Nagano — among Alps, temples, and forests

When you arrive in Nagano, the first thing that changes is the sound. The moment the shinkansen doors open, the air on the platform is dry, and the coolness descending from distant mountains brushes your cheeks.

Walking along the mountain stream in Jigokudani, only the sound of footsteps in the forest and the bubbling of hot springs remain. Beside the Japanese macaques leisurely bathing in the hot springs, people too quietly catch their breath.

During the day, a different silence reigns in Zenkoji. The height of the main hall’s ceiling, restored in 1707, the small flames of candles, the wafting scent of incense. For 1,400 years, this temple has welcomed everyone, regardless of faith, and the air here is filled with a warmth unlike the chill of the snowy mountains.

There are two kinds of silence in Shinshu: the silence of the mountains and the silence of prayer. Nagano is a city where you can gently move from one to the other in just a single day.