Which one to choose in Nagano
Togakushi Shrine Okusha (Upper Shrine) vs Zenko-ji
Two temples in Nagano. Togakushi Shrine Okusha (Upper Shrine) has no online ticket listed; Zenko-ji has 16 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Nagano, Japan
There is no admission charge at Togakushi Shrine, and no ticket for the Okusha or any of the other four shrines is sold online. Visitors simply walk in; the only things paid for on the spot are offerings, amulets and the goshuin stamps that pilgrims collect at each of the five sites.
Getting there is what needs planning. Togakushi lies on a high plateau north-west of Nagano city, and most people come by the local bus from Nagano Station, a scenic ride of roughly an hour along a winding mountain road; the stop at the Okusha entrance is near the end of the line.
Read the full guide →
Nagano, Japan
The temple grounds and the outer part of the main hall are open to everyone free of charge. A combined ticket, bought at the counter beside the main hall, gives access to the inner sanctuary, the dark passage under the altar and the climb up the great Sanmon gate, and the temple museum has its own fee; none of these need booking ahead. From Nagano Station it is about 2 km up the main avenue, a pleasant walk of half an hour or a ten-minute bus ride.
Most tours that include Zenko-ji are long day trips from Tokyo, which use the bullet train or a road coach and pair the temple with the Jigokudani snow monkey park in the mountains near Yamanouchi, where Japanese macaques bathe in hot springs.
Read the full guide →