Nagano Prefecture
Nagano Prefecture is in the Chubu region, one of the inland Prefecture. Due to the abundance of mountain ranges in this area, the land available for inhabitance is relatively limited.
Nagano has impressive highland areas, including most of the Kita-Alps, Chūō-Alps, and Minami-Alps, which extend into the neighbouring prefectures. Not only winter, in summer many tourists come to highland area( Shiga-kogen, Karuizawa, kamikochi) in Nagano as a summer resort, some of them go to hike. 1998 Winter Olympic game held in Nagano.
The lifespan in Nagano prefecture is the longest nationwide with the average life expectancy of 87.18 years for women and 80.88 years for men.
Jigokudani is one of the famous onen. Well-known as snow monkey. In winter you can see bathing monkeys in a hot spring.
Hakuba
Hakuba, located in the Northern Alps of Nagano Prefecture, is one of Japan's most popular ski areas, offering good snow and several large ski resorts to choose from. The magnificent view of the Northern Japan Alps and other beautiful mountains
Matsumoto
Matsumoto is centrally located in Nagano prefecture and is surrounded by Japan Alps mountains. The city is especially famous for Matsumoto Castle, which is one of Japan's original historic castles. The castle is also known as the 'Crow Castle' due to its black exterior and it was the seat of the Matsumoto domain.
Kamikochi
Kamikochi is a remote mountainous highland in the northern part of the Japan Alps, which has been preserved in its natural state.
Karuizawa
Karuizawa has thrived as a very popular international summer resort in Japan since the late 19th century because of its cool summer climate and breezy environment with many larches and birch trees. Yagasaki Park, with an area of 46,000 square meters, is located in front of Karuizawa Station.
Suwa
Suwa is located centrally in Nagano, and is famous for its hot springs that originate below the lake. There are many Japanese-style inns and guesthouses in the area that cater to Japanese as well as foreign tourists. People mainly stay in Suwa for the many outdoor activities on the water and in the mountains, plus it is a great base for taking day trips in the wider Nagano area.
Nagano City
The city of Nagano is located in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture. It is a good place to stay as a base for making day trips in the area being centrally located for many sights with good bus and train connections.
Shiga Kogen
The Shiga Kogen Highlands area is in the northeastern part of Nagano. Formed by volcanic activity, it has a mountainous landscape. It stands as one of the world's largest winter resorts and was home to many of the events of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.
Nakasendo Trail
Nakasendo is an old trail constructed 400 years ago by Shogun as one of the major routes between Edo and Kyoto. Tsumago, Magome and Narai are recommended towns.
