Togakushi Shrine戸隠神社

The innermost of the five shrines is reached on foot. Past the red thatched Zuishinmon gate, more than 200 cedars line about 500 m of path, about 400 years old and a natural monument since 1973. The last stretch to Okusha is steep stone steps, and Kuzuryūsha, the dragon shrine, stands beside it. From 7 January (in 2026) the path is closed beyond the gate until the snow melts in late April, because of avalanche and falling-debris risk.

Togakushi Shrine is five shrines along the mountain. Hōkōsha (宝光社) comes first from Nagano, up more than 270 stone steps through old cedars. Hinomikosha (火之御子社) is a 15 min walk on and Chūsha (中社) another 15, the centre of the village with soba shops around it. A local shuttle (¥400, about hourly) or a 40 min walk takes you to the Okusha entrance. Nagano's tourist bureau suggests about 6 hours for all five from Nagano Station.

One of Japan's three great soba (日本三大そば). The flour is milled with the husk (挽きぐるみ), the dough rolled round with a single pin, and the noodles lifted onto a bamboo tray in bocchi-mori (ぼっち盛り), five or six horseshoe-shaped bundles. Togakushi's grated daikon is the condiment. Walking between Chūsha and the Okusha entrance, several shops sit on the way, so lunch fits the circuit.

The “mirror pond” reflects the jagged ridge of Mt Togakushi. The leaves usually peak in mid October and the pond is good from early October to early November; the 2026 forecast is mid to late October. The road is controlled on some autumn weekends and holidays, so come by bus.

One ¥700 ticket (¥500 elementary and junior high, ¥200 from age 4) covers the folk museum (about 2,000 implements), the Togakushi-ryū ninja museum (about 500 tools and documents) and the trick house; the shuriken range is separate. Open 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:30, closed Wednesdays. The Kids Ninja Village (チビッ子忍者村) next to it opens late April to late November, 9:00–17:00, closed Thursdays; entry is ¥650 (¥350 for ages 4 to 6) and ¥2,200 with six activity tickets.