Boveney

This is an account of a quick two nights in the Nagano region for us (husband and wife, part time Tokyo residents). I hope it might be useful for travellers from abroad wondering whether to include these stops into a longer trip.

Dates of trip: 30 November-2 December 2016, prime koyo season in Kyoto. JTB pushed Arayashiyama as an obvious destination but admitted the crowds would be dense. Since the whole idea was to get away from the crowds in Tokyo, we looked elsewhere.

Obuse, a prosperous agricultural and trading town in the Edo period has successfully revived itself as an arts and heritage centre. Its location in the fertile Nagano basin on the banks of the Chikuma river make it an obvious destination for agritourism (it is known as the Chestnut Town) but it is the connexion with Hokusai which provides the main draw. In 1844, a wealthy local merchant enticed the aging Hokusai to make the journey over the mountains, building a studio for him and commissioning some large scale ceiling paintings. These - so different from the more well known woodblocks - can be viewed at the Obuse Hokusai Museum and at the Ganshoin Temple.

A Japanese friend who'd visited Obuse on a coach tour earlier in the autumn advised that it really warranted at least an overnight stay. As the town is only half an hour by train from Yudanaka, the gateway for Jigokudani Yaen Koen (the Snow Monkey park), we decided to combine the two.
We were visiting midweek and mid-season - past koyo in the Japanese Alps and not yet into the prime snow monkey visit season - but one of the three lodging options in Obuse was already full. This left a French-influenced guest house and a boutique hotel in a converted sake brewery. These were at opposite ends of the price scale but both had excellent reviews. We decided to splurge and booked one night at the Masuichi Kyakuden.

The journey to Obuse is straightforward: 90 minute trip via Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano (8,670 yen), then transfer for the half hour local train to Obuse (note - the latter would not be covered by JR pass but only costs around 700 yen).

We had about half an hour to make the transfer - painless as Nagano Station is well signposted in English, with lots of notices about the Snow Monkey Limited Express. There is a big Info Centre which we skipped as I was (needlessly) worried about the connexion. As it turns out, we bought tickets on the local but ended up boarding the Limited Express. No problem as we simply paid the 100 yen difference when we got off at Obuse.

The staff Information Centre at the Obuse Train Station are very welcoming, English speaking and generous with their stock of English language information on the entire Nagano region. We picked up a map for the 10 minute walk to our hotel, suggestions for soba restaurants (regional specialty) and also the tip that this was the last day for the shuttle bus to the Ganshoin Temple, on the outskirts of town which runs only through end November.

So we dropped our bags, slurped some soba and then wandered the very pretty town before catching the small shuttle bus (300 yen round trip). The Ganshoin Temple ceiling depicts a magnificent phoenix. At more than 30 square metres, it is Hokusai's largest work, painted at the age of 89. There is a 300 yen admission fee and the temple staff switched the information recording over to English for us. As the priest on duty said, the phoenix looks as though it were painted yesterday.

The shuttle bus runs once a hour and while there are hikes up into the mountain slopes, we were anxious to get back. Given the shuttle's circuitous route, we hadn't realized we were just an easy 20 minutes walk back to town . So walked back, stopping on the way to visit the the Obuse Museum with its Nakajima Chinami Gallery.

It was past 3 pm by now and time to check in. The Masuichi Kyakuden is beautiful in that understated Japanese way. Our room was reached via a walkway past a koi pond, then past a separate 24 hour library in an old kura (storehouse), stocked with art and architecture books. Our room was massive by Japanese standards, looking out onto maple trees and the tiled eaves of the other buildings. The old wood floor was warm, the beamed ceiling soaring and the stainless steel bathroom included a deep see-through ofuro. All very cool. Someone on Trip Advisor compares it to an Aman property for luxury. Certainly the design combined cutting edge and traditional, making for low-key elegance.

In our email correspondence with the hotel, we'd been advised that two days notice was required if we wished to eat there. We knew we'd be having a kaiseki dinner at the next ryokan and the Masuichi's two menus both seemed to feature Japonaise-French cuisine which many people love. However we are not fans so took the hotel up on its offer to recommend alternative dining. We asked for an izakaya and one was recommended less than 10 minutes walk away. We realized then that the town shuts down fairly completely at night - at least in this 'off season. ' The streets were dark and quiet but the izakaya was warm and welcoming and we had a good meal with local sake. Given the quality of the breakfast the next morning, I am sure the Masuichi Kyakuden evening meal would have been excellent.

The next day we had a lazy morning - breakfast is served till 11 and check out wasn't till noon. We left our bags at the hotel and went across to the Hokusai Museum. A new exhibition had opened just a few days before on surimono - commemorative woodblock prints - but it was the permanent exhibition which was stunning. The centrepiece of the Museum is the display of two festival floats for which Hokusai painted the ceilings. These are spectacular: astonishingly vivid and detailed.

We had another long walk around town before we left. There are quite a few craft galleries, two sake breweries and many many shops selling chestnut confections. Many homes participate in an Open Gardens scheme. When one spies the scheme's 'welcome' sign, one can simply go through the gate and wander the private gardens or courtyards. I was delighted to discover so many homely small scale spaces which appeal to me even more than the famous formal Japanese gardens. Obuse's big coach parks are a sign that the town may become congested in high season - in summer there are concerts, pottery exhibitions, lectures, workshops etc. But it is hard to believe it is anything like a tourist trap on the scale of, say, Shirakawago.

Part 2 to follow: Shibu-Onsen and the snow monkey park.

Kavey

How marvellous! Can't wait to read part 2 too!

Boveney

Thank you, Kavey! Part 2:
The local train from Obuse to Yudanaka required one change, very simple ( we could have taken the through train if we'd been in a hurry). The train rides and walks through the countryside proved a highlight for me with the views of apple and chestnut orchards and vineyards and village houses with long strings of persimmon hanging from under the eaves. The persimmon trees, bare leaved but full of bright orange fruit, looked like storybook drawings.

We had been quite casual about train and bus timetables so when we got to Yudanaka, it was almost 3 PM. We knew there was a bus to the Monkey Park but the lady at the Information Centre said it was too late in the day, the troop would have gone back up the mountain and much better to wait until morning. It was fine for us as we were staying overnight but anyone doing a day trip would obviously have to co-ordinate train and bus schedules with of course the Park's opening hours.

Yudanaka looked a fairly nondescript place so we had booked the Kokuya ryokan in Shibu Onsen which had been described as a traditional onsen village where people wander the streets in yukata, warm even in winter from the steam rising from the hot springs. Kokuya sent a car to collect us from the station. Check-in included a long explanation of how to access the 9 village onsen and the six in the ryokan. Ten of the 19 rooms in Kokuya have private outdoor onsen attached. We didn't opt for one, but there are two onsen that can be reserved for private use so we booked an hour at the outdoor one.

Meals are served in the dining room, in private tatami alcoves. The privacy screens did not block the noise from a large family group so on the whole we would have preferred the more traditional 'dining in room' style of every other ryokan we've stayed at. That said, the meals were outstanding - we'd been asked when reserving and then again at check in about any allergies or food preferences and happily said we could eat anything. My favourite : a 'chestnut', a small work of art complete with spiny shell and leaf, the whole thing being edible. The meal ended with a small bowl of 'new' local rice - very simple but with memorable taste and texture. We were still so full the next morning we could hardly do justice to the many breakfast courses. There is a choice of Western or Japanese for both meals.

Leaving the ryokan, we took advantage of Kokuya's free bag transfer to a coffeeshop just opposite the Yudanaka station. Eriko, at the Front Desk, made sure we understood the walking path to the Snow Monkey Park and then surprised us with a little parcel of onigiri and candies. The snack made for a welcome impromptu picnic later. The walk to the Park took an hour along dry paths through woods with views of snow capped mountains in the distance. Our options had been to leave at 9:30 when Kokuya offers a free ride to the Park or to take a bus from town. Either of those would have involved a 30 minute walk along what we later discovered were incredibly muddy paths. The route from Shibu Onsen was steep at the beginning but then levelled out - it was closed to traffic that time of the year but seems to be open to cars in summer.

The Park's renovation of its sewer system and new visitor centre, due to have been completed by December 1, was still underway although admission fees had gone up from 500 yen to 800 yen. Given the absence of information, I wished I'd bothered to read up on Japanese macaques before the visit as some knowledge would have deepened our understanding of what was a fascinating close up observation of the troop. (Later walking back along the main path to the carpark , we found a couple of signboards with some information but this was very basic).

Although there was no snow on the ground, the sight of the macaques in the onsen - grooming each other, suckling their young - was riveting. Most of the visitors had serious camera equipment and some were obviously camped out for the duration, waiting for the perfect shot. I'd read that in high season, the crowds can be overwhelming as the hotspring itself is quite small but we didn't experience anything like that. At one point, there was a tremendous disturbance as many bathing macaques leapt out of the water and ran for the hills, screaming, apparently provoked by the sudden appearance of a larger monkey who prowled the perimeter with Leader of the Pack menace. Suddenly being rushed by a number of screaming monkeys the size of small children was unnerving to say the least. We probably spent maybe 40 minutes there - most people seemed to be staying longer. In colder months, people must appreciate the braziers off to one side where the Park attendants keep an eye on things.

We had decided to walk back along the main path to catch the bus to Yudanaka. Here's where we became glad we had walked from Shibu Onsen earlier. This path was very rough going, and it was impossible to avoid the mud. We both had water proof boots but encountered many visitors dismayed at the damage inflicted on their footwear and wishing they'd rented boots at the little gift shop at the carpark. Despite the mud, I was glad not to be doing the 30 minute walk in the snow.

Again, we'd been quite relaxed about checking the bus schedule back to the station. When we stopped in at the gift shop to ask directions, we found we faced an hour's wait. There was a nice looking cafe where we could have killed time. In fact, Kanbayashi Onsen just outside the enetrance to the park included some very attractive and upscale looking hotels/ryokans. It lacked the old timey onsen village atmosphere of Shibu Onsen but would make a very convenient base for visiting the Park.

We were just wondering how long it would take to walk when we noticed a signboard detailing a 40 minute walking route to Yudanaka Station. Looking at the map, we'd thought we had to walk along the main road but this route - signposted all the way at great frequency - had us on quiet backstreets. It was a lovely, easy walk and took us past a gallery and sake brewery, giving us a chance to admire the interior of one of the beautiful old buildings we'd been enjoying from the outside.

We collected our luggage from the coffee shop and caught a local train back to Nagano along the now familiar line. We had booked a late shinkansen - there is always the chance to switch to an earlier train but not a later one, so we rebooked and were soon on our way back to Tokyo. I hope anyone reading this is tempted to add Obuse and the Snow Monkey Park to their Japan itinerary. Here a link to the Obuse Tourist Guide: http://www.obusekanko.jp/download/pdf/book335.html

Kavey

I've wanted to visit the snow monkeys on each of our visits but been put off by the access routes, I'm not that steady on my feet and worried by the path, whether it's muddy or snowy. Our trips have been in Sep/Oct then Oct/Nov and then Mar/Apr. But it's still something I'd very much like to do...

WeisserTee

This was a great report, thanks! We too want to see the snow monkeys when we finally get to Japan (it helps that we are cold weather travelers). How easy is it to see them in Hokkaido?

Boveney

I'm sorry, no experience with Hokkaido. Maybe ask in a separate post? Thanks for your comment!

gillianma

Extremely informative trip report. I'd love to have a chance to see the snow monkeys - I'll use your guide if I do.

SambaChula

Brought back some great old memories. Thanks.

russ_in_LA

Great report!

Kavey, when we went in spring of last year, we took a taxi from our Shibu Onsen ryokan to the parking lot of the park (on a road that is closed in the winter). From there it was only about a 15 minute walk to the snow monkeys, up and down some small hills, but not too bad. We didn't encounter snow, and there was very little mud (of course, if it's raining that will change quickly). We also taxied back from the same parking lot, so if that sounds like something you could handle, you could try it on trip #4! ;-)

Kavey

OK I will keep it on my wishlist, thanks Russ.
I have some good snow boots (Canadian Sorel Caribou that I bought back in 2004) so I should be able to cope with a little snow and mud as long as it's not the kind that makes balance treacherous!