NAGANO TRIP 
As you travel throughout Japan, you must visit an art places and experience local culture in Nagano prefecture. Nagano(長野) has many places to enjoy art and culture. Today, we provide information about 7 popular art and culture places that should be near the top of your “must visit, must experience” list while traveling throughout Japan.
VISIT MATSUMOTO CITY MUSEUM OF ART
Matsumoto City Museum (松本市美術館) of Art is located in Matsumoto City, about 10 minutes walk from Matsumoto Station. This museum is displaying pictures that relate to Nagano. For example, in a Matsumoto City Museum, absolutely the Most famous artist is Kusama Yayoi (草間彌生). Kusama Yayoi is a Japanese contemporary artist. Her picture’s characteristic point is Polka-dot pattern. She received numerous international awards.
VISIT HOKUSAI MUSEUM
Hokusai Museum (北斎館) is located in Obuse town, Nagano. There are many paintings by Katsushika Hokusai who was Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. He represents of Japonism. It is said that Vincent Willem van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet, Édouard Manet, and much more artists were influenced by Hokusai.
Not only visitor can enjoy Hokusai Museum but also walking in the Obuse town. Obuse town is a historical town. There are some Walking road, Museum, Restaurant, Food tourism. In addition, Obuse is famous Chestnut town. There are many delicious chestnut dishes.
VISIT CHIHIRO ART MUSEUM AZUMINO, AND MATSUKAWAMURA AZUMINOCHIHIRO PARK
Chihiro Art Museum Azumino (安曇野ちひろ美術館) was built in 1997, in Matsukawa village, Nagano. “Chihiro” is one painter’s first name, the full name is “Iwasaki Chihiro”. Her drawing has a nice feeling, characteristic power, and kindness. A highly important point, Her drawing is used TOTTO-CHAN The Little Girl at the Window, which is most sold books in Japan, was written by Kuroyanagi Tetsuko who is a Japanese famous entertainer.
There Chihiro Art Museum Azumino is a huge park. So children can play outside. In addition, there is a cafe in the museum. Visitor can eat lunch and take a break. Please be careful as it is far from the nearest station (Matsukawa station, walk by 30 minutes).
VISIT HIROSHI SENJU MUSEUM KARUIZAWA
Do you know Senju Hiroshi (千住博)? He is a Japanese Nihonga painter. It is famous that his large scale waterfall paintings and Cherryblossom paintings. He received the honorary award of The Venice Biennial in 1995. He painted a Fusuma paintings in the head temple of Kongobuji of Koyasan, in Wakayama, Japan. On the other hand, He painted the walloaint of Akasaka Station in Tokyo. Below picture is Akasaka Station’s painting.
There is HIROSHI SENJU MUSEUM KARUIZAWA (軽井沢千住博美術館) in Karuizawa, Nagano. Unfortunately, we can not post a picture of the museum. However, maybe this thing is good. Because, if you look at the museum pictures now, your excitement will fade when you visit the HIROSHI SENJU MUSEUM KARUIZAWA for the first time. That’s how much beautiful museum.
EXPERIENCE MAKING TONBO-DAMA (GLASS BEADS)
Tombo-Dama (とんぼ玉) is a hole opens glass beads. It is said that tombo-dama was used from B.C. 3000 as an ornament, was a very precious object. There are many tombo-dama workshop studio in Nagano. Visitor can have making experience tombo-dama in almost Japanese workshop studio. A visitor gets the original tombo-dama in the world. Below is our recommended workshop studio. Let’s try!
・TONBODAMA TAIKEN KOBO GLASS ART ATELIER SHO (4856-1, Aisome, Kitaazumi Gun Ikeda Machi, Nagano Ken,)
・SHINSHU SUWA GARASU NO SATO (2400-7 Toyoda, Suwa-shi, Nagano Ken,)
・AZUMINO GLASS STUDIO (5076-17, Minamihotaka, Toyoshina, Azumino-shi, Nagano Ken,)
・HAKUBA GLASS WORKSHOP GAKU (3020-52, Hokujo, Kitaazumi Gun Hakuba-mura, Nagano Ken,)
EXPERIENCE MAKING SOBA
Washoku (和食) was registered the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013 by UNESCO. Among a lot of Washoku, Soba (蕎麦) is one of the most typical and traditional Japanese food. Nagano is famous Soba noodles area in Japan. Many visitors might eat Soba in Japan. However, a visitor who experienced Sobauchi is not numerically. Soba uchi (そば打ち) is making Soba. Experiencer uses buckwheat grown in Nagano. Many visitors who have experienced Soba uchi are satisfied.
Below is our recommended Sobauchi workshop studio. Let’s try!
・SOBA TAKAGI (3-5-12 Ote, Matsumoto, Nagano-ken,)
・KAIDA KOGEN ( 2824 Suegawa, Kaida Kogen, Kiso Town, Kiso-gun, Nagano-Ken,)
・TOGAKUSHI TONKURURIN (3018 Togakushi, Nagano-ken)
ART & CULTURE: 7 THINGS TO DO IN NAGANO
We’ve given you a recommended spot of art and culture, but there are many more just waiting for you to discover. Add a little bit of creative flavor to your next travel in Nagano, Japan by including destinations of Museums, Workshop studios in Nagano on your travel itinerary.
