Nagano city located within the Nagano prefecture gained international fame when it became the venue of 1998 Olympic Winter Games. The presence of Zenkouji an ancient pilgrimage site and numerous small temples around it has given the Nagano the name ‘ temple town '. This city has a unique appeal to it as it is a blend natural beauty, historic sites and religious edifices. Nagano is located in the main island of Honshu near the confluence of rivers Chikuma and Sai.
Nagano was a small hilltop city originally built around the Zenko-ji and of late it has evolved as one of the major tourist destinations of Japan having a population of around four lakhs.
Main attractions of Nagano :
Zenkouji a Buddhist temple of the 7 th century draws a significant amount of Buddhist population from around the world. Tourists also visit the place to take a glimpse of this amazing architectural wonder.
Matsushiro is a ‘ku' in the city of Nagano which has a number of Buddhist temples and houses of samurai families.
Joshin-Etsu –Kogen National Park is a famous national park famed for its flora and fauna. Ski lovers also flock to this valley during winter to get the thrill of their life on the Japanese Alps.
After the Olympics the main venues of the games like the M-Wave skating ring, Aqua-Ring Arena and the Big Hat Arena have become frequently visited tourist spots. There are various cheap means of transportation to Nagano and numerous hotels to make your stay comfortable.
