N-92 Obuse “Hokusai” town walking
The small town that “Hokusai” loved
About “Obuse” town
– History and culture known for chestnuts, Hokusai and flowers
Located at the confluence of the two rivers, “Obuse” is the smallest town in Nagano prefecture, almost completely contained within a two-kilometer radius.
Obuse boasts a 600-year tradition of chestnut cultivation that underlies its delicious regional cuisine.
Many citizens take a part in efforts to promote gardening and greenery, creating a townscape with beautiful flowers in all seasons.
Obuse has drawn visiting artists and intellectuals since back in the Edo period; both ukiyo-e master “Katsushika Hokusai” and the poet “Kobayashi Issa” created numerous works in the town.
Enjoy walking through Obuse, a town of history and culture known for chestnuts, Hokusai and flowers.
Hokusai, ukiyo-e master
Katsushika Hokusai came to Obuse 4 times late in life, after the age of 80. Hokusai was an Edo period artist best known for his ukiyo-e woodblock prints, especially the Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji series, which includes The Great Wave Off Kanagawa. Every time he came he left many paintings behind in Obuse.
Some of these can be seen at the Hokusai Museum. The Hokusai Museum exbibits many original paintings as well as ukiyo-e. The paintings of waves and a dragon on the ceilings of festival floats are especially wonderful.
The ceiling painting of a phoenix at Ganshoin Temple is said to be Hokusai’s last major work. No matter where you stand when you look at it, the phoenix seems to look right back at you.
Chestnut
Obuse chestnuts are famous for their large size and great flavor. The acidic soil in Obuse is good for growing chestnuts. Obuse has many shops specializing in chestnuts confections. Many restaurants serve chestnut sweets and foods throughout the year.
Chestnut trees flower in June. Chestnuts have a short harvest season from mid-September to mid-October. Some chestnuts specialties are only available during the harvest period, so the town is especially busy then.
Open Gardens
Open Gardens are private gardens that anyone can enter. Look for the signs that say, “Welcome to my Garden”. The owners open up their gardens to the public, inviting anyone to take a look.
There are many kinds of Open Gardens: large and small, Western and Japanese, simple planters and elaborate walking gardens.
There are number of Open Gardens in the town center that serve as shortcuts.
Feel free to step inside when you see an Open Garden for a look at the real Obuse.
Visit this small town,
and feel the atmosphere of local Japan!
/// FIT package
We can arrange this tour for individual, family, or the small group, following to your designated date, through the year.
/// Itinerary
9:00/9:30 Meet at JR Nagano station, then take local train to Obuse station.
10:00/10:30 Take shuttle bus to Gansho-in temple, look up the ceiling painting of a phoenix by Hokusai.
Take shuttle bus back to Obuse town central, then sightseeing by walking.
- Obuse Museum
- Lunch at ”Suzuhana”, local dining
- Takai Kozan Memorial Museum
- Hokusai-kan Museum
- Matsuba-ya Sake Brewery
- several Chestnut Patisseries
You can enjoy the open flower gardens on the way!
16:00 Take shuttle bus or by walking, to Obuse station, then take local train to Nagano station
17:10 Arrive at Nagano station, finish the tour.
/// Price
| Number of Guests |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4-5 | 6 or more (Max 10) |
| Price / person (Yen) |
75,000 | 41,000 | 30,000 | 24,000 | 26,000 |
Price Include:
- Return train fare from Nagano st. to Obuse st.
- Shuttle bus fare at Obese town
- English (or other languages) speaking guide
(English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Thai) - Entrance fees described in the itinerary
- Commission for arrangements
- Commission for settlements by credit card
- Consumption tax
Price Exclude:
- Transportation costs to the meeting place / ending place
- Accommodation costs
- Food and beverage fee (lunch, sweets, etc.)
- Brewery tour and tasting fee
- Souvenir fee / personal expenses
- Expenses for services not described in the itinerary
Regarding these standard courses, we can arrange the plan upon your request by adding / deleting destinations, and combining other courses before and after, making reservations of accommodation, transportation, restaurants, or event tickets, etc. Please contact us by all means.
Please see here for the arrangement fee.
ex.1 Arrangement for accommodation
Room charge 10,000yen(1night 1person) + Commission 1,650yen(incl. c-tax)=Total 11,650yen
ex.2 Arrangement for additional transportation
Super express train 20,000yen(1person) + Commission 3,300yen(incl. c-tax)=Total 23,300yen
/// Suggestion of Additional Trip from Matsumoto city
N-32 Castle town tour in Matsumoto
N-29 Narai-juku & Old post town in Kiso-ji
N-30 Zenkoji temple & Winter Fireworks (November)
Utsukushigahara Highland
From the plateau at an altitude of 2000 meters, you can enjoy a 360-degree panorama overlooking the Northern Alps, the Southern Alps Mountain Range, and Mt. Fuji.
In particular, the natural landscape where you can see the seasonal changes of the Northern Alps far above the clouds is as spectacular as the “Observatory of the Alps”.
Note: Except only limited summer season, you can’t go by public transport. If you wish to visit, please contact us at any time.
/// Cancellation Policy
Cancellation Policy for this course;
| Days to Departure | Cancellation Charge |
| More than 31 days | 10,000JPY |
| 30-15 days | 50% of trip price, Min 10,000JPY |
| 14-8 days | 70% of trip price, Min 10,000JPY |
| 7 days or Less, No Show | 100% of trip price |
Please refer to “Price, Terms and Conditions” for other detailed regulations.
/// Application Form
Please select the course and fill in the below box;
/// Payment
Payment can be settled by credit card (Paypal or Stripe).
After your booking, we will send you an invoice, then after your payment by credit card, the booking would be completed.
/// Contact
If you have any questions or offer to book, please send an email. We welcome even little questions! Don’t hesitate, and see you in Japan!!
Contact us: info@i-travel-square.tokyo