#LetsMET: HOTEL METROPOLITAN NAGANO
Did you know that Nagano Prefecture (長野県 Nagano-ken) is home to the highest mountain ranges in Japan, so much so that it is often called the “roofs of Japan”? Once a host of the 1998 Winter Olympics, Nagano is an outdoor sports mecca particularly famous for skiing and snowboarding. Nagano also offers mouthwatering local delicacies such as Shinshu Soba (信州そば), Shinshu Beef (信州和牛), and apples! You’ll be surprised that this mountainous prefecture is just a mere 1.5 hour away from Tokyo Station (東京駅 Tōkyō-eki) via the Hokuriku Shinkansen (北陸新幹線).
With plenty to discover in and around Nagano Prefecture, it is difficult to squeeze all its dazzling sights into a single day of travelling—so why not stay overnight in its capital city, Nagano City (長野市 Nagano-shi), at HOTEL METROPOLITAN NAGANO? As the hotel is directly connected to and is just a 3-minute walk from JR Nagano Station (長野駅 Nagano-eki), it serves as the perfect base to start your adventure. Seeing is believing, so here’s a video to prove just that:
(Video credit: JR-EAST HOTELS)
To kick things off, here are five recommended restaurants and top three attractions that are easily accessible from your stay at HOTEL METROPOLITAN NAGANO.
Food
1. The Shinshu Nagaya Sakaba (信州長屋酒場)
(Image credit: 信州長屋酒場)
- Rating: ★★★★☆
- Cuisines: Beef, pork, chicken, and fish
- Suitable for: Families, couples
- Distance: 3-minute walk from hotel
- Recommended item: Sake
The Shinshu Nagaya Sakaba is an izakaya with a characteristic exterior and interior design that has been proven to be highly popular among travellers and locals alike. They serve local specialities such as Shinshu Soba and a wide range of sake and wine from Nagano.
2. Kusabue (草笛)
(Image credit: 草笛)
- Rating: ★★★★☆
- Cuisines: Beef, pork, chicken, and fish
- Suitable for: Families, couples
- Distance: 1-minute walk from hotel
- Recommended item: Shinshu soba
Kusabue is a soba shop that is widely popular for its handmade Shinshu Soba noodle dishes. In fact, the noodles are so freshly made that you can watch the soba chef preparing the noodles through a see-through workshop right by the entrance of the store! Kusabue is found within the JR Nagano Station building.
3. Yamasachi (やまさち)
(Image credit: やまさち)
- Rating: ★★★★★
- Cuisines: Beef, pork, chicken, and fish
- Suitable for: Couples
- Distance: Within the hotel
- Recommended item: Shinshu wagyu
Teppanyaki restaurant Yamasachi—offers grand meals that feature various cuts of meats and many other delicious treats cooked to its best potential. Watch as the chefs skillfully cook a variety of foods in front of your very eyes. A feast for all five senses.
4. Monzensaryouyayoiza (門前茶寮彌生座)
(Image credit: 門前茶寮彌生座)
- Rating: ★★★★☆
- Cuisines: Beef, pork, chicken, fish and vegetable
- Suitable for: Families
- Distance: 30-minute walk from hotel
- Recommended item: Steamed dishes
A local and shojin restaurant near Zenkoji Temple (善光寺 Zenkōji), Monzensaryouyayoiza offers delicious meals in a retro atmosphere that takes you back in time to the Showa era with its wooden interior. You can enjoy also Dengaku (田楽), which is said to have been a specialty of Zenkoji.
5. MONZEN TERRACE ENYA (エンヤ)
(Image credit: MONZEN TERRACE ENYA)
- Rating: ★★★★☆
- Cuisines: Beef, pork, chicken, and fish
- Suitable for: Families, couples
- Distance: 30-minute walk from hotel
- Recommended item: Japanese fusion dishes
Located near the famous Zenkoji Temple, Enya is the perfect place to stop over for lunch or dinner. Enjoyed the beautifully presented Japanese fusion dishes made with carefully selected local ingredients.
Attractions
1. Hakuba (白馬)
(Image credit: 白馬)
- Distance: 70 minutes by direct bus, the bus stop is just in front of Hotel Metropolitan Nagano
Located in the Northern Alps of Nagano Prefecture, it is one of Japan’s most premium winter destinations, offering good snow and several large ski resorts to choose from. During the warmer months, choose from a wide range of trails for hikers to explore the scenic mountain and lakes.
2. Matsumoto Castle (松本城)
(Image credit: 松本城)
- Distance: 50 minutes via the Limited Express (Wide View) Shinano
One of the five castles to be designated as ‘National Treasures of Japan’, Matsumoto Castle is not only spectacular from the outside, but the view from the castle is definitely not to be missed. The narrow wooden windows provide amazing views of the Japanese Alps, Matsumoto City (松本市 Matsumoto-shi) and the koi and swans circling in the moat below.
3. Snow Monkey (地獄谷野猿公苑)
(Image credit: 地獄谷野猿公苑)
- Distance: 40 minutes by direct bus and walk, the bus stop is EAST EXIT of Nagano Station.
Located near the base of the Joshinestu Kogen National Park (上信越高原国立公園 Jōshin'etsu-kōgen Kokuritsu Kōen), the Jigokudani Yaen Koen (otherwise known as the Snow Monkey Park) is home to a very special troop of monkeys. It is a unique place where you can observe the wild monkeys going about their daily lives including the unique behaviour of bathing in onsens!
With mountainsides dotted with snow resorts, attractions aplenty, and mouthwatering local delicacies to keep you busy throughout your visit to Nagano, be sure to set your base at the all-convenient HOTEL METROPOLITAN NAGANO right at Nagano Station!
HOTEL METROPOLITAN NAGANO (ホテルメトロポリタン 長野)
Address: 1346 Minamiishi, Nagano-shi, Nagano 380-0824
Nearest station: JR Nagano Station (長野駅)
No. of rooms: 233
Tel: +81 26-291-7000
Header image credit: 白馬
Related Articles
Julia Yee
Latest Topics
