[2025 Suwa Attraction] Travel Guide for Zenkōji (Updated Mar)

🌹- **Spring**: Stroll through the streets of Nagano City and admire the cherry blossoms that bloom like clouds and mist, creating a beautiful contrast with the ancient temples. It's like stepping into a vivid painting. 🌹- **Summer**: Hike through the lush green forests of Kamikochi, breathe in the fresh air, and feel the vitality of nature. 🌹- **Autumn**: The fiery red leaves of Karuizawa transform the entire town into a dreamlike wonderland. 🌹- **Winter**: Ski down the slopes of Nagano's ski resorts and enjoy the perfect blend of speed and excitement. 🌈A fusion of history and modernity - **Zenkoji Temple**: This 1,400-year-old temple is the spiritual heart of Nagano City. It enshrines a mysterious secret Buddha, and legend has it that visiting once in a lifetime will bring you blessings of eternal happiness. - **Nagano Olympic Museum**: Relive the glory of the 1998 Winter Olympics and experience the perfect combination of sports and culture. 🌲🌲Natural and ecological wonders - **Jigokudani Monkey Park**: Get up close and personal with adorable snow monkeys as they relax in the hot springs. This unique natural spectacle attracts countless visitors. - **Kamikochi**: Known as the "Japanese Alps," this picturesque natural landscape is a paradise for hiking enthusiasts. 🍱🍱A feast of food and culture - **Shinshu Soba**: One of Nagano's specialties, this buckwheat noodle dish is known for its unique texture and rich nutrition, leaving you craving for more. - **Nagano Sake**: Made with high-quality local water and exquisite brewing techniques, this sake has a rich flavor that you won't want to miss. 🌈🌈Nagano City is a charming tourist destination that will captivate you with its natural scenery, historical culture, and culinary experiences. Here, you can experience Japan's four seasons, witness the fusion of history and modernity, marvel at natural and ecological wonders, and indulge in a feast of food and culture. Nagano City awaits your visit! 🌲🌲🌲❤️

Attraction: Nagano Zenkoji Temple 📍Address: 491 Motozencho, Nagano, Nagano City 🕰️Business hours: sunrise to sunset (varies between 4:30 and 16:30 depending on the season) 💞Recommended reasons: Located in #Nagano Prefecture, #Zenkoji Temple has a long history of about 1,400 years. It has no sectarian distinction. Since ancient times, anyone regardless of status, gender, or even religious sect can visit it. About 6 million tourists visit it every year. There are many legends circulating in Zenkoji Temple. The temple enshrines the oldest Buddha statues in Japan, the "Ikko Three Amida Tathagata". They are the Amida Tathagata in the middle, the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva on the right, and the Shichi Bodhisattva on the left. It is said that no one has ever seen this statue. The absolute secret Buddha. Transportation strategy: Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo and get off at JR Nagano Station. It takes about 30 minutes to walk from the Zenkoji Exit of JR Nagano Station. Or take the bus to Zenkoji from Stop 1 at the Zenkojiguchi Bus Plaza, which takes about 15 minutes. It takes 5 to 10 minutes to walk from Zenkoji Station to the main hall. With a history of 1,400 years, every corner of Zenkoji Temple has something to see. From Nagano Station to Zenkoji Temple Omotesando, there are the far-reaching "Eighteen Chou Stones" and "Forty-eight Types of Lanterns". They are derived from the particularly important eighteenth wish among the "Forty-eight Vows" revealed by Amida Tathagata. About 2 kilometers) is Nagano Station. Therefore, when Nagano Station opened, we searched for a location that was just "18-cho" away and set it as the location of Nagano Station. "Forty-Eight Lanterns" are twenty-four groups of forty-eight lanterns installed on Omotesando. After walking along the stone road of the shrine to the territory, you will see the solemn statue of Nio "Niohmon", and then you will arrive at the Sanmon gate built in 1750 and designated as an important cultural property of Japan. There is a plaque with "Zenkoji" written in golden characters on the gate. In fact, there are 5 pigeons on the plaque, 2 of which are in "Zenko", the other 2 are in "Light", and the last one is hidden in "Temple". "inside. At the end is the national treasure "main hall", which is about 24 meters wide, 54 meters deep, and 29 meters high. It is one of the best wooden buildings in Japan. Three Amida Buddha statues are enshrined in the glass altar at the innermost part of the main hall. There is a statue of "Venerable Bintulu" inside. "Venerable Bintulu" is the number one disciple of Sakyamuni Buddha and one of the "Sixteen Arhats". Because Venerable Bintulu has super powers, there is a belief that "patients can be cured by touching the same part of the Buddha statue as their diseased area." Many people touched it, and the wooden Buddha statue sparkled with gold when touched. The outside is also very interesting. The first bell of the opening of the Nagano Olympics came from the Zenkoji Temple "Bell Tower" and the "Seismic Column" and so on. Finally, of course, don’t forget that Omotesando’s “Nakamise Dori” (the section from Nio to Sanmon Gate) is full of delicious food, whether it’s a meal or a dessert, especially Nagano Prefecture, which is second only to Aomori Prefecture in terms of apple production, so you must eat it. Apple pie has a golden multi-layered outer crust and a whole piece of honey-soaked and sweet apple filling. You must also try the milk and egg-related delicacies produced in Shinshu (the old name of Nagano). Nagano Zenkoji Temple is indeed an important national treasure attraction in Nagano.

Zenkoji Temple in Nagano: A Tranquil Zen Vibe in Winter Nagano in winter is a snow-covered wonderland, like a dreamlike ice kingdom. In this white world, Zenkoji Temple is like an ancient and tranquil pearl, exuding a unique charm. Stepping into Zenkoji Temple, the solemn atmosphere inside the temple complements the icy and snowy scenery outside. The ancient buildings, covered in snow, have softer lines, as if they are one with nature. The iconic three-story pagoda stands proudly in the snow, its spire touching the sky, as if telling a story of a thousand years of history and faith. Walking along the paths in the temple, the sound of "crunch, crunch" underfoot seems like the snow is whispering. Snowflakes fall, covering the trees in the courtyard with a white cloak, bending the branches as if paying homage to this sacred temple. Inside the main hall, candlelight flickers, and the warm glow intertwines with the cold air. The worshippers are devout, with hands clasped in prayer, their figures appearing especially serene and peaceful in the candlelight. The rising incense smoke carries people's wishes, slowly dispersing into the air. In a corner of Zenkoji Temple, monks can be seen sweeping the snow-covered paths. Their movements are slow and rhythmic, sweeping away the snow and seemingly sweeping away the dust in people's hearts. Standing in the temple, looking up, the distant mountains are covered in snow. The white snow and the red walls and black tiles of Zenkoji Temple complement each other, creating a beautiful winter scene. At this moment, the noise in the heart gradually dissipates, leaving only a sense of clarity and purity. Zenkoji Temple in Nagano in winter is not just a temple, but a place where the soul can find solace and peace. Here, time seems to stand still, allowing people to immerse themselves in the thousand-year-old Zen vibe, forgetting the troubles of the world, and enjoying the rare tranquility and beauty.