NorthNaganoArea
about the North Nagano Area
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AI dyeing, Japan blue dyeing, in Shinanomachi
AI dying, Japan blue dyeing, is a traditional Japanese art using natural indigo dye from the tade-ai plant to create deep, rich blues, famed since the Edo period and known for its complex process of fermenting leaves into sukumo and then creating a dye vat with wood ash, lime, and wheat resulting in beautiful, long-lasting…
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Snow season has come!
Today, 12th Dec. 2025, we have had snowfall since early morning. This is the second snowfall this winter. Vehicles get covered with snow. Snowfighting has started here in Shinanomachi, Nagano Prefecture. We have to remove snow to keep the parking area available. A wheel loader is working.
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Accommodations in Obuse
Obuse is a small town with several attractive sites for foreign visitors. Many visitors come here and stay for several hours during the day. But Obuse offers cozy accommodations and restaurants loved by locals. I recommend staying here to enjoy walking around Obuse and exploring the North Nagano Area by car, bus, and train. Shiga…
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Enjoy the Chestnut food in Obuse
Obuse is well-known for its delicious local specialties and creative cuisine. Please discover local food specialties and restaurants here. Chestnut is a famous local specialty of Obuse. Chestnuts are used in Japanese sweets, Western desserts, steamed rice with chestnuts, and more. Next let’s go to a Japanese food restaurant. Here you can taste “Kuriokowa”. It…
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How is Obuse like? It is a beautiful and cozy town.
Obuse is a small town in the North Nagano Area. It is approximately 30 minutes from Nagano Station by car or train. But you can see the local scenery of Nagano here. This town is popular among tourists for its art museums, seasonal fruits, and fermented food. Hokusai-kan is a museum collecting the works of…
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Cedar Tree Path to Togakushi Okusha
Togakushi is located north of Nagano City and takes about an hour by bus from Nagano Station. The approach to the shrine is approximately two kilometers long, having a red gate with thatched roof named Zuishinmon （随神門） in the middle of the path. This is followed by giant cedar trees over 400 years old along the road…
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Snow Spaceship?! in NAGANO
This is not a spaceship. We have much snow this season. It’s located by the side of Lake NOJIRI,NAGANO. It’s snow mountain made by snowplow.