Culture / Tour Spots in Nagano Area

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Nagano
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Category

Leisure / Hobbies

Culture / Tour

ILF Douga Museum of Art

4.0

9 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Pref. Okayashi Chuouchou 2-2-1

This museum is in Chuocho, Okaya City, Nagano Prefecture. It exhibits the work of various picture book authors, with a focus on Okaya native Takeo Takei. Volunteer staff read picture books and conduct workshops on a regular basis in their Harappa picture book library. It's popular with locals and travelers alike.

My friend from Okaya City took me here. I really enjoyed seeing the charming book illustrations by Takeo Takei. I had never heard of him, and I believe he should be famous worldwide, his...
Takahashi Setsuro Art Museum of Azumino

4.5

8 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Pref. Aduminoshi Hotakakitahotaka 408-1

This lacquer art museum is located along Prefectural Route 307 in Hotakakitahotaka, Azumino City. You’ll find everything from traditional lacquerware to art made using new techniques pioneered by Setsuro Takahashi, a native of Hotaka. You’ll also find Takahashi’s parents’ home, which is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property and can give you an idea about what life in Azumino was like at the time.

豊田市美術館にもあるんですよ！ご縁で。40回は行ったかな？本場はココ！昔の作風が好きですね。近作はキラキラガラスやら何やらちょっと…好みのわかれるところでしょうか？漆工芸は大好きなので心に残る作家さんです！
Chie Koike Collection - World Folk Doll Museum

4.0

8 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Suzaka-shi Nobe 1367-1 Suzaka Art Park

This museum has been selected for inclusion in a list of Japan's 100 most popular tourism facilities as chosen by professionals. The museum preserves and displays a collection of over 3,000 folk dolls from more than 100 countries around the world donated by honorary chairperson Chie Koike. The museum is a fun destination where visitors can get a deeper understanding of the cultures, histories, lifestyles, and fashions of other nations through folk dolls.

須坂版画美術館＆平塚運一版画美術館の奥に位置しています。入館料３００円。ＪＡＦ等２割引。展示室内一部撮影可。文化服装学院名誉学院長が世界９０数か国で収集した２，０００体あまりの民俗人形のコレクションは壮大です。
Sanadashi History Museum

4.0

1 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Pref. Uedashi Sanadamachimotohara 2984-1

This is a museum in Sanada Town, Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. displaying materials related to the Sanada family. The history of the Sanada family is introduced through documents and arms focused mainly on Yukitaka Sanada, Masayuki Sanada, and Yukimura Sanada, members of the 24 generals of Shingen Takeda, and Yukimura’s brother Nobuyuki Sanada, the first lord of the Matsushiro feudal domain. A highlight is the sight of the restored armor and helmets belonging to Masayuki, Yukimura and Nobuyuki. At the connected Sanada-an one can try local cuisine like chestnut and sesame rice balls and Soba-Suiton (open only weekends and holidays from April 15 to the beginning of November, except in May when it is open every day).

おはぎとすいとんをいただきました。特別味がいいとか素材がずば抜けているわけではありませんが、おばあちゃんたちの素朴な料理をいただけて満足でした。値段は安いです。
Takato Museum of Arts

4.0

8 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Ina-shi Takatomachi Higashitakatoo 400

An art museum which displays pieces by Ina City-affiliated artists Fusetsu Nakamura, Takuji Nakamura, and Ikuo Hirayama located on the south side of Takato Castle Site Park. The museum's Harada Collection, assembled by Masao Harada over a 50 year period, spans 668 pieces. In addition to art exhibits, the museum also holds concerts and art classes for children in order to cultivate the next generation of artists. A grass lawn in front of the museum is also used to hold outdoor concerts. The museum's lobby has floor-to-ceiling windows from which visitors can enjoy a view of the museum's garden, cherry trees and Takato Lake. The museum cafe also commands a view of the Central and Southern Japan Alps.

東京芸術大学で皇室の展示品などを鑑賞させていただき中村不折、池上秀畝画伯等の日本の文化、芸術の一端を切り開いてきた先人の方々の作品を見たいと思い高遠にも来てみました。中村不折先生が飯田で教えていた時の生徒に菱田春草がいたそうです。ここは、目の前と後ろに日本アルプスに囲まれ春であればその中にうっすらと紅がかかった桜がこの高台一杯に迎えてくれる高遠城址、そこから少し降りた所にある瀟洒な建物が信州高遠美...
Shiojiri City Hiraide Historical Museum

4.0

8 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Shiojiri-shi Soga 1011-3

A museum situated along the scenic Shinonome no Michi road a 10-minute drive from the Shiojiri Interchange on the Nagano Expressway. Hiraide is the location of the Hiraide ruins, one of Japan's three largest archeological sites, and this museum primarily displays around 20 thousand pottery and stone tools excavated at the site dating to between the Jomon period and the Heian period. Some of the objects on display are extremely valuable and rare, such as the Prefectural Treasure-designated Shibamiya Dotaku bell; and the Shobusawa Gato spire, Japan's largest at 232 centimeters tall. The museum also holds events which enable participants to experience what life was like for Japan's ancient peoples, such as fire starting, pottery making, and magatama comma-shaped stone jewel making classes. The museum has designed the events to enable children to experience the wonders of ancient times, as well.

こちらの展示は館内と屋外に分かれており展示物が種々ありますが最も印象に残ったのは館内の展示物として《菖蒲沢瓦塔奈良時代高さ232cm 全国に残る瓦塔では高さNO.1 とのこと》、屋外では《登り窯奈良時代》でした。《登り窯》も全国あちこちで鑑賞したことありましたが [奈良時代]の《登り窯》となると非常に珍しいのではないでしょうか。なおこちらは公共交通を利用して訪問出来ない場...
Kouko Fukazawa Nonohana Flower Museum

4.0

7 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Prefecture Kitasaku-gun Karuizawa Town Shiozawa Lake 217

This art museum is located within “Karuizawa Taliesin,” a leisure facility located on the lakeside of Lake Shiozawa in Karuizawa Town, Kitasaku County, Nagano Prefecture. It is on the second floor of the Western-styled Karuizawa Post Office, built in 1911. It contains and displays 200 watercolor paintings of Kouko Fukazawa, a Western-style painter who loved Karuizawa and painted many plateau flowers. You can also see displays with seasonal themes or recreated ateliers. The first floor is an Italian restaurant with good pasta.

軽井沢タリアセンにある美術館です。ペパーミントグリーンの歴史ある洋館が素敵でした。訪れたときは特別展の深沢紅子屏風絵展が開催されていました。繊細なタッチの作品を鑑賞することが出来ました。
Nagano City Art Center

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Pref. Naganoshi Tsurugamidorichou 1613

This complex is located in the Tsuruga Midori-cho area of Nagano City. A building complex with a building of the Nagano City Office, it is a distinctive cultural exchange complex. It is a multi-purpose facility including a main hall where concerts and events are held, theater practice rooms, an atelier and band practice rooms.
Azumino Tensan Center

4.5

6 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Azumino Hotaka Ariake 3618-24

A museum located in Azumino City which introduces the history of the cultivation of the Japanese oak silkmoth. Thread made using the cocoons of the moths is produced similar to that of regular silk, but the resulting fabric is lighter and softer, and possesses a distinctive color and luster. Inside, visitors can learn about the history of Japanese oak silkmoths and their ecology. In the adjoining studio, visitors can watch as textiles are woven from the moths' cocoons. The museum's shop sells Japanese oak silkmoth silks and accessories. In addition, visitors can also see actual Japanese oak silkmoths being raised in an open breeding house on the grounds.

We visited Azumino during the off season of March. The town bus was not running during our visit. We took a taxi to the Azumino Tensan Center. The taxi was about $23.00 US from the Hotaka station...
Suzaka Hanga Museum/Hiratsuka Unichi Hanga Museum

4.5

6 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Suzaka-shi Nobe 1386-8

An art museum opened in 1991 after the donation of woodblock prints by Suzaka printmaker Asaji Kobayashi and works and self-published magazines produced as part of the Sosaku-hanga art movement collected by Kobayashi in his interactions with other print artists from across Japan. The museum introduces visitors to the wonders of woodblock print art, primarily via a standing exhibition of prints dating to between the Taisho and early Showa periods as well as those produced in the modern day.

Stunning displays of Hira dolls full of culture! The museum has the original biggest display of Hira dolls. It was interesting to see the subtle differences in the dolls based off of the period in...
Sakai Meijo Brewery Shuzo Collection

4.0

6 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Chikuma-shi Togura 1855-1

Several famous breweries and a portion of their storehouses which produced countless liters of seishu refined sake. There are also four museums - the Kaya Shirao-kan, Yumeji Kaiga-kan, Shuzo Shiryoshitsu, and Hokkoku Kaido Rekishi Shiryoshitsu. The current oldest brewery was established in the Horeki era, and there are also breweries from the Kansei, Keio, Meiji, and Taisho eras; visitors may freely view the breweries, as well. Portions of the museum exhibits are changed on a seasonal basis, and reviews note this is a valuable space where one can learn about folk culture.

車でなければ試飲し放題でした。唯一飲んだ甘酒は美味しくて思わず買ってしまいました。プリンやチーズケーキなどのスイーツもいただけるみたいです。
Wakita Museum of Art

4.0

6 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Kitasaku-gun Karuizawamachi Kyudo 1570-4

An art museum located in Karuizawa Town, Kitasaku County, Nagano Prefecture. The museum's collection consists of 1,000 oil paintings, drawings, and other pieces by celebrated modern painter Kazu Wakita. The museum is open from early June to early November. In addition to displaying primarily the works of Wakita, the museum also holds workshops, lectures, and concerts.

鳥をモチーフにした脇田和氏の作品を展示している。中庭にアトリエと自宅が保存されていて、カフェスペースがあると書いてあった。入口で、2階から見るよう言われ、2階へ。客は全部で3人しかいない(しかもすれ違っただけ)なのに、ずーっとおばあさんたちのおしゃべりが(内容は完全な世間話...
Nobutaka Oka Collection Suzaka Classic Museum

4.0

5 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Pref. Suzakashi Suzaka 371-6

A museum in Suzaka City, Nagano Prefecture, housed inside the former estate of the family Maki, who made its fortune in the Meiji period through silk. The museum stores and displays a collection of some 2,000 folk crafts, kimono, and other items donated by Japanese painter Nobutaka Oka. Here you can view kimono used by common people from the Edo, Meiji, and Taisho periods. The museum also holds themed exhibitions. The museum building was made with luxurious materials and tasteful design touches and craftsmanship can be observed throughout, hinting at the lifestyle wealthy merchant’s enjoyed in the Meiji period.

こちらは[須坂市ふれあい館...
Komoro Highlands Museum Shiratori Eisetsu Museum

4.0

5 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Komoro-shi Hishidaira 2805-1

An art museum located near the top of Mt. Iizuna identifiable by its hexagonal steeple. The museum exhibits key pieces from the more than 50 year long career of Nihonga Japanese painter Eisetsu Shiratori, who was born in Komoro City and served as a member of the Japan Art Academy. The museum also displays works by Eisetsu's mentor Shinsui Ito, plus many works by locally-born artists and painters connected to the Komoro Gijuku school. Each year in summer, the museum holds an exhibition of work by insect photographer Kazuo Unno and, in winter, the museum hosts the Japan Art Direction Exhibition, which is only held at three locations nationwide.

上信越道小諸インター付近。小高い丘の上に立ちサイロみたいな六角形の塔がランドマーク。入館料５００円。ＪＡＦ提示で一般団体券４００円。小諸市名誉市民の小山敬三画伯や白鳥英雪画伯のコーナーもありますが、市民ギャラリー的展示も散見。美術館から見渡す三六〇度のパノラマは眺望百選。目を見張るものがあります。
"Karuizawa Wild Flower Museum of ART ""Petit Museum KARUIZAWA KUSABANAKAN"""

5.0

4 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Kitasaku-gun Karuizawamachi Karuizawa Higashi 19-40

An art museum located in Karuizawahigashi, Karuizawa Town, Kitasaku County, Nagano Prefecture. The museum's collection consists of works by Koichi Ishikawa, a painter who painted flowers in Karuizawa throughout his life. Each year, the museum holds special exhibitions of the artist's sketches and oil paintings. From a terrace area, visitors can also take in Karuizawa flowers planted in the museum garden.

石川功一氏が軽井沢の草花を描いた作品を鑑賞することが出来る美術館です。繊細で優しいタッチで描かれた絵画は氏の草花への愛情を感じることが出来る温かいものばかりでした。
Togyu Okumura Memorial Art Museum

4.0

4 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Minamisaku-gun Sakuho Machi Hozumi 1429-1

An art museum which displays drawings by Togyu Okumura, an artist who stood at the top of the Japanese painting world. The entirety of the museum's collection was donated by Okumura; encompassing 207 sketches and calligraphy works including those created by the artist, the content of the museum's exhibit is changed three times a year. Okumura was active throughout his life, paining until the age of 101, and here visitors can come in contact with the artist's work in its rawest form.

佐久穂町出身かと思ったら、戦時中疎開されていたそうです。素描画がたくさん展示されています。二階のシャンデリアや格天井、柱時計のカチカチいう音が、とても素敵でした。お庭も歩けます。
Usuda Star Dome

4.0

4 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Pref. Sakushi Usuda 3113-1

The Usuda Star Dome lets visitors enjoy a genuine stargazing experience, with a reflecting telescope featuring a 60-centimeter aperture being the main attraction. The “eyelid dome” and “sliding roof” where the telescopes are set up are bigger than normal domes and display countless stars in the night sky between observation sessions. When the weather isn’t good for stargazing, you can enjoy a star slideshow. It’s about a 20-minute drive from the Sakuminami Interchange on the Chubu-Odan Expressway.

運動公園を通り過ぎた山頂付近にあるこじんまりとした天文台。夏は観測会を開催しているので調べてから行くべし。駐車場脇にキャンプできるスペースもあるし周辺の森も散策にオススメ。
Shinshu Shinmachi Art Museum

4.0

4 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Pref. Naganoshi Shinshushinmachikamijou 88-3

The Shinshu Shinmachi Museum is a one-minute walk from the Bijutsukan Mae bus stop or a 40-minute drive from the Nagano Interchange. It is next to the Shinshu Shinmachi Fossil Museum and the Arishima Ikuma Museum. Visitors can buy a single ticket that admits them to all three museums. The more than 2600 works in the collection were all received from the artists or as gifts from donors. Among the most prominent works in the museum are watercolors of local scenery by Shin Kurihara and 200 woodblock prints by Kishio Koizumi, some of whose works are also in the Louvre. The exhibits are changed every few months.

今回、私が訪れた時には丁度地域の画家が描いた水彩画展が行われており、信州の田舎風景を舞台にのどかで繊細な水彩画が飾られていました。遠近法も美しく、手前にあるものは瓦屋根やクレーム車の細部までしっかりと描かれていて素晴らしい出来栄えでした。また、1階には油絵や版画もあり、それぞれの画法に合わせた力強いタッチの風景が見られ、絵画のざまざまな可能性も感じられました。特に、大きな油絵で描かれたススキの絵は...
Shiojiri City Museum of Natural History

3.5

4 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Shiojiri-shi Shiojirimachi 1090

A seven-minute taxi ride from Shiojiri Station on the JR Chuo Main Line. A fun and educational destination for adults and children alike, this museum has a variety of exhibits on the natural world, animals, and insects, and also hold special seasonal exhibitions. The museum's nature watching events, held throughout the year, enable participants to see seasonal plants and animals in the wild, including the wilderness of Kamikochi and waterfowl on the Saigawa Swan Lake. The museum holds five special exhibitions a year as well as plant painting exhibitions, insect specimen exhibitions, and a variety of events. The museum shop's cardboard 3D insect puzzles are particularly popular.

道の駅でトイレ休憩しようと思い、駐車場に入ると、、、。何と、博物館のような施設が。塩尻市立自然博物館と書かれている。時間的にも余裕があったので、入館。入口横には妖怪あまびえの像が。館内は、高ボッチ高原などの動物・植物の紹介展示となっている。特に、蝶の標本が多く展示されている。キジ・鹿のはく製展示は今にも動き出しそう。地下には、翌日からの特別展示（野鳥の切り絵）の準備が進んでいた。
Okuma Art Museum

3.5

4 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Nagano Pref. Aduminoshi Hotakariake 7403-10

This art museum is in Hotakaariake, Azumino City. Here, you’ll find Christmas plates from Denmark, botanical art, first editions of Hans Christian Andersen’s works, and more on display. There’s also an adjoining cafe, the “Azumino Library,” which serves cake and tea served in Royal Copenhagen earthenware to cap off your viewing experience.

ロイヤルコペンハーゲンがお好きな方にはオススメの美術館です。併設されたカフェでは素敵な食器で美味しいコーヒーをいただけます。

Nagano

Around Nagano City Kita-Shinano Eastern Shinshu Hakuba / Azumino Kisoji Around Suwa Southern Shinshu

Leisure / Hobbies Culture / Tour

Aquarium Museum / Science Museum Zoo Art Museum Botanical Garden

Nagano Areas

Nagano prefecture is an exciting mix of mountains, hot spring monkeys, and preserved Edo history. At the heart of the Japanese Alps, Nagano is one of the country’s most popular destinations, whether in winter for its snow sports and the much-loved Jigokudani Monkey Park or in the warmer months for discovering the undulating hills on foot. For fantastic Edo architecture, head to the Kiso Valley for a 60-kilometer stretch of quaint wooden buildings that marked the Nakasendo route 200 years ago.