NAGANO JAPAN

The old saying goes that a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. From my own experience, this applies to women too! So it stands to reason that the food we enjoy when we are on holiday can ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

If you want to spend the summer in the true Japanese way, you cannot pass up seeing one of Japan’s massive fireworks shows or going to an exciting local summer festival. We have two exclusive tour...

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...

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...

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...

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...

The snow monkey region is famous for its numerous 'onsens' (natural hot springs) that bubble to the ground throughout the mountains. Mainly found in the town of Yudanaka, Shibu, and Kanbayashi Onsens,...

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 ...

One of the most famous attractions is Nagano Prefecture is the Snow Monkey Park. If you are coming to see the snow monkeys in their own habitat and want to get a place to stay overnight, we have a rec...

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...

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...

As spring continues to warm this year’s cherry blossom season has come to an end.  During April, Snow Monkey Resorts welcomed many guests to the region on our 1-Day Snow Monkeys and Cherry Blossom Tou...

The blossoms are now coming into full bloom across Nagano including at Yamanouchi and Kanbayashi Onsen - home to our favorite furry residents, the snow monkeys!  The small and quiet streets of Kanbaya...

Cherry blossoms, known locally as 'sakura', play an important role in Japanese society.  Blooming sometime between late-March (at the earliest) and early-May (at the very latest), these beautiful flow...

Nagano City has a great many hotels, being the capital of Nagano Prefecture and the capital of the 1998 Olympics. One favourite hotel we'd like to introduce is Hotel Kokusai 21, one of the most high-c...

When the first snow starts falling from the sky in November, the ski slopes of Shiga Kogen start their preparations for the winter season. Skiing in the largest ski resorts of Japan is possible very e...

Uruoikan is a hot spring facility in Nagano City. Located within walking distance of Nagano Station and positioned next to the Susobana River, Uruoikan is the only 100% natural onsen in the city off...

One of the main things to do when visiting the temple complex of Zenko-ji, is to find the Key to Paradise. In the main hall of Zenko-ji, under the inner sanctuary and the main altar which holds Japan'...

The morning service, also called "o-asaji" at Zenko-ji Temple, is one of the most interesting activities that you could partake in while you are in Nagano City.   What's "o-asaji"?  ...

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 ...

When you ask people to name three things that define Japan they usually name Mount Fuji, geisha, and cherry blossoms. Nagano Prefecture is quite far from Fuji and we would advise you to go to Kyoto to...

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...

There are many Buddhist temples in Japan and tourists, both Japanese and foreign, enjoy taking photos of these holy places. But one remains on the fringes of Buddhism by just taking photos. There are ...

Shinto is the religion indigenous to Japan and its rituals play a big part in everyday life. Unlike the majority of religions the Shinto religion has no official scripture. Japanese people who practic...

A trip to Nagano could never be complete without trying some of the local specialities. In Nagano, “soba noodles” is the most popular signature dish. Most Japanese tourists have it on top of their “Wh...

Wanting to enter an onsen, a Japanese hot bath, but feeling insecure about how to? Then please look at the 'How to' article to learn the basics! Here we will introduce you to some of the onsen in t...

Love taking baths? Then the Japanese 'onsen', or hot spring bath in English, is perfect for you. An onsen is not just for washing but also for relaxing your muscles. It is also quite good for your h...