2025 Chino Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in April)

Originally, we planned to take a trip on Japan's most beautiful road, the Venus Line. We discovered that this high mountain road passes through many highlands, including Yachiho Highland, Shirakaba Pond Tateshina Highland, Kirigamine Highland, and Kurumayama Highland. After leaving Shirakaba Pond, we planned to head to Kirigamine Highland. In the summer, you can take a cable car to the top of the mountain to enjoy the scenery or hike down. The views are truly stunning. In winter, this place is a skiing paradise, so the cable car we took is actually the same one used for skiing in winter. It was a really special experience. Before taking the cable car, the sky was clear with beautiful blue skies and white clouds, offering an amazing view! We even switched cable cars midway. By the time we reached the top, it started to get foggy, sometimes clear and sometimes foggy! And it gets really cold at the top with the fog and wind. At the summit of Kirigamine, there is a huge round ball, which is a weather station, as well as the Kurumayama Shrine, and an excellent observation deck with great views. Taking the Cable Car at Kirigamine Highland Kitayama, Chino, Nagano 391-0301 Japan

Algae is a renovated old house with a relaxing atmosphere. You can eat dishes made with seasonal vegetables and fruits from Yatsugatake and natural spices 🍽️ ⭐︎Seasonal lunch plate (drink included) ¥1750 ※Extra rice +¥100 Drinks Coffee (Guatemala medium roast) Black tea (Earl Grey) Herb tea Plus ¥100 Cafe au lait Soy au lait Chai Apple juice Homemade plum juice ※Change to iced drink +¥20 The curry was delicious ✨ The pumpkin and cream cheese are recommended by the staff! The lotus root and spice dressing was also crunchy and delicious😊 There were other delicious looking desserts as well🍮 ⭐︎Parfaits made with seasonal fruits Autumn pudding parfait　¥1800 Pear parfait　¥1850 ⭐︎Baked goods Vietnamese pudding made with free-range eggs　¥600 Basque cheesecake　¥500 In summer, the natural ice shaved ice/ché is a popular choice! "algae" 📍7-27 Honmachi Nishi, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture, 391-0003, Japan (10 minutes walk from Chino Station) Business hours: 11:30-17:00 Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays Phone number: 080-8217-1526 (reservations accepted) #100 Travel Style #Nagano Prefecture #Chino #Yatsugatake #Vegetables #Seasonal ingredients #Parfait #Old house cafe

Bakery with a cute elephant logo "Bakery Elephant" You can buy bread aged with wheat from Shinshu 🍞 and baked goods (elephant-shaped cookies 🐘 and cakes, etc.) and eat them in the store 🥐 This time, I bought cinnamon rolls, fried bread, elephant cookies, etc., and also ordered two soup plates of the day 🍞 ⭐︎Today's soup plate ¥900 Includes today's soup, salad, jam, a choice of drink, a choice of bread, and dessert Choose your own plate (half-cut bread/about 6 slices) ・High-hydration bread ・Walnut bread ・Country bread The walnut bread is delicious with fragrant walnuts🍞 The high-hydration bread is fluffy and moist🍞 Both were delicious so I ate them all😋 The jam and cake were also delicious, so this is a recommended set✨ Other sets include: ⭐︎Garlic shrimp and broccoli harissa mayo sandwich set　¥900 ⭐︎Butter toast set　¥500 ⭐︎Croissant sandwich set　¥800 ↑Sets can be ordered until 14:00 (last order 13:30). ⭐︎Cake set　¥500 (last order 15:00) Cake, choice of drink 　※Cakes over ¥300 are +¥100 Reasonably priced and delicious‼ ︎ The atmosphere of the shop is calm and nice✨ There are private rooms and chairs for children, so you can eat and drink with peace of mind even if you bring small children! "Bakery Zousan" 📍256-14 Chinohara, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture, 391-0001, Japan Business hours 9:00~16:00 Closed on Mondays Phone number 0266-75-2970 #100TravelStyle #NaganoPrefecture #Chino #Bakery

A stylish Italian restaurant renovated from an old house "cafe&bar Umezo" 🍽️ The downhill slope from the parking lot to the restaurant is surrounded by lots of flowers and greenery, and the view from the terrace seats was great 🌿 Crispy pizza 🍕 Snow crab pasta 🍝 Both are reasonably priced and come with a drink! And they were delicious, so I recommend them ✨ A restaurant where you can relax in a calm atmosphere 😊 "cafe&bar Umezo" 📍3508-1 Toyohira, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture, 391-0213 Japan Opening hours 11:00~22:00 (L.O. 21:00) Closed Wednesdays #100's Travel Style #Nagano Prefecture #Chino #Old house renovation #Italian

Shirakaba Lake is a large tourist attraction in the area. There are many hotels nearby and there is also an amusement park, which is very suitable for family trips. There is a huge Lawson convenience store where we can get supplies. We bought some simple food and had a picnic by the lake. We can also take a bicycle boat to tour the lake and feed the fish. We unexpectedly discovered that the entire packaging of the fish feed is environmentally friendly and edible. Its packaging is similar to the concept of a biscuit box, so after feeding the fish one by one, the outer shells can be directly broken into pieces and thrown to the fish, so there is no garbage at all and it is super environmentally friendly. Then walk along the overpass to the opposite side where there is a paid amusement park, where you can really have fun all day long. Shirakaba Lake Japan〒391-0301 Nagano, Chino, Kitayama, Shirakabako 3419-3 #Japan #Nagano #Shirakaba Lake #Feed the fish #Amusement park #Most beautiful road #Venus Highway #Good place for parents and children #familytravel

I originally wanted to take a trip to Japan's most beautiful road, the "Venus Line", but I found that the entire mountain road passes through many plateaus, including Yachiho Plateau, Shirakabaike Tateshina Plateau, Kurumayama Plateau and Kirignomine Plateau. After leaving Shirakabaike, we planned to go to Kurumayama Plateau. In summer, you can take a cable car to the top of the mountain to enjoy the scenery, or you can hike down the mountain. The scenery is really beautiful. In winter, this is a ski resort, so the cable car we took was actually the same cable car used for skiing in winter. It was a really special experience. Before taking the cable car, there was blue sky and white clouds, and the view was super beautiful! We also changed cable cars in the middle. When we finally reached the top of the mountain, fog started to rise, sometimes clear and sometimes foggy! And it will be really cold when it is foggy and windy at the top of the mountain. There is a huge sphere on the top of the Kuruma Mountain, which is a weather station. There is also a Kuruma Mountain Shrine and a super good viewing platform with a great view. Because it was foggy and colder at the top of the mountain, we couldn't stay there for long! I had to take some photos quickly and then hurried down the mountain. Sure enough, the fog dissipated after we changed to the second cable car and lowered the altitude. As a result, it started raining when we left the Kurumi Plateau and headed towards the Kirignomine Plateau! #Japan #Kurumayama Plateau #cable car #Shirakaba Pond #Venus Highway #Venus #mostbeautifulroad #Mist Peak #goodplaceforfamily #familytravel

Famous for its Onbashira Festival, held once every seven years, Suwa Taisha Shrine is the Ichinomiya (first shrine) of Shinano Province and has 10,000 branch shrines across the country. There are four shrines - Kamisha (Maemiya, Honmiya) to the south of Lake Suwa and Shimosha (Harumiya, Akimiya) to the north - and it is popular to visit all four shrines at once. The "mae" shrine of Kamisha Maemiya was said to have been located "before" Kamisha Honmiya. It is about 10 minutes from Suwa IC and is easily accessible by car. As soon as you pass through the torii gate from the shrine's parking lot, the road starts to go uphill, and the main shrine is on even higher ground. A clear stream (sui-ga) flows to the left of the main shrine, and you can purify your hands in the stream's water. The Onbashira pillars that have been pulled during the Onbashira Festival are erected in the four corners of the main shrine. The sacred tree is over 200 years old and has a diameter of over 1m. Its size and smooth, shiny surface make it overwhelmingly divine. However, the underside of the pillar is thorny. From the forest where it was cut down to Suwa Taisha, it is about 20km for the upper shrine and 12km for the lower shrine, and the sacred tree weighing over 10 tons is transported by hand across rivers and mountains. This is the Onbashira Festival, which is held once every seven years. The marks left by the hauling are clearly visible as thorny marks on the underside. It is a culmination of the strength of the people, and is definitely worth seeing. Suwa Taisha Kamisha Maemiya feels like a shrine carved out into the forest, and I think that out of the four shrines, it is the shrine where you can feel the most close to nature. It is definitely a power spot. Suwa Taisha Kamisha Maemiya: Address: Miyagawa 2030, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture Access: 2.5km (10 minutes) from Suwa IC Seal: 9am-4pm (More than 20 people were lined up because it was Golden Week) #Prayer #Suwa #Suwa Taisha #Shrine

"Kitayokodake" is a mountain in the North Yatsugatake Mountains, located between Sakuho Town and Chino City in Nagano Prefecture. You can easily enjoy the alpine panorama by using the ropeway. There are various ways to enjoy it depending on the season, such as autumn leaves and snowshoeing in winter. It is also popular as an introduction to snowy mountain climbing. #trip2023

A bit too commercialized but still beautiful. We visited in Fall and saw the maples with different shades of colors. There's many stores and restaurants nearby and a Teddy Bear museum too. Beautiful lake with about 4km circumference. A lot of recreational activities around- amusement park, canoe, swan boat, kayak, freshwater fishing and good running lane. For 1500-2000 yen you can catch rainbow trout, bass,and wakasagi(depending on the season). Shirakaba craft beers are available at the Lawson convenience store.

It is an extremely beautiful place. The momiji leaves are the most beautiful I have ever seen. It was well worth it to come here. I recommend it if you are looking for a stunning autumn leaves location. We visited this temple in November and it was nice timing to enjoy Autumn leaves. Actually the prime time for Autumn leaves in this temple was November but as you can imagine, prime time means too many people. The color of the leaves are changing and aging day by day but a few days before or after the peak, I would say, is the best timing to enjoy Autumn leaves without crowd.

If your looking for an autumn 🍂 viewing then this temple is one of the best. Although it’s small area but if you want to see this kind of momiji (Japanese maple plant) in stanning red color. A temple in Chino City, Nagano Prefecture, which has a history of more than 50 years and has beautiful autumn leaves. There are 10 main parking lots and other temporary parking lots. During the fall foliage season, the contrast between the green of the 300-year-old cedar trees on the approach to the shrine and the bright red of the maple trees makes for a very popular photo opportunity. The best time to see the autumn leaves is from late October to mid-November. If you check Googlemap, there are people who have uploaded photos, so it would be nice to see the photos and decide to visit.

1st stop at Choen-ji Temple. A little temple erected in a rural village at the foot of the Yatsugatake. Choen-ji turns into a piece of art in early November. A dazzling autumn foliage corridor ushered us to the main hall, a golden path of Ginko leaves below our feet and the sky ablaze with red Momiji above our heads. 2nd stop. We had our lunch at Shirakaba Resort Ikenotaira FamilyLand. An amusement park in the highlands. Ikenotaira Familyland features many fun attractions, a large hot spring facility, a museum, and an enviable natural environment. We barely had time so we didn't try all the rides 🥺 We went to see the Peter Rabbit by cable car. Last stop. Mishakaike Pond is a scenic spot in Nagano Prefecture which is known for reflecting the seasonal natural scenery like a mirror. Depending on the time of the day it is said to look completely different. It is located deep inside the mountains of Nagano. #celebratewithtrip

Spot: Mishakaike Address: Okutateshina, Toyohira, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture 391-0213 Parking: 30 spaces, free Photo date: September 25, 2022 Mishakaike is a reservoir located in Toyohira, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture. It has an area of ​​about 0.1ha and a depth of about 7m. It is the motif of the famous painting "Green Echoes". The surrounding area is designated as Yatsugatake Chushin Kogen Quasi-National Park, and on March 25, 2010, it was selected as one of the 100 best reservoirs by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. #NaganoTrip #BreathtakingView #CoupleTrip #suneevlog

Located on the border between Chino City, Nagano Prefecture and Saku Town (now Sakuho Town) in Minamisaku District, Nagano Prefecture, the mountain has a stately shape with roots. The summit is divided into two peaks, with Shunaradaitenmu enshrined on the northern peak at 2,480m, and a third-class triangulation point at the southern peak at 2,473m. The southern peak has a better view, with the mountains of the Yatsugatake main range overlapping in a straight line, and the long foothills stretching out towards the Suwa side are also magnificent. You can also see the Northern Alps in the distance. #trip2022 #Breathtaking view

Address: 3414 Kurumayama Kogen, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture Atmosphere/Facilities: Elegant/Indoor pool, large bath, open-air bath Recommended points: I went there last fall, and the view and buffet were amazing! They also have accommodation plans for pets☆ Average price: From 20,000 yen Budget per person: From 10,000 yen Evaluation: This is one of the hotels I would recommend to friends and family☆ #trip2022 #Nagano

🌟HYTTER LODGE & CABINS🌟 ⁡ ⁡ A lodging facility consisting of a hot spring lodge and a campsite on the shores of Lake Tateshina☺️ ⁡ The feature of this lodge is that you can enjoy activities in nature while staying in a lodge with a hot spring or a cabin at the campsite✨✨ ⁡ ⁡ It's not a place where everything is prepared for you, but a place where ways to play are invented😂 ⁡ ⁡ You can enjoy it even if you bring a lot of things, even if you don't bring anything like glamping👍 ⁡ ⁡ All items can be rented. ⁡ ⁡ In addition, there is a hot spring that flows directly from the source, ⁡ A cafe where you can enjoy breakfast and coffee, ⁡ Focusing on fresh vegetables from the foot of the Yatsugatake Mountains, ⁡ Private tatami rooms where you can relax with your family or close friends, ⁡ You can spend a relaxing time with the view of Lake Tateshina and the Yatsugatake Mountains, ⁡ 👍 ⁡ ⁡ It was a weekday, ⁡ There were a few groups at the campsite, ⁡ The lodge was fully booked and there was no one in the hot springs 😂 lol ⁡ ⁡ The rain forecast was blown away, and it was sunny all day ☀️ ⁡ ⁡ Do you like camping and barbecues? ⁡ Do you like going somewhere by plane, boat, or bullet train? It's fun ⁡ But... ⁡ Ending the day with a cozy bonfire ⁡ isn't bad either, and it's nice to do it once in a while😏 ⁡ ⁡ Summer is almost over, ⁡ Did you all do a lot of summer-like things❓ ⁡ ⁡ What we call summer-like things varies from person to person, but... ⁡ ⁡ I hate the heat and I like winter, so I want winter to come soon ⁡ That's how I feel🙇‍♂️ ⁡ ⁡ I used to go camping every year, but as I get older ⁡ I don't do the things I used to do anymore😅 ⁡ ⁡ I was able to do something camp-like for the first time in a while ⁡ It was a day when I thought it was nice to do something camp-like once in a while. ⁡ Even though we do barbecues all the time ⁡ we don't do camping very often😂lol #camping #Tateshinayama #hot springs #Yatsugatake #great view #barbecue

Address: 3414 Kitayama, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture Atmosphere/Facilities: Pretty good Recommended points: Rooms that blend into nature, delicious food at the restaurant, banana juice at the breakfast buffet, you can stay in the same room as your pet. #Breathtaking views

On the way back from climbing Mt. Yatsugatake and soaking in a hot spring, we stopped by Tateshina Freedom Farm in Haramura! It's like a farm shop! They were selling delicious apples and vegetables from Nagano Prefecture at reasonable prices! I got so excited that I ended up buying too much! #TateshinaFreedomFarmHaramura #vegetables #Nagano #mountaineering #hotsprings

I found a mountain hut on the way down from Mt. Tengu! It seems you can order curry and other dishes even if you don't stay at the inn! They sell cute outdoor goods and accessories inside! Please stop by! #mountaineering #mountain hut #nagano

I climbed Mt. Tengu in Nagano Prefecture! On the way back, I found a place called Kuroyuridaira! I also enjoyed the autumn leaves on the mountain. From Kuroyuridaira, I could see Mt. Tengu! The clouds were moving so fast that I couldn't help but take a video! I recommend that everyone go there too! #mountaineering #mttengudake #kuroyuridaira #autumnleaves

#springwander "Ohukaike" is loved by many photographers and painters for the way the larch forest is reflected on the quiet surface of the lake. To see the scenery, we recommend early morning with relatively little wind. From fresh green to summer, autumn leaves and different appearances for each season. There is also the Yokotani Valley nearby, and you can visit it as well as hiking.

Kurumayama Plateau in Chino, Nagano Prefecture is the perfect place for hiking, winter sports, and driving! Lake Shirakaba viewed from the heights was very beautiful and impressive🏔️ There is a lift and you can climb to the top of Kurumayama, but it was very windy and cold in winter, so I would like to climb it when I visit in the summer🚠 There are facilities where you can buy souvenirs and have a restaurant, so it seems like a good place to stop by for a break from driving🚙 📍Location: Kitayama, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture 391-0301 💞Reason for recommendation: Lake Shirakaba viewed from the heights! #Free hotel stay #Lake Shirakaba #Nagano #Nagano sightseeing #Nagano trip #Chino #Kurumayama #Kurumayama Plateau

Lake Shirakaba in Chino, Nagano Prefecture, is about 4km around and is larger than the nearby Lake Tateshina, so we recommend taking the lift to enjoy the whole lake🚠 There are also kayaks and rental bicycles, so you can enjoy the calm lake! It was cold riding the lift in autumn and winter, so next time I'd like to visit in summer🌳 If you're visiting Nagano/Chino, be sure to stop by Lake Shirakaba! 📍Address: 3419-3 Kitayama Shirakaba Lake, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture 391-0301 #Free hotel accommodation #Chino #Nagano #Nagano sightseeing #Nagano trip #Shirakaba Lake #Lake #Lift

I visited Pension Tateshina Club in Tateshina, Nagano Prefecture! The owner was a very warm person and it was a wonderful stay 🥰 The bath is shared, but there are two places and a hot tub, so I was able to fully relieve my fatigue ♨️ The breakfast was Western-style and very delicious! It seems that deer often appear around the pension, but unfortunately I didn't see them, so I would like to visit again for revenge 🦌 📍Address: 4035-908 Kitayama Tateshina, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture 391-0301 💞Reason for recommendation: If you're lucky, you might see a deer 🦌 #Free hotel stay #Nagano #Nagano sightseeing #Nagano trip #Tateshina #Pension #Nature

Is it like Northern Europe? Lake Tateshina, a place rich in nature that reminds you of Switzerland or Finland. You can enjoy Tateshina Ice's "Milk Soft Serve" there. Made with a generous amount of local milk, the moderate sweetness spreads pleasantly throughout your mouth. A rich lineup that reflects the local and seasonal flavors, such as vanilla, Shine Muscat, and sake lees. Personally, I also recommend the Tateshina honey soft serve🍯 Please try to find your favorite. ▼Specialty Soft Serve x Local Ingredients ▼Area Lake Tateshina, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture ▼Address 4035-2906 Kitayama Tateshina, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture 391-0301 ▼Business Hours 9:00-17:00 #Nagano#Venus Line#Lake Tateshina

#GlobalTravel My winter trip to Japan started from Tokyo, first went to the resort town of Karuizawa, and then went deep into Nagano. After staying overnight at the less popular Chino Station, we took a bus to the foot of Kita Yatsugatake the next morning. Along the way, many climbers and ski enthusiasts brought their gear with them, which shows that this place is very popular among the Japanese. If you want to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Kita Yatsugatake when you come to Kita Yatsugatake, you can take the aerial cable car. It only takes 7 minutes from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain. Sometimes you can also see climbers on the mountains along the way! After arriving at the mountaintop cable car station, Tsuboniwa Nature Garden is right in front of you. In the summer, you can enjoy different plants, and in the winter, of course, you come here to see the frost and snow scenery. I heard that the black tea in autumn is also spectacular. With its different beauty in every season, Kita Yatsugatake is not only a great choice for admiring the natural beauty, but also an ideal place to experience outdoor activities. We returned to Chino Station for lunch and tried the local unique horse meat for the first time. I always felt that it was an incredible dish. 📍Address: Kita Yatsugatake

Photo taken on November 9, 2024 Location: Choenji Temple, Nagano, Japan Transportation: JR Chino Station, then a 15-minute taxi ride for JPY 2,800 There is a song called "Why Are the Flowers So Red?" Today, I want to sing, "Why Are the Leaves So Red?" Choenji Temple (清龍山 長圓寺) is located in Chino, Nagano. It is a 15-minute taxi ride from Chino Station, costing JPY 1,300. There are no buses. On the way back, the driver was unwilling to pick us up, so we had to call a taxi ourselves. It was very inconvenient, so we walked 5.3 km back to the JR station. Such a remote location, costing time, money, and energy. A small temple that takes 5 minutes to walk around, really, 5 minutes. But I had to come here. Because, during the maple season, the maple leaves here turn blood red. I have seen blood-red maple leaves in Kyoto and Nara, but not many. Here, several maple trees blend with towering cedar trees, and there is a ginkgo tree over 20 meters tall in the temple. This year, the maple leaves were late. Yesterday, the temple's website said that the leaves would turn blood red in the next few days. I knew we were a day early because, based on last year's daily photos, the leaves were only 70% red today. Sure enough, more than half of the maple leaves were still red-black, but two trees were completely red. This amazed my companions. I spent an hour taking photos of a tree, just me, never getting enough. I didn't capture the most classic scene, but I was still moved by what I saw.