Meet at Nagano station. Travel by bus for an hour to the entrance of Togakushi Okusha Shrine and walk about 40 minutes to the Okusha.Along the way to Okusha shrine, we will walk through a beautiful path surrounded by 400-year-old cedar trees. After visiting Okusha Shrine we will visit the Togakushi Ninja Museum where we can see ninja tools on display. At Chusha Shrine we will have lunch at a soba noodle restaurant. From Togakushi, we will move to Zenkoji temple by bus (or taxi).
Nagano Station
Have lunch at a soba noodle restaurant
End of tour
Nagano Station
The land of Togakushi is related to Ama no iwato (Cave of heaven) in "Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters)" in Japanese mythology. Along the way to Okusha shrine, we will walk through a beautiful path surrounded by 400-year-old cedar trees. The path will exude an almost spiritual feeling of the majesty and power of nature.
It is believed that Togakushi is home to the Togakure School of Ninpo, a group of ninjas with a history of over 800 years. You will see ninja tools on display at the Ninja museum. Togakushi is also well known for soba noodles (buckwheat noodle) and we will sample them during the tour.
At Zenkoji Temple, we will buy a ticket for the kaidan meguri and take the stairs down into the pitch-black crypt passage under the main hall of the temple. If you touch the key below, you will be guaranteed to connect with the pure land.
Guide fee
Guide travel expenses between Nagano Station and his residence. (5,000JPY)
Admission fees during the tour (you and guide)
Transportation charges during the tour. (you and guide)
Lunch (you and guide)
Other actual tour-related expenses (if any).
I can also guide you to Nagano and the surrounding area from Tokyo.
Travel insurance is not included in our tours. I would recommend you take out your own travel insurance just in case of any unexpected accident.
Tour available months:April to October
1) The tour will not be conducted during the winter (Mid-Nov. to Mid-April) and instances of extreme weather such as typhoons and snowstorms.
2) Casual clothes and warm clothes (in Spring and Autumn) are recommended for the walk.
3) Please advise us if you have any religious or health restrictions, allergies, or have other specific requests.
Our family really enjoyed the day tour of Daio farm and Matsumoto Castle with Takeshi. Takeshi made sure everything was well organized for the day. All logistics were thought through and planned for and we also learned a lot.
Thank you for your review. I am glad you could enjoy the day.
This was our first full day in Tokyo as first time visitors to Japan. Takeshi is very kind and pleasant and showed us the biggest highlights in Tokyo. We did the Tsukiji fish market (stopped for the most amazing tuna sushi), SkyTree, Solamachi shopping centre, Imperial Palace, Sensō-ji temple and market, and Akihabara. With two young boys in tote, it was a lot but just the right amount. He was also very helpful with helping us get our bearings and understanding how to get around using the train/subway systems. I am from Toronto and the transit system here is far more complex and elaborate. I highly recommend booking this tour with Takeshi. Thank you!
Thank you for your review. It was nice to have spent a day with you as a guide. Please visit Japan again and hope to see you in the future.
Takeshi was super nice, professional and gave us a wonderful tour! We had a great time and highly recommend to take this tour with him!
Thank you for your review. It was a pleasure to show you around Nagano. Please come to visit Japan again in the future.
We were looking for a knowledgeable guide for Nagano and Matsumoto and Takeshi was everything we wanted. His knowledge of Japanese history and culture is very impressive. His English is great (worked in the US for several years). We booked him for a day each in Nagano and Matsumoto. In Nagano, he took us to temples and shrines we would have missed on our own. In Matsumoto, he was the perfect guide for Matsumoto castle, which is a must see (one of very few original castles left in Japan). He is also a very nice guy, with a sense of humor. He chose a great restaurant for lunch and recommended restaurants for our dinner. Highly recommended if you are serious about seeing Nagano and Matsumoto. Kent and Luca
Thank you for your review. I am glad you could enjoy my guide. Please visit Japan again in the future.