Things to do in Nagano

Nagano gives you a castle that was never rebuilt and monkeys that sit in a hot spring. Matsumoto Castle is one of only a handful of original wooden keeps left in Japan — the interior is steep, dark and unmodernised, which is the point. The monkey park is a 30-minute walk in from the bus stop, and the monkeys are most reliably in the water in winter.

2 places in Nagano, covering temples & shrines, nature & parks — each with opening hours, directions from the nearest station, and the official site.