Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [209]
Sukitei (; 234-1123; 112-1 Tsumashina; lunch sets ¥1150-2950, sukiyaki from ¥2500; lunch & dinner Tue-Sun) Tops in town for succulent sukiyaki. Set menus include udon, gyusashi (beef sashimi) and more. The price of the top-grade beef is sky-high, but if you try it you may never go back to the cheaper stuff.
Patio Daimon, an open-air collection of small buildings constructed like a village of kura (storehouses), by the Daimon bus stop, houses several casual eateries and boutiques, including Tofu Café Gorokutei (233-0356; 125-1 Higashi-machi; mains ¥600-1200; lunch & dinner; ), where just about everything is made from Japan’s favourite protein.
For a quick bite next to Nagano Station’s Zenkō-ji exit, the Tilia building has a half-dozen restaurants. On the ground floor, Oyaki Kōbō (223-4537; oyaki each around ¥140; 8.30am-7.30pm; ) sells the local speciality oyaki (little baked or steamed wheat buns) with tasty fillings like pumpkin, mushroom and eggplant. Of the chain restaurants, Yukimura-tei (225-7878; mains ¥620-1080; 11am-11pm) serves heaping bowls of righteous rāmen – we like moyashi miso flavour (bean sprouts with miso broth). There’s a picture menu.
Other quick bites:
Kashin Miwa (238-3041; 483 Motoyoshi-cho; ice cream ¥250; 9am-5pm) Ice cream made with soba (only in Nagano!), near Zenkō-ji’s Niō-mon.
Bakery’s Street & Café (232-0269; 1283 Toigosho; mains from ¥480; 7.30am-7pm; ) Dozens of bakeries from around Shinshū take turns supplying the wares. On Chūō-dōri, en route to Zenkō-ji.
Drinking
Asian Night Market (214-5656; http://asian-night-market.net; 2-1 Higashi Go-chō; noon-11pm; ) Part cafe, part humble-jumble Thai clothing and knick-knack shop, this storefront is at once sweet and hip. There’s English-speaking staff, beer, cocktails, soft drinks including Thai coffee, Thai food (most dishes under ¥1000), and nooks and crannies for browsing and assignations.
Groovy (227-0480; http://nagano.cool.ne.jp/jazzgroovy; 1398 Kita-ishidō-machi; cover ¥1000-3500) A music spot popular with jazz lovers for its live shows; check the website for schedule info. It’s upstairs on Chūō-dōri, a six-minute walk from the train station.
Bistro Liberty (235-1050; 1602 Midori-chō; 11.30am-4pm & 6pm-1am, closed Tue) Nagano’s most popular gaijin pub has Guinness on tap, decent pub food and a friendly crowd. From JR Nagano Station, take a right on busy Nagano-Ōdōri and another right (at the second stoplight) on Shōwa-dōri.
Getting There & Away
Nagano shinkansen run twice hourly from Tokyo Station (Asama, ¥7970, 1¾ hours). The JR Shinonoi line connects Nagano with Matsumoto (Shinano tokkyū, ¥2970, 50 minutes) and Nagoya (Shinano tokkyū, ¥7330, 2¾ hours).
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TOGAKUSHI
026
This mountainous, forested region northwest of Nagano makes an excellent day trip. Hikers enjoy the refreshing alpine scenery from late spring to autumn, while winter belongs to the skiers. Togakushi has been famed for soba for centuries. Pick up English-language maps from the Nagano Tourist Information Centre.
Three subshrines (Togakushi-Hōkōsha , Togakushi-Chūsha and Togakushi-Okusha ), each a few kilometres apart, together make up the Togakushi Shrine, which honours the 1911m-high Mt Togakushi. Intimate Chūsha is the most easily accessible; one tree here is said to be 700 years old. There’s a little village by Chūsha with shops, restaurants and ryokan, and in winter there’s the smallish, 10-lift Togakushi Ski Park (; 254-2106; day pass ¥4000), which has a local following.
Okusha, the innermost shrine, can be reached via bus or hiking trail. The direct path from Chūsha to Okusha bus stop takes about 25 minutes, or there’s a longer route via Kagami-ike (; Mirror Pond) and the Togakushi Botanic Garden (). From Okusha bus stop it’s another 2km (40 minutes) to the shrine buildings, partially via a 500m-long, cedar-lined path (; suginamiki), planted in 1612.
From Okusha, avid alpinists can make the strenuous