Untouched by the busyness of everyday life, Togakushi is a sacred spiritual spot located on Mt. Togakushi blessed with abundant nature and a rich culture that is thousands of years old. With direct bus access from Nagano Station, you’ll get there in only an hour!
Untouched by the busyness of everyday life, Togakushi is a sacred spiritual spot located on Mt. Togakushi blessed with abundant nature and a rich culture that is thousands of years old. With direct bus access from Nagano Station, you’ll get there in about an hour, which makes it the perfect daytrip. (You’ll find more details on how to get there and info on Zenkoji & Togakushi 1-Day Ticket at the bottom!)
One goddess started doing a funny dance and the laughter she heard outside made Amaterasu curious. She peeked out, and at that moment one of the gods grabbed the cave’s door and quickly threw it away. The door flew all the way to Nagano Prefecture and landed in a forested area which was thus named Togakushi, or “Hiding Door”.
The torii gate from the Chusha Shrine.
I’ve been to Togakushi a few times, but I had never walked the trail that goes past all five shrines. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to do so and took the bus from Nagano to Togakushi. You can get off at several places offering fascinating attractions on the way; Togakushi Hokosha, Togakushi Chusha, Togakushi Okusa Entrance and Togakushi Campsite.
I got off at Togakushi Chusha because the Togakushi Tourist Information Center was located there, and you can get information about the trail or restaurants etc., as well as an area map! (Even though the trail is easy to follow with markers along the way).
While I started with the Chusha Shrine, or middle shrine, you can of course start at the Hokosha Shrine, or go straight to the Okusha Shrine and make your way down.
An old marker next to the path leads the way.
Going all the way to the upper shrine takes some time, so if you want to take a rest or grab a bite to eat, there’s a small restaurant with a shop near the entrance of the path to Okusha Shrine where you can try some local specialties such as soba and oyaki. There is wide range of Japanese foods available, particularly local cuisine from Nagano.
A soba fan?
Read also: Enjoying Soba and Soba-flavored Desserts at Togakushi’s Soba Festival
From left to right: The entrance of the path to the Okusha Shrine, Zuishinmon midway along the path to the Okusha Shrine, and Beautiful giant cedar trees line most of the trail.
As you walk through a primeval forest on a path that is lined with giant cedar trees of over 400 years old, you can see the sunlight spilling out between them which makes this place truly magical. After a while, you’ll see a red gate called Zuishinmon which marks the halfway point of the path to the upper shrine. The red color of the gate immediately catches your eye among the green and earthy colors of the nature that surrounds it.
One thing to note here is that you have to take the stairs to get to the Okusha Shrine. I went during a time when there was still a little bit of snow left, so some places of the stairs were quite slippery. Walking from the lower Hokosha shrine to the upper Okusha shine also takes about 2 hours, so be sure to wear some good shoes if you’re thinking of going.
However, if you ever get tired of walking, don’t worry! You can just take the bus from one of the bus stops (see below for a link to the bus timetable and further tourist information).
For those who like nature and the outdoors, hiking to the five shrines of Togakushi is highly recommended. Of course, if you also have an interest in Japanese shrines and culture, then you definitely can’t miss it!
Togakushi is easily accessible from Nagano City via the Togakushi line. There is one bus going roughly every hour, starting from around 7 AM. From Nagano Station, take bus 70 from bus stop 7 (see image below) and after about an hour you will arrive at the lower shrine bus stop called Togakushi Hokosha. You can opt to get off here and start walking or you can continue your bus journey until you get to the Chusha or Okusha Shrine.
The Zenkoji & Togakushi 1-day ticket allows you unlimited rides in the Togakushi area and the buses between Nagano station and Zenkoji Temple.
Price: 2,900 JPY
Available at: ALPICO Kotsu Nagano station Information Center
Price: 3,200 JPY
Available at: ALPICO Kotsu Nagano station Information Center or purchase online at KLOOK
In addition, this ticket gives you discounts at certain places in the Togakushi (and Nagano City) area as well, so it is highly recommended if you want to get the best value.