Nagano review
Japan is home to many beautiful mountains all ranging in different shapes and sizes. Out of the 12 tallest a staggering 9 reside in Nagano prefecture making it the perfect prefecture for winter sports and hiking. In fact, Nagano hosted the Winter Olympics in 1998 which planted it firmly on the map for winter sport fanatics. Nagano is landlocked and has 8 neighbors, it is the center of Honshu with a direct connection to Tokyo, Nagoya and the west coast. The prefectures capital shares the same name and it is famous for its stunning highlands known as the Japanese alps. 21 percent of Nagano’s land is designated as national parks, it is best described as alpine and because of this the summers are cooler than most other prefectures.
The mountains make for stunning picturesque backdrops and one location I have always wanted to visit was Matsumoto castle, the castle is iconic with its black wooden walls. Because summers were cooler in Nagano it wasn’t deemed necessary to paint it white like most Japanese castles which battled the intense sun in summer. Nagano’s beautiful mountain air and stunning views make it a must see, the residents of the prefecture boast the highest life expectancy out of all of Japan at a staggering 87 years for woman and 80 for men. Perhaps the mountain air, stunning views, great food and living in one of the highest prefectures in Japan is the key?
With most of its land being mountainous or a national park the economy in the prefecture is different from most I have written about. It has a strong focus on electronics, computing, agriculture, high precision machinery and tourism. It is easy to see why so many people are drawn to the prefecture, it is also home to one of Japan’s oldest shrines Suwa-Taisha, Matsumoto castle which is designated as a national treasure and it is home to one of the highest geysers in the world also located in Suwa.
Because it is the perfect location for winter sports it is home to countless ski resorts one of my schools took a trip to Nagano with the aim of teaching students to ski! I was happy to visit during Golden week and wish I had more time to explore it. The scenery from the train was beautiful and there are a lot of hidden gems in this region. The end of the famous alpine route is here. Those looking to hike should be careful and take precautions as Nagano is a bears dream home. There are numerous gorges, rivers and vast amounts of forest for them to live very happily in. For those reliant on public transport there is plenty to see and do, but for those with cars you will gain a lot more as this prefecture has a lot to offer those looking for a breath-taking road trip or to escape from the city life.
I really enjoyed my brief stay in the prefecture and if I ever have a chance, it is a prefecture I would revisit later in life. I definitely needed more time and would advise those coming to the prefecture to allow extra time for travelling between locations. There are many hotel options and even holiday home options too for those wanting to really feel part of the great outdoors. Nagano definitely ranks highly on my most scenic prefectures I hope that more people have a chance to experience the prefecture and all that is has to offer,
