Private Full-Day Obuse and Zenkoji Temple Tour: Explore Famous Japanese Art and Culture
Nagano
Immerse yourself in Japanese art and culture on a private full-day tour of Obuse and Zenkoji Temple. Discover the works of renowned artist Hokusai, savor local cuisine, and explore the historic Zenkoji Temple.
Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Nagano Station - We will meet up in front of Starbucks coffee shop at Nagano station.
    And take a train to Obuse city, which takes around 30mins.
  • Hokusai-kan - From Nagano station, it takes 40mins on a local train.

You can enter Hokusai museum and see Hokusai’s master pieces in his later period. Painting are mostly with English introduction. Guide will also explain about this place.

  • Ganshoin Temple - You can enter Ganshoji-temple and see Hokusai’s masterpiece “Phenix ceiling painting”.
    The size of the painting is 21 tatami mats wide, about 34 square meters.

we take a bus to visit.

  • Obuse-machi - We have lunch at Obuse city central. Obuse is famous for chestnut, so you can enjoy meals made from chestnut like steamed chestnut-rice.
    There are some options, so guide will recommend good restaurant by your preferences.
  • Kozan Takai Memorial Museum - You can enter Takai Kozan museum.

Takai Kozan was one of the wealthiest farmer-merchants of Obuse. You could see the interior of a house in Edo Period, that decorated with works of art made by Takai Kozan.
If you are interested in art or history, this could be a food place to visit.
Guide will give you introduction.

  • (株)松葉屋本店 - Matsubaya-Honten has more than 200 years history as Japanese Sake brewery. The building are made of bricks with a chimney.
    You can taste different kinds of Japanese-sake.
    Guide will explain differences and features.
    You can find your favorite one.

″this place is an optional. If you are not interested Sake, we can skip this place.
″Sake brewing only can be seen winter season.

  • Zenko-ji Temple - Back to Nagano city with 20mins train ride to visit Zenkoji-temple, which is one of the most important and popular pilgrimage sites in Japan, attracting millions of visitors each year.
    This temple also has lots of small shops selling local snacks so we recommend you the one really tasty and local people love to eat when they visit there.
    Furthermore, we can take you to other temples nearby, which are hardly find for travelers because they are not located on the main street.

Guide will explain about temple and how to pray.

  • Nagano Station - We back from Zenkoji-temple to Nagano station on foot which takes around 20mins.
    we arrive at the station before 18:00, and finish the tour.
What's Included
  • Private guide
  • All fees and/or taxes included
What's Not Included
  • Private transportation
  • Food & Drinks
Additional Information

A journey exploring the art town of Obuse and one of Japan’s most important temples, Zenkoji-temple. A private guide, fluent in the language and knowledgeable about the area, will accommodate your preferences flexibly. We can take you to local spots that are difficult to find without the help of locals.

This tour help you

  • to understand Hokusai who is the most famous Ukiyoe artist.
  • to enjoy local food and taste sake
  • to understand Zenkoji-temple

Obuse is a small town which has rich Japanese culture.
One of the most famous Ukiyoe artists in the WORLD ‘Katsushika Hokusai’ moved to Obuse when he was 83 and made lots of masterpieces. If you are interested in art, Obuse is the place you must visit.

Zenkoji-temple is important temple for Japanese and attracts millions of travelers every year.

Itinerary can be flexible. We can recommend and organize the tour, so please let us know your preferences.

Location
Nagano Station
Your guide will be waiting in front of Beck's coffee shop, which is located just outside of Shinkansen / Bullet Train ticket gates at 09:30. Your guide will be having Your Name Card. Please ensure you are at the meetup point early so that departure is not delayed.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.