Top Nagano Food & Drink

Come to Nagano and join this experience to taste one of the best Sake in Japan. The Sake maker we’ll explore has over 300 years history and you will taste the differences between Sakes of the highest quality, unfiltered, unpasteurized, and many other seasonable Sakes. - Taste more than 5 local Sakes including Nagano’s plum wine with nibbles like soy source beans and some Japanese pickles. - Taste 3 different Amazake(non alcoholic sweet drink) -Complimentary photographs taken throughout the experience to be shared with you after the tour - You can have Nagano’s miso soup - Admission free to visit old sake factory - Explore Nagano’s laid back area around Zenkoji temple to visit some local shops - Learn and practice authentic Japanese eating style and discover other parts of Nagano - Connect with local business owners to learn the history and local culture.

Explore the greater part of Zenkoji temple town and sample authentic Japanese snacks and sweets on this small-group walking tour. Try traditional Nagano bites such as oyaki (Japanese stuffed dumplings), sweets, matcha, and a sampling of sake and meet local business owners in the area. Your guide will take you off the beaten path in Nagano and tell you all about the 1400-year history and culture while discovering parts of the city not found in guidebooks.

Foodies who love to learn about local culture through cuisine will enjoy this small-group evening tour of Nagano’s local bars and eateries. Throughout the evening you’ll visit several izakaya and backstreet bars, eating enough samples to comprise a full meal. Your guide will take you to places you’d struggle to find by yourself, and will make sure you have a good time and don’t get lost.

If you’ve ever wondered how wasabi is grown and cultivated, then this is the tour for you. Visit one of Japan’s biggest wasabi farms to see its fields up close. No need to worry about language barriers, as a private guide accompanies you on a tour of the grounds, and provides commentary about the secrets of wasabi production. As an added bonus, a wasabi ice cream tasting is included too.

On this tour we will visit the Hokusai Museum where many of the painter’s work is displayed. Katsushika Hokusai is one of the most famous Japanese artist of ukiyo-e during the Edo period (1603–1868), He (1760–1849) is the author of a world-famous work: “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” (1831 ). Hokusai called himself “the drawing madman”. We will also visit Takai Kozan Museum. Kozan is who invited Hokusai to Obuse. You can do Sake Tasting in friendly owner’s brewery, and after that you will have set meal lunch in the Japanese stylish restaurant. We will walk through famous street called ‘Chestnut Lane’ in old town as well as hidden path and private garden to explore more about Obuse. Finally, we will visit Ganshoin temple to see Phoenix Glaring in All Directions on the ceiling. - Sake Tasting is included - Delicious Lunch is included - Photography Tour *We will be on hand to take some happy snaps(by DSLR camera) which will be shared with you after the tour!

The customers will meet a hinterland in Nagano which is called Akiyamago. They will experience most wild outdoor hot springs in Nagano. it is upwelled from the river! In addition to hot spring, they will have Traditional "KUMANABE", a bear meat hot pot lunch. On the way back to Iiyama station, we drop at a local Sake brewery. The Akiyamago area is closed usually in Winter because of heavy snowing more than ski resorts. But we operate special bus tours from Iiyama station! We are looking forward to seeing the guests who are from Nozawa Onsen, Madarao, Myoko, Hakuba, and Shigakogen.

Designed to provide guests with an intimate yet entertaining understanding of Nagano’s near-1,400 year-old Zenko-ji temple, this 2 day group tour combines an in-depth guided experience at the temple including a private ‘goma’ prayer fire ceremony and an exploration of the region’s food culture and renowned ‘sake’ with an overnight stay at a traditional ‘shukubo’ (temple lodging).

If you’re keen to go skiing and experience the best of Nagano’s cultural experiences, then this comprehensive multi-day trip is the perfect solution. Save time planning logistics and benefit from having everything organized for you—including excursions, entertainment, select meals, lift passes, and a ski instructor. Highlights along the way include a Geisha performance, skiing, an ancient castle visit, and a chance to see Nagano’s famous snow monkeys.

This is a 1-night 2-day premium sake brewery tour that goes around the three sake breweries in Saku City, which is famous for producing delicious rice, and the Karuizawa Brewery Karuizawa Factory, which can be proud of all over the country! Visit such a wonderful and attractive Japanese sake brewery to learn about the history and culture of the sake brewery, learn about sake brewing, taste various sake from the sake brewery, and drink clean water! Eat delicious local food, visit sightseeing spots while enjoying the rich nature, enjoy the inn, and touch the local "heart of hospitality"!

Enjoy making Oyaki(Japanese Stuffed Dumplings) and you can have it in front of a traditional Japanese sunken hearth. A Nagano specialty, oyaki are roasted dumplings made of wheat and filled with seasonal vegetables or sweet bean paste. You will learn to make oyaki and roast them in a sunken hearth. After enjoying the warm dumplings by the fireplace, your guide will take you to Nagano’s laid back area to visit some local shops around Zenkoji temple ・Making 2 Oyaki and have them with Soba Tea in a traditional Japanese house with sunken hearth. ・Explore Nagano's back street area, as we walk to Zenkoji temple. ・Learn and practice authentic Japanese eating style and discover other parts of Nagano outside of your guidebook. ・Connect with local business owners to learn the history and local culture. ・Photography Tour : We will be on hand to take some happy snaps which will be shared with you after the tour! *Please let us know if you have any food restrictions beforehand*

This is a special lunch experience only available on this day, with part of the space with a spectacular view by Lake Shirakaba reserved for private use. A sommelier who runs a wine shop in Shimosuwa, Nagano Prefecture, will be your host, and you can enjoy a one-plate meal made with the bounty of the Yatsugatake mountains, paired with local liquor and soft drinks, mainly wines from Nagano Prefecture.

The class is held at the over 130 years old house. It was built in Machiya style and was used to be a house of Shoya, the biggest merchant in the city at that time. You can have a look around the unique inside. We will show you traditional life style such as Koto, a Japanese harp and an old sawing machine, which have been carefully stored for a long time in Kura, an old style storage in back of the house. The kitchen is made of Sake barrel lids came from a local brewery. It’s located on the second floor, you will see the beautiful Japanese garden. We provide aprons, so you don’t need to bring anything. We will give you a recipe that you can cook at your country. The class consists of some basics of Japanese cooking, such as how to make Dashi broth, and introduction of local made ingredients, which are not normally seen at regular supermarkets. We will explain for you to cook at home when you go back. Recipes are adjustable for vegetarians and vegans.

Be amazed by the surprising background and history that makes Chino City the top producer of agar in Japan! Receive a guided tour through the workshop, with staff providing easy-to-understand explanations. Explore the rich water resources that contribute to delicious miso and sake in the Suwa-Chino area, embodying the wisdom of predecessors who shaped Japan's traditional cuisine. Conclude the experience with a tasting of agar, as Irise Co., Ltd. shares various ways to incorporate agar into different dishes, driven by the concept of promoting health and happiness for everyone.