Japan Awaits

• Togakushi, popular with hikers in spring, summer and autumn, and with skiers in the winter, this pretty forested region in the mountains northwest of Nagano city makes a lovely day trip or a peaceful overnight stay. Togakushi has been famed for soba for centuries.
• Togakush-jinja comprises of three sub-shrines (Togakushi-Hokosha, Togakushi-Chusha and Togakushi-Okusha), each just a few kilometres apart. Togakushi hibirs tge 1911 meter-high Mt. Togakushi. Intimate Chusha is the most easily accessible. One tree here is said to be 700 years old. From Okusha bus stop it’s 2km (40 minutes) to Okusha, the innermost shrine, via a magnificent 500 meter-long cedar-lined path planted in 1612. For guests who are interested, they can climb from Okusha to the top of Mt. Togakushi (without tour guide). In winter, Okusha is inaccessible except for hearty snowshoers and most businesses are closed.
• Above the Okusha bus stop, you’ll find the Togakushi Folk Museum & Ninja House. It houses artefacts from a time when local yamabushi (mountain monks) practiced what became known as ninpo (the art of stealth). The “Ninja House” is the most fun, cleverly concocted with trick doors, hidden staircases and a room that slopes upwards.

Seasonal Recommendations for This Tour:
Spring Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Viewing: Mid-April to Early-May
Autumn Foliage (Koyo) Viewing: Early-September to Late-November
Winter Festivities: Early-December to Late-March

• Inclusions:
  • A private local tour guide with private car for your group
  • Entrance fee to Zenko-ji Temple
  • Entrance fee to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
• Exclusions:
  • Round-trip bullet train from Tokyo Station to Nagano Station (free for visitors with JR pass). Train tickets available as add-on at checkout.
  • Meals, snacks and drinks
  • Onsen (hot spring) fee: 700 JPY per person

  Availability:

• All year round, but especially recommended during Spring (for cherry blossoms), Fall (for autumn foliage) and Winter (for snow monkeys and winter festivities).
• The monkeys enter the onsen all year round, but sometimes the park wardens will encourage the monkeys by throwing food into the pool, especially during the warmer seasons of the year.

  Location: Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture

  Time: Start time is between 9 AM to 9:30 AM (may be earlier depending on availability, or later depending on location of hotel). The full tour is between 8 to 9 hours in length.

  Price: Adult (age 12-99), Child (age 0-11)

• Adult: 21,000 JPY per person (minimum of 2 people)
• Child: 15,800 JPY per person

  Price with Round-Trip Bullet Train from Tokyo:

• Adult (with bullet train to and from Tokyo): 39,000 JPY per person (minimum of 2 people)
• Child (with bullet train to and from Tokyo): 29,300 JPY per person

  Requirements:

• Must provide names of all guests and birth dates
• A current valid passport is required on the day of travel

Additional information:

• For this tour, if we provide train tickets: we will send train tickets to the guests’ hotel in Tokyo (the hotel which guests are staying at before their Nagano trip). Please provide: 1) Hotel Name in Tokyo, 2) Guest Name who booked the hotel, 3) Confirmation Number, and 4) Dates of Stay at the hotel in Tokyo.
• If a larger vehicle is needed: The tour guide will be driving a standard mid-size car. If this car is not large enough and a larger vehicle/van is required (for a group with 4 or less people), please make a request at the time of booking. The rental car/van is pending availability and will be an additional cost of 10,000 JPY in cash payable on the day of the tour. For groups of 5 or more people, a rental car/van large enough to fit your group will be included (at no additional cost).
• Snow Monkeys in warmer seasons: The snow starts to melt in March, and the snow monkeys may not bathe as often as they did in the winter to keep warm. Guests may see the snow monkeys taking a swim as the park staff gives them lunch, but unlike winter months, there are definitely days when the monkeys just do not feel like entering the bath. When it is warm and the sun is out, the monkeys tend to be more active and move around the area. The monkeys are more likely to be grooming in the warmer seasons. While Winter is not the only time to see snow monkeys, please note that they are wild animals and it is difficult to predict their behavior. You can still visit the Snow Monkey Park, but seeing the snow monkeys and watching them bathe is not always guaranteed.

Winter in Nagano

In winter, the walking trail to the Snow Monkey Park may get slippery, so please wear winter shoes (sometimes provided by the hotel/ryokan guests are staying at). The temperatures in Nagano are much colder than Tokyo, so please prepare warm clothes.

Private Tour

This private tour is for a group of 8 or less people. For a larger group, we may have two tour guides present (depending on availability).

For this tour, if we provide train tickets: we will send train tickets to the guests’ hotel in Tokyo (the hotel which guests are staying at before their Nagano trip).

Payment

All reservations are subject to Standard, Moderate or Firm Cancellation Policy. The Cancellation Policy will appear at checkout.

All bookings is payable via Stripe (Booking Checkout) or PayPal. Confirmations regarding your booking will be sent at least 10 days before your activity date.

Cancellation Policy

Standard Cancellation Policy:

• We will charge a cancellation fee of 100% if booking is cancelled 5 days or less before event
• We will charge a cancellation fee of 50% if booking is cancelled 7 days or less before event
• We will charge a cancellation fee of 25% if booking is cancelled 10 days or less before event

There is a non-refundable 3% service fee for all bookings. Refunds (that are not subject to a cancellation fee) will include the ticket price less the 3% service fees. If an event is cancelled or postponed by Japan Awaits, refunds will be for the entire purchase—that includes the ticket price and the service fees.

How far in advance should I book?

Nagano City is a popular destination from Tokyo. We recommend making a reservation as early as possible and ideally, at least a month in advance.

When is it Peak Season and what does that mean for this tour?

There are many peak seasons in Nagano, but it is especially busy during the Autumn and Winter Seasons. During these peak seasons, there will be heavy traffic on the roads and may take two to three times the duration to travel between locations.

Other peak holidays include Golden Week (May 6th to 27th), the Obon Holidays (August 11th to 20th), and the New Year Holidays (December 28th – January 6th).