Togakushi, Nagano, Japan

In the mountainous area of Northern Nagano sit the five shrines of Togakushi spread out around the base of Mt. Togakushi. The area is a mix of history, religion and nature with trails winding through rows of 400-year old cedar trees and along streams and bridges. The five Shinto Buddhist shrines around the base of Mt. Togakushi are each dedicated to different gods and although I was hoping for a nice walk through nature the shrines are linked by roads.

If you walk up the road from the bus stop the first shrine you reach is the Togakushi Shrine Hinomikosha (戸隠神社火之御子社) but if you go down the road  you can get to the Lower Togakushi Shrine (戸隠神社宝光社).  We mistakenly walked up first and didn't see the lower shrine until after dark on our way down the mountain.

 Togakushi Shrine Hinomikosha 戸隠神社火之御子社

The town looks like a ski village combined with old Japanese temples. It is a very odd mix since a lot of the houses in the town don't have the same architecture as traditional Japanese houses and look more like American chalets.

Togakushi

Togakushi

The Togakushi Shrine Chusha (戸隠神社中社)  is in the middle of the town and is one of the largest shrines out of the five Togakushi Shrines.

Togakushi Shrine Chusha (戸隠神社中社)

Togakushi Shrine Chusha (戸隠神社中社)

Togakushi Shrine Chusha (戸隠神社中社)

There are many other small temples and shrines in the down other than the original five shrines. The walk along the small roads are colourful with fall leaves and the views of the mountains around are quite spectacular.

Togakushi

Togakushi

Togakushi

Togakushi

The Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館) is one of the main attractions of the area besides the ski hills and shrines. The museum is set up with a series of buildings that make it look like a small village. Buildings have various themes of history. The first was cultural artifacts including clothing, farm equipment and tools used for work.

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

Another building displays lifestyle and is set up as a house with antique furniture and relics as well as pottery, cabinets, etc. it had scrolls, books and other tools used in the house.

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

The top floor of that building is themed as the history of the ninja school and shows equipment and tools used by ninjas including swords, grappling hooks, shuriken and swords.

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

My favorite building was the ninja house, which was an escape room type house with secret doors and traps.  We took our time going through and enjoyed discovering all of the secrets that the house had but apparently we still made it out quickly. They don't actually officially time you though like they do in an escape room.

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

 You can practice throwing shuriken, ninja throwing stars, at a small structure for a few hundred yen.  You win a small ninja fan if you hit 5/7 or more.

 Togakushi Folk Museum / Ninja House (戸隠民俗館)

 The Botanical Garden (戸隠森林植物園) across from the ninja museum has lovely walking trails that wind through the forest. The forest is old and the expansive number of trails make it easy to get a bit turned around but there are maps fairly often.

Botanical Garden (戸隠森林植物園)

Botanical Garden (戸隠森林植物園)

Botanical Garden (戸隠森林植物園)

Botanical Garden (戸隠森林植物園)

 The wetland areas have boardwalks that are alive with bird calls. There are many creeks and ponds that wind through the forest and the trails include areas of upland and lowland.

Botanical Garden (戸隠森林植物園)

Botanical Garden (戸隠森林植物園)

Botanical Garden (戸隠森林植物園)

The  Togakushi area of Nagano is famous for it's unique buckwheat soba and in front of the upper and fifth shrine there is a lovely small soba restuarant with a friendly staff. Back Yashiromae Naosuke (奥社前なおすけ) has really great soba and oddly enough they even sell buckwheat ice cream that is surprisingly good. 

The Togakushi Shrine deepest-placed shrine (戸隠神社奥社 大鳥居) is marked by a big stone torii gate and the path going up through deciduous forest to a large red gate.

Togakushi Shrine deepest-placed shrine (戸隠神社奥社 大鳥居)

Togakushi, Nagano, Japan

Togakushi, Nagano, Japan

Togakushi, Nagano, Japan

The path is bordered by rows of huge 400 year old cedar trees that tower above you. Some of them could take about three or four people to wrap their arms around the trunk. The forest surrounding the row of cedars is mixedwood deciduous forest alive with fall colours. Being less alpine than the Kamikochi area there was more red and bright orange-yellow leaves.

Togakushi, Nagano, Japan

Togakushi, Nagano, Japan

Togakushi, Nagano, Japan

Togakushi, Nagano, Japan

Togakushi, Nagano, Japan

  The Upper Togakushi Shrine (戸隠神社奥社)to the sun goddess is the highest placed of all of the five shrines. It is not the largest or the most decorated but it sits on the mountain with a lovley view of the fall colours surrounding it. 

 Upper Togakushi Shrine (戸隠神社奥社)

 Upper Togakushi Shrine (戸隠神社奥社)

 Upper Togakushi Shrine (戸隠神社奥社)

From the upper shrine we walked one of the nature trails towards  Kagamiike (鏡池). The trail goes through the forest and is a lovely walk that can easily be done within a day in combination with walking the shrine route up. 

Togakushi, Nagano, Japan

Togakushi, Nagano, Japan

Togakushi, Nagano, Japan

Kagamiike (鏡池) is a man made lake created by a dam. It has a nice view of the mountains surrounding it and on the day I visited the clouds were rolling over the mountains like a scene of a amine movie.

 Kagamiike (鏡池)