Matsumoto Castle

Matsumoto Castle (Matsumoto-jo) was begun in 1504 as Fukashi Castle by the daimyo Shimadachi Sadanaga, but it subsequently changed hands in war, and it was completed by the daimyo Ishikawa Kazumasa and his son Yasunaga to its present form. The donjon and other buildings are positioned within a 600 m square. The five-tiered, six-storied donjon is one of the oldest extant donjons in Japan and has been designated a National Treasure. It is roughly 30 m tall and was restored over a five-year period starting in 1950. The nearby turret is also a National Treasure, and these buildings and their positioning create a very stable composition.

Omine Castle

Omine Castle (Omine-jo) was built around the middle of the 16th century. Back then, two powerful daimyos - Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin - were struggling for supremacy in the vicinity. Omine Castle was built by Uesugi, but as it was positioned at an important site for both sides, they were frequently engaged in battles here. The Takeda side subsequently came to govern this region and it became a castle of the Takeda clan. The existing donjon has been rebuilt in recent years and houses a museum exhibiting butterflies from around the world. The fourth floor is an observatory.

Takashima Castle

Takashima Castle (Takashima-jo) was begun in 1592 and was completed more than seven years later by Hineno Takayoshi, who served under the hegemon Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who ruled Japan in the latter half of the 16th century. It was built on a small island on Suwa-ko and it is said that it looked as if it floated on the water of the lake. Buildings such as the donjon were connected by bridges. The existing donjon and turret were reconstructed in 1970 and exhibit information relating to the castle.

Ueda Castle

Ueda Castle (Ueda-jo) was built in the latter half of the 16th century by the daimyo Sanada Masayuki, who became its governor. Sanada Masayuki was a courageous and resourceful commander who was skilled in war strategies and tactics, and he is well-known for leading his small force in fighting bravely against a large enemy force. After the battle of Sekigahara in 1600 in which the Tokugawa and Toyotomi clans fought, Ueda Castle was demolished, because it had been the castle of Sanada Masayuki who had been on the defeated side. The scale of the castle was initially only 340 sq m, but when the Tokugawa family established their rule over Japan, it was reconstructed by another daimyo. There is no donjon as he died during the reconstruction and the castle was left unfinished. The existing turret and other parts of the castle echo how the place must have looked back then.

The Hokusai Museum

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) was an ukiyo-e artist, whose works are known to have influenced, among others, Vincent van Gogh and other French impressionists. Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints (or woodcuts) and paintings abundantly produced during the Edo Period (1603-1867). Although the series titled Fugaku Sanju Rokkei (Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji) from a classic Western perspective are perhaps the best known works by Hokusai, he devoted his late years to paintings. Especially, in his last years, he often visited Obuse, a town in present-day Nagano prefecture, to complete his paintings. The Hokusai Museum exhibits the paintings of Ryu (the dragon) and Ho-o (the phoenix) and the Masculine Waves and the Feminine Waves attached to the ceilings of two festival floats, as well as other paintings, drafts and letters.

Karuizawa Ehon-no Mori Bijutsukan

Karuizawa Ehon-no Mori Bijutsukan (The Karuizawa Picture Book Forest Museum) is located amid the lush natural surroundings of the forests of Karuizawa. Affected deeply by the landscape of Karuizawa, which so closely resembled his home in Scotland, a missionary named A. C. Shaw built a villa there in 1886. From that point on Karuizawa became a favorite spot for many Westerners, and developed a distinctive culture. The Karuizawa Picture Book Forest Museum houses around 6,000 items, mainly Anglo-American works, including picture books and the original sketches of their contents. Displays include first editions and other interesting examples of Anglo-American children's literature, such as Peter Rabbit, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland. The museum is designed to allow visitors to enjoy reading these books in a culturally borderless environment.

Rokuzan Art Museum

The town of Hotaka, where the Rokuzan Art Museum is situated, is a beautiful place set in a gentle pastoral landscape. The Rokuzan Art Museum was built to house works of art and historical material related to the sculptor Morie Hagiwara, who played an active role in the art world at the beginning of the 20th century before dying at only 30. The building is designed like a church in a tribute to Hagiwara's Christian faith. Showing the influence of Rodin, works by Hagiwara, who is referred to as the father of modern Japanese sculpture, feature a powerful style bursting with vitality. Onna (Woman), on display in the main building of the Rokuzan Art Museum, has been referred to as the crowning glory of modern Japanese sculpture. Many works by artists who were close friends of Hagiwara, such as poet and artist Kotaro Takamura, are also exhibited in the 1st and 2nd Exhibition Halls as well as in the main building.

Anraku-ji Temple

Anraku-ji is a Zen temple founded in the late 13th century near Bessho Spa. In the temple grounds is an octagonal three-storied pagoda, the only one of its kind left in Japan, designated a National Treasure. The pagoda has eaves known as mokoshi ("lean-to") on the first floor, making it appear to have four stories. It is modeled on an architectural style prevalent in China during the Sung dynasty. Other buildings include the Main Hall and Denpo-do. The Denpo-do is a hall that enshrines two prominent priests. depicted in seated statues -- Isen Osho and Enin Osho -- and both have been designated Important Cultural Properties.

Daiho-ji Temple

The temple of Daiho-ji was built in the 16th century by Narai Yoshitaka, ruler of this region. In the temple grounds is a Maria Jizo (Jizo = guardian deity of children) made in the image of the Virgin Mary. Because Christianity was prohibited in Japan during this period, people secretly wishing to worship an image of the Virgin altered old stone statues of Japanese Jizo to create Maria Jizo. Also in the back yard of the temple is a garden laid out in the mid-18th century, where visitors can enjoy beautiful views of azaleas in June and maple trees in the fall. The district in which Daiho-ji is located prospered as a post town for the major highway of Japan from the 17th century onward. Rows of streets and houses from these days still remain today, and in 1978 the government designated the area a District for Preserving a Group of Important & Traditional Structures.

Suwa-taisha Shrine

Suwa-taisha is one of the oldest shrines in the country and represents more than 10,000 Suwa Shrines nationwide. The grand shrine is comprised of four shrines: Kami-sha Hon-miya located in Kami-Suwa-shi, Kami-sha Mae-miya in Chino-shi, and Shimo-sha Aki-miya and Shimo-sha Haru-miya both in Shimo-Suwa-machi, all in Nagano Prefecture. The deity enshrined here is Tateminakata-no-Mikoto -- widely worshipped in earlier times as the god of hunting and agriculture and later as god of national security. Members of the samurai class were devotees of this shrine from early times, and Takeda Shingen, ruler of this region in the 16th century, is also known to have been a defender of the shrine. A divine festival known as the Onbashira Matsuri takes place once in every seven years. It is an awe-inspiring event in which a large number of participants bring 16 giant fir logs down from the mountain -- with many people actually riding the tree trunks down a mountain slope -- and erect them in the shrine.

Zenko-ji Temple

Zenko-ji is one of the most magnificent temples in Japan. It consists of 39 buildings including Dai-hongan and Dai-kanjin, with grounds measuring 59,000 sq m Zenko-ji was believed to have been founded in the mid-7th century, so its history spans 1,400 years. The image of the Buddha enshrined here is known as Ikko-Sanzon-Amida-Nyorai, and consists of a statue of Amida-Nyorai presiding over the Land of Happiness (believed to be the Buddhist paradise of the afterlife), standing against the aureole on its back and flanked by Kannon-Bosatsu, the Bodhisattva believed to soothe suffering, and Seishi-Bosatsu, the Bodhisattva presiding over intelligence. It is believed that a Korean king presented these statues when Buddhism was introduced into Japan via Korea. Even today, these statues are never on public display and are kept in absolute secrecy (for religious reasons, images are not usually put on display), and only once every seven years replicas of these statues are made available for public viewing. Zenko-ji is open to everyone regardless of their Buddhist denomination, and it is believed that a visit there once in a lifetime will ensure passage into the Land of Happiness. The temple has grown on the basis of this popular belief from ancient times, and is bustling with visitors even today.

Kiso lacquerware

Kiso-shikki lacquerware has been produced in considerable quantities for around 600 years in the Kiso region of Nagano Prefecture. Unlike other areas, this region produces large items of lacquerware including low tables, dining tables, screens and folding screens. The greatest distinguishing feature of Kiso lacquerware is the way in which items are lacquered in many layers with many designs and painted using different colors of lacquer. A large workforce of craftsmen produce unique pieces such as trays, lunch boxes and tiered boxes, making a major contribution to the economy of the region. Kiso lacquerware was designated a traditional craft in 1975.

Matsumoto furniture

Matsumoto-kagu furniture was first made in the latter half of the 16th century to meet the demands of people living in the area. Around the 18th century production of furniture such as chests of drawers and dining tables for everyday use began. With the development of transport, furniture began to be shipped to all parts of Japan, and became known throughout the country. Matsumoto furniture is made of timber such as zelkova and Japanese oak, and is assembled using traditional methods into extremely solid furniture. It is then coated with over ten layers of lacquer, which brings out its depth and beauty. Chests of drawers, display shelves and low tables are still being made today. Matsumoto furniture was designated a traditional craft in 1976.

Traditional Japanese Matsumoto handballs

Matsumoto-temari are folkcraft balls decorated with yarn, made in the city of Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. The balls are decorated using scraps of yarn from weaving to create various designs. In the past, the balls were used as children's o-tedama (beanbags), but then a way was found to make them bounce, and henceforth they became temari (handballs). Nowadays some of the balls have bells inside them that make a lovely sound when the ball is bounced, and most are used as interior decorations.