoholic so no sugar  no F oo it’s it’s white got a Milky oh sorry I’m  

Sorry try it see how you like oh it’s very sweet  very tastes nice yeah I love the vitam oh yeah   tour for you you’re welcome okay number three  number three oh that’s nice too so it’s called  

Amak amak amak well we went in for a little sake  tasting and did some suvenir shopping yeah we’re   so impressed by the the service and they’re just  the friendliest uh people we tried five or six   different ones yeah so we tried three amakes  which is sake without the alcohol it’s like  

Milky and then we had three other sakis and um I  mean we could have kept going they were like do   you want more we’re like we still got some stuff  to do this afternoon but we ended up bringing  

One home this is the amake and it’s beautifully  wrapped here in this box you see we actually had   it’s got um inside it’s got bubble bubble packing  and so we’re going to be taking home this amazake  

This will be one a gift for your mom since it  doesn’t have alcohol and we got to taste it it’s   um really nice and sweet yeah has a uh it has a  delicious taste so friends something I love about  

Nagano is that the station and the bus terminal  are right in the same spot which means that now   we’re going to a completely different part of  the city we’re going to be visiting the Olympic   sports center and we’re going to be taking bus  number four and I think it’s going to be arriving  

In just a few minutes it’s going to mean that  we can save our legs to explore inside of the complex [Music] [Applause] in 1998 Nago hosted the  Olympic and Par Olympic Winter Games and   many of the former Olympic facilities can still  be visited across the city we decided to focus  

On Nagano Olympic Memorial Arena also known as  the mwave since it is home to the Nagano Olympic   Museum well here we are at Nagano Olympic Memorial  Arena Sam did didn’t have too many requests from  

His time in Nagano but this was one of them yes  I remember this Olympics so well Friends 1998 it   was really interesting because the Olympics were  obviously in Japan so I had a fascination with   that it was the first time anyel hockey players  were taking part and it was Wayne Gretzky’s last  

Tournament Eric Lindros was playing the US had  a strong team but Canada ultimately lost to the   Czech Republic yoger and hassk were just too  good year wow you’ve got very Vivid memories   that’s a lot of details I remember that because  I was waking up in like ridiculous hours back in  

Canada to watch the games as a kid so I remember  really well and um it’s cool to be visiting here   and also just shows how much time is fast since  those games I ain’t getting any younger that’s for sure friends family participants from  all around the world welcome to the  

Nago Olympics 199 98 [Applause] [Music] games [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] this is super cool and unexpected but there’s   actually a training session happening  for Speed skating [Music] [Applause] guys the mwave is where the speed  skating events were hosted and as  

You can see it still gets plenty of use  we really weren’t expecting to see so   many athletes in action but it just goes  to show all the training and preparation   that happens in the four years in  between the Olympic Winter [Music] Games W look how fast they’re [Music] [Applause] [Music] going [Music] the following day we decided to visit  togakushi on a day trip from Nagano we   boarded the Highland shuttle which  departs just outside Nagano station   and we enjoyed a 1-hour journey through  the countryside the main draw to tokushi  

Are the shrines Forest hiking trails and  the ninja folk Village all of which we visited right break my eyes all righty good  morning guys it’s it is the next day day two   and today we’re on a little Excursion we decided  to come up to the mountains and we’re going to  

Be visiting some shrines in the forest the  place we’ve come to is called togakushi and   before we start our hiking uh we’re hungry so  we had to stop at a restaurant it is around 11:   11:30 so you know better eat before we get  cranky and then we can go for a few hours  

Also there’s a ninja Folk Museum in the  area which I’m hoping we get to visit as   well so a fun and exciting day out in nature  beautiful autumn colors out here can’t wait   to show you we’re calling this the appetizer  yeah so we wanted to get a few different Tasty  

Bites before noodles ared this one here  is pumpkin filling look at that remember   we had those in was it no was it Matsumoto  was it the oaki it was matumoto the oyaki   so this is the pumpkin oaki loaded with pumpkin  absolutely [Music] delicious he we got the same  

Thing so we did today it is hot SOA a plate  of piping hot soba noodles let’s try [Music] it I need to add this in there we go that’s more like it  now we’re talking now we are talking   we are getting fortified for the hike  this place does only SOA don’t expect  

Udon or Ramen it’s just soba is the  specialty yeah those tend to be the   best restaurants any in the world  when you key in on one thing right [Music] exactly [Music] so enjoying a beautiful  walk over here and we decided to take a bit of a  

Detour yep we’re not going to the temple quite  yet uh we thought we would take The Road Less   Traveled and Sam spotted a lagoon with ducks so  we’re kind of walking in that direction yeah I   think what’s interesting here is that we’ve lost  a lot of the tourists the only other people we’ve  

Noticed out here are kind of like more serious  hikers and photographers yes and so it’s a much   smaller uh group of people on this Trail and this  particular section that we’re at right now are the   only ones here we are so we’re just surrounded  by beautiful H colors a fresh Mountain Air and  

You know an adventure to be had I hope we can see  some interesting Wildlife there’s a possibility   of spotting Bears here um maybe we’ll see some  birds maybe we’ll see some ducks at this Pond   who knows we’re up for anything yeah I’m okay  without the bears but everything maybe not the  

Bears or if we do see them from a nice comfortable  distance distance yeah so we have spent a lot of   time visiting little mountain towns over the past  month specifically here in Nagano prefecture and   one thing that we’ve noticed is that people  here go hiking with little bells teeny tiny  

Little bells that just make a little bit of noise  to Bells spook the Bears if they are nearby that’s   right so yeah we feel pretty safe we we haven’t  actually bought Bells because I feel like every  

Japanese person has a bell so as long as we  relying on local s basically yeah but no even   though we’ve seen like warning signs for Bears I  I really don’t think we’re going to spot them and  

That’s one of the things that we honestly I think  Nago is one of my favorite prefectures because of   all the nature opportunities the opportunities to  get out on the mountains to go to Onsen towns to  

See snow monkeys to go hiking to go to cultural  Villages there’s so much to offer and you can   get the benefits of sort of Both Worlds staying  in like Nago City you get the the entertainment   the food options the accommodation availability  and then like within less than an hour you can be  

Out in a completely different area out in the  mountains yes that’s so nice I love that love   that aspect of here got little acorns here check  this out this is probably some nice food this time  

Of year some nice nuts what do you think Sam if  you were a bear would you be munching on these   be munching on it if I was any form of creature  they’re delicious any Forest creature any Forest

Creature then we visited togakushi Shrine which  is the main draw to the area this Shinto Shrine   complex is made up of five shrines and it  involves a 2 km walk down a path line with   towering cedar trees that are hundreds of  years old it was a beautiful walk but you  

Should also be prepared to share the experience  with other people because this is a well-known Spot after visiting the Shrine we decided to  check out the togakushi ninja Museum this is a   really neat spot with a ninja Museum a ninja  trick Mansion you can throw ninja stars and   even chill out at a cafe it was the perfect  way to end our little day trip adventure to

Togakushi [Music] Sam I got [Music] it you need hit five not not quite almost are you ready I   wasn’t paying attention at the  training like this yeah wait oh good release it like like release point  where you want it to go release there you go almost oh

Nice that’s it that’s it so we are visiting a  ninja house a ninja folk Village actually and   we just did two very cool things the first place  we went to was the ninja house which is a maze  

You are I don’t know you’re just put it put it  this way this is the first room escape game that   we actually got out of but it took us a while  my favorite part well the the different trap  

Doors were C certainly cool but my favorite part  was the slanted room where you’re kind of like   walking up the room that’s on a steep incline  and it messes with your equilibrium like I was   dizzy oh yeah it really does so basically we’re  not allowed to film in there you can’t take any  

Pictures no cameras no phones but you’re  basically trying to work yourself through   a maze of like sliding walls and trap doors  and passageways that don’t lead anywhere um   so lot of fun there a lot of those yeah it was so  much fun I totally get why they don’t want you to  

Film or take videos it would it would spoil the  fun if someone watched it so but yeah definitely   do it like come to the ninja folk Village because  it’s fun even for adults like I know there’s he  

It was great it was great you’re like living in  the moment trying to get out of there okay and   next up we are visiting the ninja Museum and  we’ve come up to the second floor where they  

Have a lot of photographs that show no I have  hiccups they have a lot of photographs that   show you the weapons they used how they use  them so you can see their weapons and their   tools but also the photographs demonstrating how  are these actually used in practice right so yeah  

Yes this is really fun if you dreamt of being a  ninja as a kid you’re going to like this place [Music] [Applause] [Music] ninja [Music] okay you want to tell us what we got ice creamies  we got green tea ice cream and chocolate ice cream  

Yes we deserve it after Escaping The Ninja house  right precisely and throwing ninja stars yeah   we’re going to enjoy this before we get back  on the [Music] bus that’s my favorite ice cream   flavor in Japan green tea actually I take it back  well zi is my favorite flavor after I got to try  

That on the day trip from Matsumoto remember I  do remember this is a close second though very   tasty and I’m always happy with chocolate ice  cream can’t go wrong with that can’t go wrong Right [Music] n

Hello and greetings from Nagano City in Japan! Today we’re visiting the capital and largest city of Nagano Prefecture. In this video, we’ll explore one of the oldest and most important temples in Japan, relive moments from the 1998 Winter Olympics, sample sake and amazake at a local brewery, feast on soba and tempura, and embark on a day trip to Togakushi to visit forest shrines and a ninja folk village. So let’s check out some of the best things to do in Nagano, Japan!

🇯🇵 Things to do in Nagano City, Japan 🇯🇵
00:53 – Zenkoji Nakamise Street
03:06 – Sanmon Gate and Zenkoji Temple
07:18 – Soba and Tempura Lunch
09:37 – Nishinomon-Yoshinoya Sake Brewery
12:34 – Nagano Olympic Memorial Arena M-WAVE
14:21 – Nagano Olympic Museum
16:32 – Togakushi Day Trip
16:56 – Soba Lunch at Okusha-mae Naosuke
22:13 – Togakushi Shrine
22:56 – Togakushi Ninja Folk Village

A few tour ideas for NAGANO, Japan 🇯🇵
🐒 Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple & Sake: https://bit.ly/3IQta0k
🍤 Izakaya Food Tour: https://bit.ly/3PyA1zk
🏯 Food & Cultural Walking Tour: https://bit.ly/3PuFkQ7
(These are affiliate links, so we do earn a small commission if you book through them!)

#nagano #japantravel #japantravelguide

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Hello from the heart of Nagano Prefecture, Nagano City, a place where history, culture, and natural beauty converge to create a unique and enriching experience for its visitors. As the capital and the largest city of the prefecture, Nagano is a treasure trove of cultural heritage, offering an array of activities that cater to the tastes of history buffs, food enthusiasts, nature lovers, and adventure seekers alike. In today’s journey, we’re diving deep into the essence of this captivating city, starting with a visit to one of Japan’s oldest and most venerable temples, which has been a beacon of spiritual guidance for centuries. Our adventure will also take us down memory lane to the 1998 Winter Olympics, a momentous event that brought the world’s attention to Nagano, showcasing its stunning landscapes and world-class facilities.

But that’s not all—our palate will embark on its own journey as we explore the local culinary scene, tasting the rich flavors of traditional soba and tempura, a testament to the city’s gastronomical excellence. We’ll wander through the atmospheric streets leading to Zenkoji Nakamise, immerse ourselves in the solemn beauty of the Sanmon Gate, and feel the tranquility of Zenkoji Temple. Adding to the experience, we’ll delve into the art of sake making at Nishinomon-Yoshinoya Sake Brewery, savoring the intricate flavors of sake and amazake, and understanding the craftsmanship behind these beloved beverages.

As we relive the spirit of the Olympics at the Nagano Olympic Memorial Arena M-WAVE and the adjacent Nagano Olympic Museum, we’ll gain insights into the city’s significant role in international sports history. Our exploration then takes us beyond the city to Togakushi, where the serene beauty of forest shrines awaits us, along with a visit to a ninja folk village, offering a glimpse into the mysterious and fascinating world of ninjas.

This immersive tour of Nagano, Japan, is not just about visiting places; it’s about experiencing the soul of the city through its landmarks, its food, its traditions, and its natural wonders. Join us as we uncover some of the best things to do in Nagano, making unforgettable memories along the way.

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