When one hears of Nagano, one might be inclined to think of winter sports. Of skiing, snowboarding and hiking. But perhaps the lesser-known face of Nagano is it's old streets and antique architecture.
(Borrowed from https://www.japan.travel/, 26/8/20.)
I kept seeing images like that one above in my social media feeds, and I just had to know where it was. It turns out that in the olden days, Nagano served as a through-rout between Tokyo and Kyoto. Remarkably preserved, they seem to have changed little since the Edo period.
There seems to be multiple regions of Nagano that would be lovely to visit. But Nakasendo in particular looks delightful to me. I can just imagine strolling those lovely little streets in a nice yukata, with my hair in nihongami, taking selfies of myself as a clomp around in old-timey geta. Kisoji, in particular is said to be delightfully anachronistic.
(Borrowed from https://www.japan.travel/, 26/8/20.)
(Borrowed from Air BNB, 26/8/20.)
When I looked for places to stay in the area, I came across the Seiunkan Guesthouse; a delightful old farmhouse. It seems to be surrounded by beautiful imagery of nature and farmlands. And it's only a 3 hour bus ride from Tokyo!
Though, I may also be inclined to try The Villa Inn Matsukura:
(Borrowed from Air BNB, 26/8/20.)
In any case, I do dream of going to Nagano and walking its long trails till I'm exhausted and happy.
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