How was the first day?here
The accommodation we stayed at on the first dayhere
Ueda Station - Nagano Station
After checking out, the hotel's shuttle took us to Ueda Station.
Today we will head from Ueda Station to Nagano Station.
There are two main ways to get from Ueda Station to Nagano Station.
- 12 minutes on Shinkansen (unreserved seat): 1,470 yen
- 45 minutes on Shinano Railway (JR between Shinonoi and Nagano): 780 yen
I'd like to cut down on transportation costs as much as possible, but considering the time-effectiveness, I think the Shinkansen is the only option.
Even if you can't sit in a non-reserved seat, I don't think it's a problem if you stand for about 10 minutes.
If you want to be sure you'll be seated, you'll need to get a reserved seat, but be aware that while a non-reserved seat costs 1,470 yen, the price jumps to 2,790 yen for a reserved seat.
I boarded the Shinkansen, found an empty seat, sat down, took a breather, and finally arrived at Nagano Station.
I came to Nagano Prefecture last year as well, but I think it's been about 5 years since I've been to Nagano Station.
Zenkoji Temple
Since it was before check-in time, I left my luggage at the hotel and then headed to Zenkoji Temple, which is famous for Nagano.
There are stones written as ◯ chome like this, and 1 chome is approximately 109 meters, representing the distance to Zenkoji Temple.
It is approximately 2 km from Nagano Station.
Be prepared to walk for about 30 minutes.
I thought I had walked quite a bit, but there were still 7 blocks (≒763m) to go.
If you don't like walking, I think it's best to take the bus.
Since I ate a hearty breakfast at the hotel, I decided to walk instead of taking the bus to reduce my hunger.
Go through the Niomon gate.
There were two cats at Niomon.
The cuteness will wash away all the fatigue you've been walking.
After Niomon is Nakamise Street, followed by Sanmon.
Once you pass through the Sanmon gate, you will arrive at the main hall of Zenkoji Temple.
It was cold and rainy so I had an umbrella with me, so I just visited the shrine without going to the ghost stories.
I think I'll do a ghost story tour the next time I visit. .
Oyaki
After visiting Zenkoji Temple, stop by Nakamise Street to enjoy Nagano's signature oyaki.
『Spicy Nozawana” and “Anko” I ordered.
You may get angry if I say this, but Oyaki Hayo is meat bun.
『Spicy NozawanaAlthough there is no meat in it, the spicy and salty taste gave it the impression that it was similar to a meat bun.
『Anko” is completely correct.
The dough is between a dango and a manju, and it feels a little harder than a dango.
It's not that it's super delicious, but when I come to Nagano, I always try some oyaki.
Isogoro Yahataya
After that, I bought shichimi chili pepper at Yahataya Isogoro.
It's already so famous that you can buy it at the supermarket near my house, but I bought a limited edition item for visiting Zenkoji Temple.
The packaging is slightly different.
Of course the contents are the same.
It's the same with Zenkoji Temple printed on it.
I visited a store to purchase it, but you can also purchase limited-edition items from visiting Zenkoji Temple as souvenirs.
By the way, the store sells custom blends, various shichimi chili peppers, and chili peppers alone, so I think it's interesting to visit since it's near Zenkoji Temple.
Lunch: Juwari soba large meal
We headed to the restaurant we had reserved around 13:00.
Today's lunch is ``Juwari soba large meal” I will have it.
I had soba for lunch yesterday, and I eat soba every day.
My wife and I both like soba, so it's no problem.
I made a reservation because it seemed to be a popular restaurant, but I got the impression that reservations weren't necessary on weekdays.
I think we only stayed for about 30 to 40 minutes, but it was always full at times, so it's best to make a reservation.
If you order an alcoholic drink, you will receive a free appetizer of hitashi beans.
It's just the right size so it won't affect your stomach, and the flavor of the beans and soy sauce serve as a snack.
To compare the tastes, we ordered three types of soba: Juwari Soba, Sarashina Soba, and Shinshu Hisui Soba.
Juwari Soba + Kakiage
Shinshu jade soba + vegetable tempura platter
Sarashina soba
There was also a two-color soba menu to compare Juwari soba and Sarashina soba, but I was told that it was closed, so I ordered one serving of each.
Juwari Soba costs 800 yen, Sarashina Soba costs 1,050 yen, and Shinshu Hisui Soba costs 900 yen, making it unbeatable to be able to eat Juwari Soba at these prices.
This is unavoidable due to the nature of Sarashina soba's weak taste and aroma.
In terms of aroma and taste strength, I think Juwari soba > Shinshu jade soba > Sarashina soba.
This is unavoidable due to the nature of Sarashina soba's weak taste and aroma.
The difference between Juwari Soba and Shinshu Hisui Soba is very slight, and when compared, I get the impression that Juwari Soba has a stronger aroma and taste.
For sweetness and throatiness, I think Sarashina Soba > Shinshu Jade Soba > Soba.
Of the three types, both my wife and I preferred Shinshu jade soba, which was the best.
Shinshu Hisui Soba seems to be available for a limited time only, so we recommend ordering it if it's available when you visit.
In addition to soba, I also ordered tempura vegetable platter and kakiage, but if I was going to eat three types of soba, I should have chosen one of them. .
There was no tempura sauce provided, and the style was to eat it with matcha salt.
I ate karin and manju for dessert and thanked them for the meal.
After meal
After dinner, we headed to the hotel and stopped at a liquor store to buy souvenirs.
Nagano is also a treasure trove of alcoholic beverages such as sake, wine, and whisky.
I visited Nagano last year at a whiskey distillery in Komagane (more precisely Miyata Village).Mars Shinshu DistillerySometimes it's to visit.
My wife bought wine and cider, and I bought Shinshu, a whiskey sold only in Nagano Prefecture.
When made into a highball, Shinshu is a great drink to have with a meal.
It's not a rare whiskey that can only be sold at liquor stores, but you can buy it at any supermarket or convenience store in Nagano Prefecture.
Even if you don't have a full bottle, there are also small bottles, so I think it would be a good souvenir for whiskey lovers.
Dormy Inn Nagano
It's 15:00, so I'll check in.
The hotel we will be staying at today is ``Dormy Inn Nagano”.
https://hb.afl.rakuten.co.jp/hgc/1dbf8fad.4a5d8164.1dbf8fae.092c41c8/?pc=httpstravel.rakuten.co.jpHOTEL153266153266.htmlcidtr_af_1632&link_type=hybrid_url&ut=eyJwYWdlIjoiaXRlbSIsInR5cGUiOiJoeWJyaWRfdXJsIiwic2l6ZSI6IjEwMHgxMDAiLCJuYW0iOjEsIm5hbXAiOiJyaWdodCIsImNvbSI6MSwiY29tcCI6ImRvd24iLCJwcmljZSI6MSwiYm9yIjoxLCJjb2wiOjEsImJidG4iOjEsInByb2QiOjAsImFtcCI6ZmFsc2V9
Most Dormy Inn facilities have hot springs and saunas, and they offer a wide range of services such as coffee, night noodles, ice cream after a bath, and lactic acid bacteria drinks.
My husband and I love Dormy Inn because of its charm.
If there is a Dormy Inn at my destination, I am staying at the Dormy Inn.
The room is simple, but since I'm only going to sleep anyway, this is enough.
Enjoy the hot springs and sauna and wait for your dinner reservation time.
It's almost time for my reservation, so I head over on foot.
There are many hotels around Nagano Station, but I get the impression that there are many famous restaurants around Zenkoji Temple.
Therefore, you will inevitably have to walk less than 2km each way or travel by bus.
At night, the illuminations were on and it was beautiful, so I was able to move around without getting bored.
Dinner ishereI visited the store.
