Temple Spots in Nagano Area

  • Zenkoji Temple
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    4.5
    1970 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Naganoshi Naganomotoyoshichou 491-b
    "Located in Nagano City, this temple does not belong to any sect. Any sect is free to worship here, which has received veneration for having Japan's oldest Ikko Sanson Amida Nyorai as the main deity. During the Edo period, it was said that ""once in your life, visit Zenkoji Temple,"" The ""oasaji"" is performed every day during the sunrise. If you purchase a ticket for the inner sanctum, you can worship up close. The ""zenritsu honzon"" is performed once every seven years. About 15 minutes by bus from JR Nagano Station."

    This temple is absolutely beautiful and our favourite so far having visited many of the shrines and temples in Tokyo. There are much less tourists here which gives you the opportunity to savour and...

  • Kozenji Temple
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    4.5
    156 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Komaganeshi Akaho 29
    Kozenji Temple contains ten halls and is widely revered as the dwelling place of many deities of the South Shinshu region. It was established in 860 by Honjo Shonin and was mainly built to worship Acala, the God of Fire. The temple is undergoing renovations and maintenance until 2020, so some pathways have been changed. Make sure to confirm in advance. It’s about 10 minutes by car from the Komagane Interchange on the Chuo Expressway.

    We came to see the weeping sakura but were impressed by this temple. Very tranquil temple with a well-laid out garden backed up to the natural mountain forest. The sakura are of many, many varieties...

  • Anrakuji Temple
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    4.5
    176 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Uedashi Besshonsen 2361
    This Soto school Buddhist temple is located in Bessho Onsen in Ueda City. The oldest temple in Nagano Prefecture, it is also famous for its octagonal three-storied pagoda, a National Treasure. The pagoda is said to have been built in the Kamakura period and is the only original octagonal pagoda still standing in Japan. An entrance fee is required to view the pagoda interior. A 14-minute walk from Bessho-Onsen Station.

    Anrakuji, with its impressive wooden octagonal pagoda built in the Chinese Sung architectural style during the Kamakura Period (1192-1333). The pagoda is the only example of its kind left in Japan...

  • Ganshoin
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    4.0
    137 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Kamitakaigunobusemachi Karida 604
    The Buddha is the principal object of worship here at this Soto sect temple in Obuse Town, Kamitakai County, Nagano Prefecture. Ogino Bingo no Kami Jorin, Lord of Karida Castle, laid the foundation stone in 1472, and the Zen priest Futaku Genkei founded the temple. On the ceiling of the main hall you can see the 21 tatami mat sized painting “The Great Ho-O”, painted by Katsuhika Hokusai. As well as this impressive painting there are many other places of interest such as the mausoleum of Fukushima Masanori, a Japanese daimyo of the late Sengoku period, and the pond with inscription where Kobayashi Issa composed his well-known haiku “Thin little frog, Don’t give in, Issa is here”.

    Beautiful Sakura with temple in the background. The taxi ride is about 5-10 min or 30 walk from Obuse train station.

  • Motozenkoji Temple
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    4.0
    92 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Idashi Zakouji 2638
    This temple is in Zakoji, Iida City. It is said to have been established in Yoshimitsu Honda’s hometown when he encountered Amida Buddha on his way to the capital in the 10th year of Empress Suiko’s reign (602). Afterwards, the Amida Buddha was transferred to Nagano City, where it is currently, and became established as Zenkoji Temple, which was named after Yoshimitsu. Visiting only Zenkoji Temple or Motozenkoji Temple is considered “unbalanced worship,” so many worshipers visit both.

    元善光寺のことを知るとすぐに行きたくなり、飯田線の旅に出ました。駅から近いので、体力に自信がない方でもお参りに行けると思います。お戒壇めぐりもしました。時間がなかったので、有料のところは行かなかったのですが、次回はゆっくりしたいです。おみくじを引きました。常に心がけていることが書いてあり、このまま変わらなくていんだと勇気をくれました。 平日だとおまんじゅう屋さん休みのようなので購入出来なかったのが...

  • Nunobiki Kannon Shakusonji Temple
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    4.5
    50 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Komoroshi Okubo 2250
    "This is the common name of Shakusonji Temple, a temple of the Tendai Sect of Buddhism located in Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. Famous as the birthplace of the legend of ""a cow led a woman to Zenkoji Temple,"" the temple is dedicated to Kannon Bodhisattva. The Kannondo Kuden is a nationally Important Cultural Property, and Hakusansha Shaden is a designated Prefectural Treasure. In addition, it is the 29th temple of the Shinano 33 Kannon Sacred Places, drawing visits by many worshippers."

    One of the spiritual center in Japan.the monk used to study here.one of the the temples here is on the cliff! U should check the pic.that is very unique even in Japan .must see. If u are lucky, u...

  • Zensanji Temple
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    4.0
    51 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Uedashi Maeyama 300
    Zensanji Temple is said to have been initially opened in 812 as a sacred place where the monk Kukai is said to have honed his Homa ritual. The three-story “incomplete complete tower,” whose exact date of construction is not clear but is said to have been the beginning of the Muromachi period, is quite famous. You must try the temple’s famous homemade walnut bean cakes available in the temple kitchen reception room every year from the vernal equinox until around the end of November. It’s about a 30-minute drive from the Ueda Sugadaira Interchange on the Joshin-Etsu Expressway.

    結構きつい階段を上がります。でも頑張った甲斐のある建物が目の前に現れてホッとします。花の無い時期でしたが建物自体が美しいので十分楽しめました。

  • Joraku-ji Temple
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    4.0
    50 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Uedashi Besshonsen 2347
    The head temple of the nearby Kitamuki-kannon Temple, this Buddhist temple was built as one of the three “raku-ji” temples (the Choraku-ji Temple, Anraku-ji Temple, and Joraku-ji Temple) in 825. During the Kamakura period, the temple flourished as a center of Tendai Buddhism. The temple’s principal object of worship, the “Wisdom of Observation Amitabha,” is considered an extremely rare example of its type found anywhere in the country. The Hon-do (main hall) has a rounded thatched roof; behind it stands a two-tier pagoda  that is registered as an Important Cultural Property and which is the spot where the Buddhist statue enshrined in the Kitamuki-kannon Temple in the back is said to have appeared. The Joraku-ji Temple Art Museum  on the grounds exhibits rare and valuable temple treasures such as the Tokugawa Ieyasu Nikka Nenbutsu prayer scroll; a figure of Avalokitesvara; and the Miuraya-zu painting, a National Art Treasure. Closest station: Bessho-Onsen Station.

    天台宗のお寺になります。一目見て茅葺の屋根が興味深く感じました。現在の建物は18世紀前半というのだから、随分と大切にされてきたのでしょうね。境内の奥には重要文化財の多宝塔も有ります。

  • Jiunji Temple
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    4.5
    22 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Suwa-gun Shimosuwamachi Higashimachinaka 606
    A Buddhist temple located in Shimosuwa Town. This famous Rinzai Zen temple was founded over 700 years ago and, because Takeda Shingen helped restore it at a time when the temple was in decline, the caltrap family crest of the Takeda clan is used as the temple crest. The cedars lining the approach to the shrine have been allowed to grow quite large, unlike most temples, and are handsomely maintained. The temple's Japanese garden, which encompasses a rock garden and circular strolling garden around a central pond, achieved its current form in 1897. A sacred Katsura tree over 450 years old grows in the front garden. The main temple and main temple gate were built in the late Edo period and have been designated Cultural Properties by the town. Parking available.

    諏訪大社 下社 春宮の近くにあり、このお寺の存在が隠れてしまってますがとてもいいお寺だと思います。諏訪大社訪問時に近所の方から教えて貰いました。

  • Soto School of Zen Shindenzan Chokoku-ji Temple
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    4.5
    30 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Naganoshi Matsushiromachi Matsushiro 1015-1
    This is a Zen Buddhist temple of the Soto school in Matsushiro Town, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, known as the family temple of the Matsushiro clan. It started as Hasedera built in 1547 by Yukitaka Sanada in today’s Sanada Town, Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, and was later moved and given its current name. The richly colored and ornamental engraved solemn mausoleum is that of Nobuyuki Sanada, and has been designated as one of Japan’s Important Cultural Properties. In the grounds is a graveyard for successive feudal lords, a memorial tower for parent and child Yukimura and Daisuke, and a number of temple treasures connected to the Sanada family.

    松代城や真田邸から離れた場所にあります。松代藩主真田家の菩提寺。真田信之の霊屋があります。お城のような大きな屋根で、鯱がのっています。境内もとても広く、奥田木工民親の墓もこちらにあります。

  • Saiko-ji Temple
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    3.5
    30 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Nagano-shi Kitaishidocho 1398
    This Buddhist temple is famous for its etoki picture explanations, an art form which used pictures to preach to and guide worshippers. The temple's origins date back to 1199 when Karukaya built a thatched hut here. The temple's principal object of worship, a father and son Kshitigarbha statues carved by Karukaya and his son, have been designated Important Cultural Properties by Nagano City.

    From JR Nagano station, it is about a good 5-mins walk to this temple, located in one of the main streets of the city. It is a buddhist temple and much smaller than Zenkoji, which is about 15mins...

  • Shinano Kokubunji Temple
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    4.0
    24 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Ueda-shi Kokubu 1049
    "A Buddhist temple located a five-minute walk from Shinano Railway Shinano-Kokubunji Station. The temple was originally founded in the Nara period and burned down during the strife of the Johei era, later being rebuilt at its current location in the Muromachi period. The grounds encompass a variety of buildings, including a main temple building enshrining a statue of Bhaisajyaguru. The temple's three tier pagoda, a designated National Important Cultural Property, is the oldest of the temple's pagodas. Also known as the Yokado, meaning ""eighth day temple,"" the temple's annual festival held on January 7 and 8 attracts large numbers of visitors. The temple's tower-shaped Somin Shorai talismans, said to grant familial peace, health, and prosperity, are a popular souvenir. The temple is additionally known as the ""Lotus Temple"" and the ""Lotus Field,"" and it holds a lotus festival in July."

    奈良時代の創建当時はここよりも南の方に有り、現在は史跡公園として整備されています。こちらのお寺は、真田と徳川との第二次合戦時に会見が行われたと小説や大河ドラマで良く描かれています。ただ真偽は不明で、江戸中期の軍記に初めて出てくるそうですね。三重の塔は重要文化財です。

  • Jyokoji
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    4.0
    21 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Kamitakaigunobusemachi Karida 676
    "A Buddhist temple located in Karida, Obuse Town, Kamitakai County. The temple's Yakushi-do hall was built in 1408; a renowned example of early Muromachi period architecture, the hall has been designated a National Important Cultural Property. The temple is also known as the ""Tsumagoi Yakushi"" (""Wife's Love Healing Buddha"") and many worshipers visit the temple to pray for luck in finding a suitable match. Mameya is a restaurant on the temple's grounds serves tofu cuisine, while Daikoku Oyaki-dokoro is a teahouse and shop."

    It is a bit of a walk from the center of Obuse through some interesting wineries. It’s very rugged and the path up the mountain is made with old stones, not concrete. Interestingly there is a slack...

  • Ichijozan Daiho-ji Temple
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    4.5
    17 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Chisagatagunaokimura Tougou 2052
    "Located around 25 minutes' drive from the Ueda-Sugadaira Interchange on the Joshin-Etsu Expressway, Ichijozan Daiho-ji Temple is a Buddhist temple belonging to the Tendai sect that was built in the Nara period (710-794), and which is one of the oldest temples in the Shinshu region. The temple's three-story pagoda, which was constructed in 1333, came to be known as the ""Looking Back Pagoda,"" because it is so beautiful that people leaving the temple after a visit can't help turning around to have a last look at the pagoda. There are many designated Important Cultural Properties in the temple, including the Zushi (miniature shrine), which is decorated with what are believed to be Japan's oldest Shachihoko (mythical animals with the head of a tiger and body of a carp, used as ornamentation on roofs). The temple's appearance changes with the seasons, with visitors being able to see plum blossom and cherry blossom in spring, azaleas in early summer, and autumn foliage in autumn. In summer, it is sometimes also possible to see Great Purple Emperor, which is the national butterfly of Japan. "

    奈良時代の創建の古刹、檜皮葺の三重塔は国宝です。紅葉や桜の季節の写真がよく使用されますが、緑の中のシルエットも良いです。重 日本最古とされる重文の鯱は晴れていないと見えないようですが無事見られました。同じく重文の須弥壇や厨子の他、羅漢像等見どころも多いです。

  • Daihonzan Zenkoji Temple Daihongan
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    4.0
    19 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano-shi Motomachi-cho in Nagano prefecture 500
    "The main image of this Pure Land Buddhist temple in Nagano City is Japan's oldest ""Ikko Sanzon Amida Nyorai."" The main temple was constructed in 1707 and has been designated a national treasure. They accept requests for prayers for things including family safety, safe driving, prosperity, health and passing exams, and also conduct ancestor memorial services. Besides the regular fetus memorial service, the temple holds sutra transcription class in odd-numbered months and Buddhism courses for youth in even-numbered months."

    善光寺の門前町にいくつかある寺院のうちの一つで尼寺。善光寺の住職を兼ねる由緒のある寺らしい。なかなか商売上手らしく、水子供養の看板が出ていた。

  • Chuzenji Temple
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    4.0
    15 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Uedashi Maeyama 1721
    Chuzenji Temple was built nearly 800 years ago (toward the end of the Heian period), and it is said to be the oldest temple not only in Nagano Prefecture, but the entire Chubu and Kanto regions. It has been designated an Important Cultural Property (structure). It is surrounded by trees and has a calm atmosphere that lets you feel the history of the place.

    信州最古の木造建築の薬師堂があります。 正方形で四面とも三間の造り。茅葺屋根に宝珠がのっています。 歴史を感じる一方で、その対称性と屋根の丸みから可愛らしく感じてしまいます。 12月に行きましたが、枯芝に似合うお堂ですね。 周囲を1周できるのでいろんな角度から見られます。 裏のお墓エリアからちょっと俯瞰気味に見ることも。 薬師堂の反対側のわりと広めの枯山水や、本堂前のちょっとした石庭などもありおす...

  • Daihoji Temple
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    3.5
    13 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Shiojirishi Narai 423
    This temple is a Myoshin-ji Temple of the Rinzai sect and was established in 1582 in Narai, Shiojiri City. Jurojin, one of the seven deities of good fortune, is worshipped here, and this is also a sacred spot visited by those making pilgrimages to various temples. There is also a Maria Jizo, whose shattered head serves as a famous symbol of the suppression of Christians in the Edo period. It is a popular spot for azalea viewing in June and the changing of the leaves in autumn.

    《マリア地蔵》があるとのことで訪問しました。 《マリア地蔵》と呼ばれるものとして[埼玉県幸手市]にもありますが こちらの《マリア地蔵》は 子供の持つ蓮華の先が十字状(添付 写真参照)になっており よりこれが 隠れキリシタンの為の地蔵尊ではないかと 印象付けられます。

  • Tateshinayama Shokoji Temple
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    4.0
    11 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Chinoshi Kitayama Tateshina 4035
    Located in Chino City, Nagano Prefecture, this temple was founded to pray for traffic safety in 1970. There are about 300 Yoshino cherry trees on the grounds; because of the 1,200-meter elevation, they bloom somewhat late, between the end of April and early May. The temple holds its Shokoji Sakura Festival when the trees are in bloom, lighting them up in the evening.

    今年の桜は早くてGW前には満開になってしまった。GWに観桜を楽しみにしていたけど、ちょっと残念。まぁ自然のものだから仕方ないけど。

  • Gofukuji Temple
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    4.5
    9 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Matsumotoshi Uchida 2573
    This Chisan (sect of Shingon Buddhism) temple famous as a Japanese mountain ascetism temple is on Mt. Hachibuse located in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture. It enshrines items such as an 11-headed Kanzeon Bodhisattva, and possessed various Important Cultural Properties including a Deva gate. Famous for warding off evil, the Yakuyoke Ennichi Taisai festival held every January is visited by many worshippers.

    素敵だった「牛伏川フランス式階段工」の後に訪問しました。「牛伏川フランス式階段工」のちょっと手前にあるんですが、もっと手前のそば処坂口茶屋の所に牛伏寺の寺号標と参道の入口があり、そこから参道を登った所、道に草木が生茂り過ぎて進むことが出来ませんでした。かつての参道だったんでしょうか? そこから牛伏川沿いの道を進むと道の脇に牛堂なるお堂があり、その先に「牛伏川フランス式階段工」に向かう道とは別に山...

  • Rinsenji Temple
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    3.0
    11 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Kiso-gun Agematsumachi Agematsu 1704
    A Buddhist temple located in Agematsu Town, Kiso County, Nagano Prefecture. The grounds encompass an observatory with a commanding view of Nezame no Toko, a picturesque destination on the Kiso River which has also been designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty; and a treasure house museum whose exhibits include a fishing rod said to have belonged to the legendary Urashima Taro. Each month on the 29th (excluding in winter), the Nezame Market is held on the grounds, and here you can purchase local specialty products.

    お寺の中に寝覚の床への入り口があるとのことだったので、こちらを経由して行きましたが、どうやら他の場所からも寝覚の床へ降りることができるようでした。(遠いのかもしれません) お寺自体は、見応えがあるような感じではありませんでしたが、入場料200円となっています。

Nagano Areas

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Nagano prefecture is an exciting mix of mountains, hot spring monkeys, and preserved Edo history. At the heart of the Japanese Alps, Nagano is one of the country’s most popular destinations, whether in winter for its snow sports and the much-loved Jigokudani Monkey Park or in the warmer months for discovering the undulating hills on foot. For fantastic Edo architecture, head to the Kiso Valley for a 60-kilometer stretch of quaint wooden buildings that marked the Nakasendo route 200 years ago.

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