What is the Zenkoji & Togakushi 1-Day Ticket?
The Zenkoji & Togakushi 1-Day Ticket offers unlimited bus rides between Nagano Station, Togakushi, and Zenkoji Temple. With this convenient ticket, you can explore the sacred Mt. Togakushi, the Zuishinmon Gate and cedar tree avenue, the serene Kagami Pond, and many other attractions in the Togakushi area at your own pace. This ticket provides unlimited rides for an entire day, allowing you to enjoy a relaxed and flexible journey. Additionally, it includes special discounts at select Togakushi soba restaurants.
Coverage Areas and Routes
(Select the tabs below to explore tourist attractions in the Togakushi and Nagano regions.)
- What place?
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The path to Okusha Shrine from the bus stop is about 2km long, featuring the red Zuishin Gate midway and lined with 400-year-old cedars, a designated national monument. These ancient trees retain their divine presence. In the beginning of winter or spring, you can witness a mysterious sight as the sun rises straight along the path.
- Access
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- Nagano - Togakushi Bus
- During green season, get off at Togakushi Okusha bus stop (20-min walk to the red Zuishin Gate)
- In winter, the bus does not stop at Togakushi Okusha. Please get off at Togakushi Chusha. From there, walk up the road to the entrance to Togakushi Okusha (about 30 min), or take a taxi.
- What place?
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Zenkoji Temple, with a history of over 1,400 years, enshrines the Amida Triad, believed to be Japan's oldest Buddha statue. Open to all regardless of religion or gender, it’s said everyone should visit Zenkoji at least once in their lifetime. The current main hall, rebuilt in 1707, is a National Treasure showcasing mid-Edo Period Buddhist architecture.
- Access
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- Bus No. 10, 11, 16, 17
- Nearest bus stop: Zenkoji Daimon
- What place?
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This site features three attractions for both children and adults: the Togakushi Folk Museum and Ninja Museum, showcasing 2,000 items including ninja tools and traditional Togakushi artifacts, and the Ninja Trick Mansion, where visitors navigate staircases, mazes, and ninja rooms to find the exit.
Closed in winter: (Nov 4, 2024 - Apr 25, 2025)
- Access
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- Nagano - Togakushi Bus
- Nearest bus stop: Togakushi Okusha bus stop (2-min walk)
- What place?
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The Togakushi Soba Museum Tonkururin is a rare museum dedicated to soba noodles. It showcases old soba-making tools, the history of Togakushi soba, and its cultural roots. Visitors can join a soba-making experience, guided by skilled artisans, and enjoy their handmade soba afterward.
- Access
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- Nagano - Togakushi Bus
- Nearest bus stop: Soba Museum (1-min walk)
- What place?
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Chusha Shrine enshrines the God of Wisdom, renowned for devising the sacred kagura dance to open the heavenly cave. Its grounds feature three cedar trees approximately 800 years old. At times, visitors can witness performances or practice sessions of the grand kagura dance held in the shrine's kagura hall.
- Access
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- Nagano - Togakushi Bus
- Nearest bus stop: Togakushi Chusha
- What place?
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Kagami Pond, at the foot of the Togakushi mountain range, reflects the mountains on its surface when weather permits, true to its name. In autumn (early to mid-October), the surrounding trees turn vibrant red and yellow, attracting many visitors. It’s especially serene in the early morning when the wind is calm. A 30-minute walk from Okusha Shrine to Kagami Pond is highly recommended.
- Access
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- Nagano - Togakushi Bus
- Nearest bus stop: Kagami Pond (about 35-min walk from bus stop)
- What place?
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In Japanese mythology, the Sun Goddess Amaterasu hid in a heavenly cave, but the God of Strength, Ama no Tajikarao, forced it open and threw the door to Togakushi. Ama no Tajikarao is now enshrined at Okusha Shrine, the main shrine of Togakushi. Known for virtues like good fortune, wish fulfillment, abundant harvests, and sports victories, the shrine attracts worshippers from across Japan.
- Access
-
- Nagano - Togakushi Bus
- During green season, get off at Togakushi Okusha bus stop (35-min walk to the red Zuishin Gate)
- In winter, the bus does not stop at Togakushi Okusha. Please get off at Togakushi Chusha. From there, walk up the road to Togakushi Okusha (about 1 hour), or take a taxi.
Ticket Information
- This ticket allows unlimited rides on the bus lines listed below on the day of purchase.
- Simply show your ticket to the bus driver when boarding and alighting.
- All buses included in this ticket are non-reserved seating.
Bus Lines |
Timetable |
Notes |
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Nagano - Togakushi Line (No. 70 and No. 73) |
|
|
Bus No. 10 (Binzuru-go), 11, 16, 17 |
Runs every 10–20 minutes |
|
ALPICO Kotsu Nagano Station
Information Center |
6:20 - 19:00 |
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- Credit cards accepted at the ticket counter. (Visa, MasterCard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, and UnionPay)
- This ticket cannot be purchased online.
- Q. When is the winter timetable scheduled to be published?
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A. It is scheduled to be published in early December.
- Q. If I want to go to the cedar tree avenue and Zuishinmon, at which bus stop should I get off?
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A. From spring to fall, the closest bus stop is Togakushi Okusha. Please get off there and walk. In winter, the bus does not go to Togakushi Okusha, so please get off at Togakushi Chusha.
- Q. Can I reserve a seat on the bus in advance?
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A. All buses covered by this ticket are non-reserved, so reservations are not possible.