The author traveled in the UK in August 2026. This essay introduces Caernarfon Castle in northern Wales, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Caernarfon Castle is located along the River Seiont (in Welsh, “Afon Seiont”). Edward I, king of England, built it in the thirteenth century, and construction took forty-seven years. Today it…
The author walked the Torii Pass in Kisoji, which is part of the old Nakasendo street, at the beginning of September. I started at Yabuhara Station and went to Naraijuku. Yabuhara Station, 08:54 A guide board of Yabuhara-juku, 09:04 After about a 50-minute slow walk, I got to a stone sign: “Torii Path”. The path…
The snow season ended earlier this year, and spring has come to LAMPYA about 1 month earlier than usual. Now we are enjoying the beautiful fresh leaves and cherry blossoms here at an altitude of 800 m in the Northern Nagano Area. I think it is the most beautiful season of the year. Since we…
AI dying, Japan blue dyeing, is a traditional Japanese art using natural indigo dye from the tade-ai plant to create deep, rich blues, famed since the Edo period and known for its complex process of fermenting leaves into sukumo and then creating a dye vat with wood ash, lime, and wheat resulting in beautiful, long-lasting…
Today, 12th Dec. 2025, we have had snowfall since early morning. This is the second snowfall this winter. Vehicles get covered with snow. Snowfighting has started here in Shinanomachi, Nagano Prefecture. We have to remove snow to keep the parking area available. A wheel loader is working.
Obuse is a small town with several attractive sites for foreign visitors. Many visitors come here and stay for several hours during the day. But Obuse offers cozy accommodations and restaurants loved by locals. I recommend staying here to enjoy walking around Obuse and exploring the North Nagano Area by car, bus, and train. Shiga…
Obuse is well-known for its delicious local specialties and creative cuisine. Please discover local food specialties and restaurants here. Chestnut is a famous local specialty of Obuse. Chestnuts are used in Japanese sweets, Western desserts, steamed rice with chestnuts, and more. Next let’s go to a Japanese food restaurant. Here you can taste “Kuriokowa”. It…
We have renewed this site. Please check the tariffs for airport transfer to/from resort and those for between resorts. Are you planning to visit the North Nagano Area in Japan this winter? We would appreciate if you could review the information on our site and consider our charter bus service.
Obuse is a small town in the North Nagano Area. It is approximately 30 minutes from Nagano Station by car or train. But you can see the local scenery of Nagano here. This town is popular among tourists for its art museums, seasonal fruits, and fermented food. Hokusai-kan is a museum collecting the works of…
I visited Naraijuku in Nagano Prefecture on a hot day in mid-August. Naraijuku is an old historical post-town in Kisoji (Kiso Road) along the Nakasendo, which was one of the main highways in the Edo Era (1603-1867) and connected Kyoto and Edo (old name of Tokyo). Naraijuku Street is about 1km long, and old wooden…
