Nagano (prefecture)
Discover Nagano (prefecture)
Nagano Prefecture (長野県 Nagano-ken) is at the center of Japan. It is surrounded by 8 prefectures. (Niigata, Toyama, Aichi, Gifu, Shizuoka, Yamanashi, Gunma, Saitama) This area is a highland called Central Highland of Japan (中央高地 Chūō-kōchi) surrounded by mountains. Nagano, especially Karuizawa, is a summer resort and many people come from large cities because it's cool in the summer.
Taste of Nagano (prefecture)...
In culinary terms, Nagano is best known for its soba (buckwheat noodles), known as Shinano soba (信濃そば) or Shinshū soba (信州そば), with those from Togakushi (戸隠, a region of Nagano City) considered by some the best in Japan. Miso (fermented bean paste), a staple of the Japanese diet is also a famous Nagano product. Among foods characteristic to the region are oyaki, small grilled doughballs filled with vegetables or meat, and on the unusual side, basashi (raw horse meat) and inago (locusts). Apples are one of the special products of Nagano. The taste of Nagano apples is sweet and juicy. The yield of apples in Nagano is the second largest in Japan.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe Hokuriku Shinkansen line, a branch of the Joetsu Shikansen to Niigata, connects to Tokyo in around 2 hours. Buses from the Shinjuku long-distance bus station run about once an hour. The trip takes about 3 1/2 hours; fare is ¥4000 one-way or ¥7200 round-trip. There is also a similar bus to Matsumoto here, it just goes via Kofu. From Nagoya, the highway bus goes via Matsumoto. In culinary terms, Nagano is best known for its soba (buckwheat noodles), known as Shinano soba (信濃そば) or Shinshū soba (信州そば), with those from Togakushi (戸隠, a region of Nagano City) considered by some the best in Japan. Miso (fermented bean paste), a staple of the Japanese diet is also a famous Nagano product. Among foods characteristic to the region are oyaki, small grilled doughballs filled with vegetables or meat, and on the unusual side, basashi (raw horse meat) and inago (locusts). Apples are one of the special products of Nagano. The taste of Nagano apples is sweet and juicy....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
In culinary terms, Nagano is best known for its soba (buckwheat noodles), known as Shinano soba (信濃そば) or Shinshū soba (信州そば), with those from Togakushi (戸隠, a region of Nagano City) considered by some the best in Japan. Miso (fermented bean paste), a staple of the Japanese diet is also a famous Nagano product. Among foods characteristic to the region are oyaki, small grilled doughballs filled with vegetables or meat, and on the unusual side, basashi (raw horse meat) and inago (locusts). Apples are one of the special products of Nagano. The taste of Nagano apples is sweet and juicy. The yield of apples in Nagano is the second largest in Japan.