Nagano 長野市
Historic temple city in the mountains
The capital of Nagano Prefecture, Nagano city evolved as a temple town around Zenkō-ji, founded in the 7th century and one of the most popular temples in Japan.
While it’s a short bus ride from Nagano Station, the 1.8km (30mins) walk up Chūō-dōri to get to the temple is extremely interesting and there’s a lot going on. Nagano is a good example of a monzen-machi - the temple came first, then the city built up around it.
The city got a major face-lift before hosting the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, including an upgraded station with shinkansen access from Tōkyō.