Spots in Hakuba / Azumino Area

  • National Treasure Matsumoto Castle
    rating-image
    4.5
    3635 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Matsumotoshi Marunouchi 4-1
    "Matsumoto Castle is said to feature Japan's oldest surviving five-storied six-floor pagoda. It is one of the few castles designated as a National Treasure, and maintains the image of the past. The black and white contrast of the castle rising amid the Alps in the background is beautiful, and the castle has become a symbol of Matsumoto City. In addition to the castle facilities of the Sengoku period, such as the stone drops meant to rebuff invaders, or samurai windows or the gun slits, there are exhibits such as the ""Matsumoto Castle Gunhouse"" centered around matchlock guns, and artifacts unearthed during the ninomaru palace excavation performed from 1979-1984. In the precinct, you'd do well to see the black gate with eave roof tiles marked with the family crests of historical castle lords, or the taiko gate which was restored in 1999."

    In contrast to Himeji castle, Matsumoto castle is black, and is often called the Black Crow because of its colour. Good photos are taken from near the red bridge. It is also lit up at...

  • Daio Wasabi Farm
    rating-image
    4.0
    766 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nagano Pref. Aduminoshi Hotaka 3640
    This vast wasabi farm in Azumino spans a space equal to 11 Tokyo Domes. Entry is free and the farm is open every day year-round. In addition to wasabi fields and a processing plant, visitors can enjoy the tranquil waterside scenery, including a water mill used in a Kurosawa’s film. The farm’s shop sells unique products found nowhere else such as wasabi soft serve ice cream and wasabi-don rice bowls. If traveling by train, a 10-minute taxi ride from Hotaka Station on the JR Oito Line.

    There are a couple of wasabi farms in the area but this one seems more popular, perhaps as it is the closest to the train station. There are several walks there, as well as a wasabi statue. In the...

  • Hakuba 47 Winter Sports Park
    rating-image
    4.5
    340 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nagano Pref. Kitadumigunhakubamura Kamishiro 24196-47
    This ski resort in the Hakuba area is known for a regular amount of snowfall of superb quality. Consisting of eight routes, half pipes, and a kids slope. It connects with Hakuba Goryu at the summit, and you can come and go between them with the same lift pass. The Route 3 course in front of the gondola station at the summit is an action-packed run where moguls have been left the entire way. Hakuba 47’s hallmark Route 1 run also comes highly recommended. It’s the first slope groomed in the morning, and you can enjoy great scenery while skiing down towards the village of Hakuba.

    Really enjoyed Hakuba47 as a ski resort to learn in. At the time we went in March there was more snow here than on the other resorts. Good lift access to quite a variety of runs. The Hakuba47 Ski...

  • Nakamachi Street
    rating-image
    4.0
    418 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Matsumotoshi Chuou 3-2-14
    White wall and black namako (raised plaster) storehouses stand side-by-side along Nakamachi Street, making it fun to walk down and peruse the many individual general stores, souvenir shops, cafes, sweet shops and restaurants. The symbolic former brewery Nakamachi Kurassic-kan is a distinctive building with a teahouse looking onto a courtyard, a hand pump water well, and atrium beams. Visitors will enjoy the enjoyable, atmospheric townscape.

    This is a better option if you are looking for some shopping, cafes and historical buildings. A good street to walk and explore with a lot to see. It gives a glimpse of life back then.

  • shiromaiwadakeyurien & Montain view
    rating-image
    4.0
    244 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nagano Kita-azumi Hakubamura Hokujo 12056
    A mountain resort where you can enjoy activities as varied as winter sports, trekking, and mountain biking among magnificent scenery. In the winter, it's a white wonderland with skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and more. It has 26 runs with a diversity of natural terrain, the most in the Hakuba area. Its HAKUBA MOUNTAIN HARBOR opened in 2018 and has a superb view of the Shirouma Sanzan peaks. The outdoor terrace hosts THE CITY BAKERY, a veteran shop with branches around the country. It's open during the winter, too.

    Beautiful spot where you can enjoy great views. Activities And festivities happening during the four seasons. Cafeteria and café available Hiking course too with the Nezuko forest.

  • Yohashira-jinja Shrine
    rating-image
    4.0
    324 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Matsumotoshi Ote 3-3-20
    This shrine located in the Ote district of Nagano Prefecture’s Matsumoto City mainly enshrines four deities: Ame-no-Minakanushi-no-Kami, Takamimusubi-no-Kami, Kamimusubi-no-Kami, and Amaterasu Omikami. It attracts fervent believers as the deity who connects wishes and makes all requests come true and is also popular as a “power spot” (a location thought to be flowing with mystical energy). Among the locals it is affectionately called Shinto-san. The Shinto Festival is a procession that is held every year from October 1st–3rd, and is a representative festival of Matsumoto bustling with yatai food stalls, exhibitions of butai-hoei floats and an offering of fireworks.

    Yohashira is a lovely and peaceful spot and an active shrine. The grounds are small-ish but there are plantings and a few buildings. You can sit or wander. Local residents will come to make offerings...

  • National Treasure-designated Former Kaichi School
    rating-image
    4.0
    349 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Matsumoto-shi Kaichi 2-4-12
    This elementary school opened in 1873 as the Dai-ni Daigaku-ku Dai-ichiban Shogaku Kaichi Gakko. The current structure was built in 1876, and approximately 70% of the construction expenses were funded by donations from the townspeople. It is a representative structure of Giyofu Kenchiku (imitation of Western-style architecture) and inside are displays of materials that give the visitor an impression of what it looked like back then.

    The Former Kaichi School was founded in 1873, Construction was completed in 1876 and it served as a functional school for 90-years until 1963. Having been designated an important cultural asset in...

  • Hakuba Ski Jumping Stadium
    rating-image
    4.0
    255 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nagano Pref. Kitadumigunhakubamura Hokujou
    A ski jump competition facility located in Hakuba Village, Kitaazumi County, Nagano Prefecture where the Japanese team took the gold during the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998. Ski jumping can be performed here year-round, and the facility is considered one of the top three tourist attractions of the Shinshu region. A lift and elevator running between the normal and large hills can be used to reach the starting areas, and from here visitors can view the jump area from the same perspective as professional jumpers do.

    Definitely a nice spot to see what the athletes endure during that thrilling sport. The height is IMPRESSIVE. Also from the top you can enjoy beautiful scenery. In the tower, theres many memoribilia...

  • Kamikochi
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Matsumotoshi Adumi
    Kamikochi is an approximately 1,500 meter high gorge in the Chubu Sangaku National Park. Known as one of the top mountain scenic spots in the country it is designated as a special place of scenic beauty and natural monument. It is a gateway to the Northern Alps (Hida Mountains) and many tourists, mainly climbers and photographers visit each year. To help protect the environment the use of cars is restricted so it is recommended to use a shuttle bus service or taxi.
  • Hakuba Cortina Ski Resort
    rating-image
    4.0
    138 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nagano Pref. Kitadumigunotarimura Chikuniotsu 12860-1
    Located in Chikuniotsu Otari Village this ski resort features 100% natural soft snow and is very popular among overseas tourists. There are 16 courses in total to choose from featuring everything from beginner courses to an advanced course with an altitude of 1400 meters that offer an amazing view. There is also a play area for children as well as a daycare center and ski lessons to provide for all your needs. As there is a hotel right in front of the slopes you can relax in the hot springs after your ski adventure.

    Had a great day on the slopes of Cortina enjoying the perfect weather and variable terrain. Looks like a fun place for tree skiing - if that’s your thing !

  • Chihiro Art Museum Azumino
    rating-image
    4.5
    182 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nagano Pref. Kitadumigunmatsukawamura Nishihara 3358-24
    This art museum located inside of the Azumino Chihiro Park in the Matsukawa Village district of Kita-Azumi County, Nagano Prefecture collects and displays works by picture book artists from around the world including Chihiro Iwasaki. In addition to displays about Chihiro’s representative works, related items, and career, the museum also introduces the history of picture books and a collection of original pictures from picture books around the world. The museum is complete with facilities sure to delight children such as a reading room where they can read their choice from approximately 3,000 picture books as well as a play area for small children. There is also a picture book café where visitors can relax while gazing out at Japan’s Northern Alps (Hida Mountains).

    The grounds here are lovely, in a perfect park setting, completely wonderful for children to play and explore with their families. Chihiro loved children, as evident in her art and exemplified in...

  • Evergreen Outdoor Center
    rating-image
    4.5
    224 Reviews
    Life / Living / Hospital
    Nagano Pref. Kitadumigunhakubamura Hokujou 4377
    This outdoor tour company is in Hokujo, Hakuba Village. In winter you can take back country and snowshoeing tours, and they have an English language ski school. In the green season you can enjoy the mountains, lakes, and rivers around Hakuba with activities like canoeing and hiking. They also host international school programs, summer camps, team building workshops, and more.

    Even though it is not our usual practice to write reviews, our extremely unpleasant encounter compelled me to write the most extensive review I have ever written. We had a bad experience on the...

  • Matsumoto Alps Park
    rating-image
    4.5
    135 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nagano Pref. Matsumotoshi Arigasaki 2455-11
    A park located in Arigasaki, Matsumoto City. The park has a zoo and hosts the Matsumotoshi Yama to Natural Museum, which offers a sweeping view of the Hida Mountains (Northern Alps). There's also a 630 meter long coaster slide and variety of other playground equipment. From adults to children, the whole family can enjoy an entire day here.

    If you cant catch bus, taxi will cost ard 1700yen from Matsumoto station. Just take note that the only bus leave this park at 10:25am and 2:25pm. Or else you need to walk down. It is abt 4km to...

  • Kamikochi Visitor Center
    rating-image
    4.0
    86 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Matsumotoshi Adumi Kamikouchi 4468
    Located at the entrance to Konashidaira in Azumi-kamikochi, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, the visitor center provides information on the animals and wilderness of Kamikochi. The facility teaches about local wildlife through videos, displays, and lectures; you can also find all the information needed to trek or walk through the area, such as which flowers are in season, local plants and animals, weather forecasts, and safety tips. The facility is only open from late April to November 15 when the Kamikochi area is open to visitors.

    We had no idea this place was even here, but we were very excited to visit and gather information. The insdie is beautiful with great flora and fauna information of the area. The folks at the desk...

  • Alps Azumino National Government Park
    rating-image
    4.0
    115 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nagano Pref. Aduminoshi Horiganekarasugawa 33-4
    This national park in Azumino stretches over the foothills of the Northern Alps. It is divided into two areas with the theme being the realization of fruitful free time activities in nature and culture. There are five areas in the Omachi and Matsukawa districts, preserving the excellent natural environment for the Alps mountain landscape. In the Horigane and Hotaka districts there are two areas, where the preservation and restoration of rural scenery in Azumino is carried out. All areas of the national park are designed with a diverse array of recreational activities in mind.

    Very nice and large park a few kilometers from downtown Matsumoto. Beautiful views of the surrounding mountains from the hilltops. Excellent and large playground for kids, perfect spot for the kid to...

  • Roadside Station Fuketsu-no-Sato
    rating-image
    3.5
    120 Reviews
    Transportation
    Nagano Pref. Matsumotoshi Adumi 3528-1
    A roadside station situated along the old Nomugi Kaido highway in Azumi, Matsumoto City. The station has a shop selling Nagano specialty products such as inekokina pickles, said to be the progenitor species of coleseed. There's also a farm-fresh shop and restaurant serving noodle dishes and set meals. In addition, visitors can tour the Fuketsu wind cave, a natural refrigerator used since ancient times to store food; and take a Miyama-ori weaving class.

    松本I.Cより国道158号線を上高地方面に、車で約30分の場所にある道の駅です。 上高地、槍穂高、白骨温泉、乗鞍高原など、アルプス山岳郷の玄関口にあたるところにあります。 しばらくぶりに行ったら、野菜売り場が外になり、建物内はレストランとお土産品などが売られてました。 8月なのにすでにリンゴが売られていました。松本産でした。スイカはもうシーズンが過ぎたためか、安くなってました。

  • Matsumoto City Museum of Art
    rating-image
    3.5
    122 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nagano Pref. Matsumotoshi Marunouchi 4-1
    This is a municipal museum on the grounds of Matsumoto Castle in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, exhibiting items related to the history and folk customs of the area. It introduces the history of the castle and the castle town from their origin to the modern day. There are also materials which convey information and allow visitors to learn about local lifestyles and customs including raised cloth pictures, star festival dolls, travelers’ guardian deity and an aging ceremony. One important highlight is the Edo period waterworks discovered during an archaeological dig.

    The Matsumoto City Museum covers three floors of a building adjacent to the castle grounds. It is different from many city museums in that it includes some early history of the city and area. It is...

  • Matsumoto Timepiece Museum
    rating-image
    4.0
    130 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nagano Pref. Matsumotoshi Chuou 1-21-15
    This museum displays a wide range of timepieces centering on a collection donated by antique timepiece researcher Chikazo Honda. The museum has a policy of displaying each timepiece in its collection (which contains more than 1,000 items) in working condition whenever possible. The museum also exhibits a number of phonographs, which have a deep connection to the history of timepieces. The museum is notable for the massive pendulum clock, one of Japan's largest, which is built into the front of the building. The museum is a 10-minute walk from JR Matsumoto Station.

    If you are curious about technology or history this is a fascinating museum. Who knew the Egyptians invented the hourglass as an advance over water to tell time. There were candles for predetermined...

  • Ogizawa Station
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Omachishi Taira 2117
    A station on the Kanden Tunnel Trolleybus line run by Kansai Electric Power Company, it serves as the entrance to the Nagano Prefecture-side of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Inside the three-story station building, there is a ticket office on the first floor, a restaurant on the second, and the platform and observation deck on the third. In 2019, it will cease being a station with the pending elimination of the trolleybus.
  • Mimizuku no Yu
    rating-image
    4.0
    65 Reviews
    Accommodations / Hot Spring
    Nagano Pref. Kitadumigunhakubamura Hokujou 5480-1
    This day-trip hot spring facility is located in Hakuba Village, Kita-azumi County, Nagano Prefecture. It has gained popularity because you can see Mt. Hakuba, Mt. Shakushi and Mt. Hakubayari (Hakuba's three symbolic peaks) from the rotenburo (open-air baths) with Happo Ridge in the background. You can wear off fatigue while enjoying cherry blossoms in the rotenburo (open-air bath) during the spring. There is also a shop in the facility with plenty of souvenirs.

    I have not tried any other onsets so cannot really compare. Its a little onset, not much in English but there are so much information everywhere about the etiquettes of onset which I did not get...

Nagano Areas

around-area-map

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.

Nagano Photo Album

Browse Interests