NAGANO JAPAN

When planning your travel in Central Japan, we recommend staying in the region’s many outstanding hot spring towns. Known as ‘onsen’ in Japan, natural hot springs are found throughout the prefect...

Sitting in north-west corner of Central Japan, Kanazawa is a popular stop on the route from Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka. Terminus of the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line running from Tokyo via Nagano, along...

Running from Unazuki Onsen, the Kurobe Gorge Railway is a relatively short but stunning train ride into one of Central Japan’s most beautiful landscapes. The Kurobe Gorge is regularly cited as on...

Lying around 2.5 hours to the west to Tokyo, Mount Fuji is Japan’s most recognisable natural landscape and iconic tallest mountain. An active volcano, Fuji is an imposing presence that dominates ...

Lying nearby Karuizawa, Kusatsu Onsen is one of Japan’s most famous ‘onsen’ (hot spring) towns. For many if not most Japanese, the town is instantly recognisable due to its immense ‘yubatake’, an...

Nestled high in the mountains between Tokyo and Nagano, Karuizuawa is a small resort town that attracts visitors at all times of year. Notably cooler than Tokyo in summer, beautiful in spring and...

When thinking about your future travel to Japan, it’s a great time to consider heading outdoors and exploring some of Japan’s beautiful natural landscapes. Whether you are first-time visitor or s...

When researching and planning a visit to Japan, understanding the regions and which areas are nearby others, can be a little confusing – particularly for first-time visitors. While some n...

When considering your future travel to Japan, one of the biggest decisions is where to stay and what to expect once you arrive. Japan is one of the cleanest countries and hygiene-focused ...

From all of us at Snow Monkey Resorts, we would like to give a big shout out to all of our guests who joined us in Nagano during winter 2019/20! Thanks to you we were able to have a successful winte...

From everyone at Snow Monkey Resorts, we’d like to wish everyone a Happy Easter and with that, provide a quick cherry blossom update. Yesterday was lovely, sunny and warm spring day here in Nagano. ...

Nestled high in the Chubu Sangaku National Park, Kamikochi is one of Nagano and Japan’s most beautiful alpine landscapes. Renowned for its pristine nature and spiritual importance, the stunning alpi...

Known as 'sakura', cherry blossoms are synonymous with Japan and are seen to embody the fragile beauty of life itself. As the weather warms in spring, the flowers bloom and Japan will emerge from th...

As host of the 1998 Winter Olympics and home to around 80 ski resorts along with the famous hot spring-bathing monkeys of Jigokudani, Nagano is synonymous with winter. Offering abundant snow in clos...

  Planning a trip to Takayama this winter? Worried there's not enough to do in the area? There are actually a ton of fun winter activities in Central Nagano, but public transportation can ...

Located within three hours of Tokyo, Azumino is just such a region - a place of quiet villages, farms and orchards, temples and shrines - set against the stunning backdrop of the Northern Alps. Ea...

One of the main attractions for many visitors to Japan, are the numerous beautiful crafts that play such an important role in traditional and contemporary culture. Although one of the world’s most...

August has been a hot and at times wet and wild month in the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. In the middle of summer, the winter days of cold and deep snow seem like a dream and for visitors to the p...

You can't say that you have experienced the Japanese summer until you see one of Japan's astonishing fireworks festivals! Fireworks in Japan are an essential summer tradition with a long history and a...

Recognised as one of the Top 10 Experiences in Japan with a 2019 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award, guests based in Hakuba this winter will be able to join our most popular tour through use of o...

As recently featured, Shiga Kogen is not just Nagano’s but also Japan’s largest and highest ski resort. With 79 ski runs serviced by 51 chairlifts and gondolas, Shiga offers the largest expanse of...

The world will turn its focus to Japan this autumn, as it hosts the Rugby World Cup from September 20th to November 2nd 2019. With 13 host venues spread throughout Japan – from Hokkaido in the nor...

Snow Monkey Resorts is happy to announce our 1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake Tour has been recognized as one of Japan’s best tour experiences winning a 2019 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Cho...

Winter is never far away – or at least never out of mind – here in Nagano. With the past winter having come late but then refusing to call it quits, and ultimately blessing us with a massive amoun...

As Nagano’s No.1 tour operator, Snow Monkey Resorts continues to welcome new and old friends into the region, as more and more people discover the seasonal beauty of Central Japan. There’s never a...

  *The illumination event scheduled for December 2019 has been moved to February 22nd to March 1st 2020. As a result, our tour will operate on the same days in February and March 2020. It ...

Here in Nagano during the the month of May, the rice fields are filled with water in preparation for planting. The flooded fields create a mirror-like surface, reflecting the majestic snow-capped ...

As mentioned in the recent cherry blossom forecast, Nagano’s long winter has finally come to an end! The snows that attract skiers from all over the world are giving way to the leaves, buds, an...

Are you arriving in Japan too late to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo? Don’t worry! Given the higher elevation, Nagano Prefecture`s blossom trees bloom later than in the capital, typically sometime from ...

As host of the 1998 Winter Olympic Games, Nagano remains proud of its Olympic legacy and since 2004 has commemorated its most celebrated winter with its annual 'Tomyo' Lantern Festival. Running fr...

Nagano is home to most of Japan's highest mountains, spread across three mountain ranges that collectively make-up the Japanese Alps. This dramatic landscape offers visitors some of the most impressiv...

We are now officially into winter and while the snow is a little late this year, sooner or later it will begin to fall in abundance. Most famous as a winter destination, Nagano has so much to offer ...

*Please note, the illumination of the temple - scheduled for December 2019 - has been moved to February 22nd to March 1st 2020. As a result, our tour will operate on the same days in February and Marc...

Nagano and the surrounding regions that make-up central Japan are a place of natural beauty, typified by high mountain peaks, and deep culture found in its historic towns, temples and castles. Often o...

Viewing autumn leaves, called koyo in Japanese, is after cherry blossom-viewing the most beloved seasonal activity for the Japanese. If you're planning on visiting the Snow Monkey Park in fall, we rec...

Sales of "Snow Monkey Pass" for 2018 Green Season finishes today (Sep 30th). For winter season, it will be re-sold from the beginning of December (Dec 1st, if it will be as has happened in the past...

Nagano is synonymous with apples. Ripening to perfection each autumn, fruit-picking directly from local orchards is an enjoyable (and delicious!) activity that can be done with family and friends with...

Snow Monkey Resorts is excited to announce our award-winning 1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake Tour is now available to guests based in Hakuba this winter, with a daily shuttle servic...

Just ten minutes from JR Nagano Station via the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line, Iiyama is a rural hub known for the quality of its vegetables and fruit - most famously, apples! Each autumn, fruit-picking di...

Nagano’s Zenko-ji Temple is one of the oldest and most important Buddhist complexes in Japan with a near-1400 year history. A place of true religious significance, legend, and myth, Zenko-ji is the he...

Most visitors to Nagano will take the time to head up the hill from the station and visit the city’s most famous attraction, Zenko-ji Temple. With a near 1400-year history, the temple embodies a seduc...

Summer in Japan is synonymous with heat, humidity, and more enticingly, festivals! While ‘matsuri’ (festivals) take place throughout the year and for countless (often obscure) reasons summer is the se...

*Please note, the illumination of the temple – scheduled for December 2019 – has been moved to February 22nd to March 1st 2020. As a result, our tour will operate on the same days in February and ...

There are many reasons to choose Japan for your winter sports holiday. Numerous resorts, reliable snow conditions including world-class powder, friendly locals, great food, all the cultural trimmings,...

You may not know the name but you know the place! Yudanaka Onsen (and the unsurprisingly named Yudanaka Station) is the final stop on the Nagano Dentetsu train and the nearest station to the Snow Monk...

As we head toward summer in Japan, it means one thing – festivals, lots of them! Japanese love a matsuri (festival) and whether you are a visitor to Japan, or living here yourself, there’s no better t...

Backcountry skiing is one of the great attractions at any resort for advanced skiers. Bursting through pristine snow and the beauty of the forest is an adrenaline rush that gets you hooked. However, b...

Nagano City is home to one of Japan’s oldest and most important Buddhist temples, Zenko-ji.  Located within an easy 20 minute walk from JR Nagano Station, the temple is one of the most popular attract...

Nestled in the mountains to the west of Nagano City, Togakushi is famous for its natural beauty and spiritual significance. It is a place of dramatic seasonal change experiencing heavy snowfall in win...

Another favorite area in Shiga Kogen for lovers of tree runs is a course which runs from the top of Ichinose Family Area down to bottom. It's a little hard to find the course on the map so here is how...

Nagano Prefecture is home to the majority of Japan’s highest mountain peaks and an abundance of snow. Just ask the locals, they’ll tell you the snow here is world class!   As host of t...

This winter season (2017/2018) in Shiga Kogen brought a lot of powder snow and many fantastic days of skiing and snowboarding.  The early and massive snowfall experienced in December created a good ba...

With the recent completion of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games and upcoming XII Paralympic Winter Games in Pyongyang, South Korea, there is understandable interest in celebrating the 20th anniversary ...

Approximately 45km to the east of Nagano City, Shiga Kogen can be readily accessed using public transport. Most people will start their journey from Nagano Station or from the nearby monkey park or ...

When visiting Nagano City, many people choose to stay around the central precinct surrounding the station. It has the greatest concentration of accommodation, restaurants and bars and of course, i...

Shiga Kogen has a great number of hiking courses, all different. The most popular one would be the Lake Course, or the Ike-Meguri in Japanese. This blog is to explain the hiking course step-by-step so...

The Shiga Kogen Highlands are most know know as the region that holds the largest ski resorts of all of Japan. Loads of people come to enjoy skiing and snowboarding down the mountains. In summer howev...

Close to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park is a little town called Shibu Onsen. Shibu Onsen is famous for its long history with hot springs (onsen in Japanese). From 600 AC., many Japanese have traveled...

Even though this region is called the Snow Monkey area, we have more than six months without snow. Our Spring, Summer, and Autumn all have their own attractions. In this article we will expand on the ...

Skiing season in Japan usually ends around the end of March, when the temperature starts rising and the snow starts melting. However, the Shiga Kogen Highlands hold to a different schedule. The...

Having found your way to this website most likely means that you want to see the snow monkeys. Many people do this as a day trip from Tokyo. They leave Tokyo early in the morning and arrive back to To...

Shiga Kogen is the biggest ski resort in Japan with a total of 18 ski areas, 52 working ski lifts and countless slopes. Due to its size it is difficult to look at Shiga as a whole, so we have simplifi...

Shiga Kogen is the biggest ski resort in Japan boasting a total of 19 ski areas, 52 working ski lifts and countless slopes. Due to its size it is difficult to look at Shiga as a whole, so we have divi...

Shiga Kogen is the biggest ski resort in Japan with a total of 19 ski areas, 52 working ski lifts and countless slopes. Due to its size it is difficult to look at Shiga as a whole. To make it easier f...

Skiing or snowboarding in Japan is a lot of fun. One reason is the great quality of snow, another is the incredibly high level of service, and last but not least is that a one-day ski pass in most are...

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When it comes to skiing and snowboarding, people regularly refer to "powder snow" and will do anything to find it! Powder is the most coveted type of snow when you want to bomb down a mountain with th...

Do you love to ski or snowboard? Then Shiga Kogen (or Shiga) is where you need to go. The fact that the Highlands were the stage for the 1998 Winter Olympics is already testament to the quality of sno...

Autumn is only just starting, but here in Japan's mountainous region winter will come sooner than you think. Some of you reading this might be in the process of planning your trip to the snow monkeys ...

In a previous article we talked about Togakushi's Okusha Shrine.  Today we would like to introduce to another popular attraction in Togaukshi - the fascinating Ninja Museum!  But firstly, who were the...

  Watching the reds, oranges and yellows of the autumn leaves is the next best thing to watching the cherry blossoms bloom to the Japanese. When the summer heat of August cools down and ch...

On the basis of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Program launched in 1971 with the purpose of establishing a scientific basis for the improvement of relationship between people and their environments, S...

Welcome to Snow Monkey Resorts in Nagano, Japan ! Here at Snow Monkey Resorts we would like to on top of your great experience with the snow monkeys make your stay in the area, or even your day-trip, ...

“Snow Monkey Resorts” refers to numerous resorts nestled within northern Nagano prefecture in Japan, home of the world famous Snow Monkey Park (Jigokudani Yaen Koen).   Our landscape, which...