Here’s a summary of my 5 Day trip in Japan where I visited Nagano and Tokyo. You can click on the “Detailed Itinerary” link to know more about these places and how to get there.

Day 1 – Detailed Itinerary

• Arrival
• Tokyo Station
• Nagano Station
• Shiojiri Station

Day 2 – Detailed Itinerary

• Matsumoto Station
• Matsumoto City Museum of Art
• Seikando Bookstore
• Nawate Dori
• Yohashira Shrine
• Matsumoto Castle
• Blueberry Azumino

Day 3 – Detailed Itinerary

• Narai-juku
• Zenko-ji Temple
• Shinjuku
• Do-C Gotanda – my first capsule hotel experience

Day 4 – Detailed Itinerary

• Hie Shrine
• Senso-ji Temple, Nakamise Shopping Street and Kaminarimon
• Tokyo Skytree and Asahi Beer Headquarter Building
• Roppongi
• Shibuya
• Harajuku

Day 5 – Detailed Itinerary

• Shinagawa Station
• Departure

I purchased a JR East Pass (Nagano-Niigata Area) on Klook to explore Nagano and Tokyo Prefectures. This pass allowed me to get unlimited local, rapid, limited express, and shinkansen train rides on the JR East lines. The JR East Pass (Nagano-Niigata Area) is valid for 5 days and it’s perfect for my trip. I purchased it for roughly Php8000, and when I computed my train fares, it would have costed me about Php16000. So I saved about 50% off from train fares!

I was also able to use the JR East Pass (Nagano-Niigata Area) on the Narita Express (NEX) train between Tokyo and Narita International Airport.

If you have a tourist visa in Japan, and planning to visit multiple prefectures, I recommend purchasing a JR Pass to save some money and time from train rides. Train rides is still the best way to explore Japan. Their massive and modern rail system will enable you to explore most parts of country.

I hope this travel guide will help you explore Japan. If you have question, please leave a comment below or message me on my social media accounts.

Other Japan related posts:

10 Day Japan Travel Itinerary
Places to Visit in Matsumoto, Nagano
Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Photo Diary: Hida-Takayama, Japan

Read the Day 1-2 blog post of my 5 days trip in Nagano and Tokyo here

Narai-juku

The old post town of Narai-juku is located along Kiso Valley. The street is lined with Edo Period houses stretching up to 1km. Some houses were converted to traditional inns or ryokan, souvenir shops, and restaurants. Many houses are still inhabited by the locals.

Near the old town of Narai, you will find Kiso Ohashi (Kiso Bridge), a wooden bridge stretching over Narai River. This bridge was built using 300 year old cypress wood.

Getting There:

From Shiojiri Station or Matsumo Station take a local train bound for Nakatsugawa or Kiso-Fukushima. Alight at Narai Station.

Zenko-ji Temple

Zenko-ji Temple is one of Japan’s oldest temples. It was built 1400 years ago and houses the first Buddhist statue that came to Japan. Admission to Sanmon Gate and Main Hall is 500 yen each but you can explore the temple grounds for free. The area surrounding the temple features other religious structures. Souvenir shops and restaurants are also lined up from Zenkoji Temple Deva to Zenkoji Sanmon gate.

Getting There:

From Narai Station take a local train to Shiojiri Station or Matsumoto Station then take the JR Shinano train to Nagano Station. Travel time is about an hour. Don’t forget to reserve a seat using your JR East Pass (Nagano-Niigata Area). From Nagano Station, Zenko-ji temple can be reached by foot in about 30 minutes or 10 minutes by bus. You can also take the Nagano Dentetsu subway line to Zenkojishita Station and walk for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Shinjuku

From Nagano Station, you can take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Ueno Station. Then transfer to Yamanote Line for Shinjuku Station. These are all covered by the JR East Pass (Nagano-Niigata Area).

2 full days in Nagano are over, now it’s time to head back to Tokyo. After dropping my bags at Do-C Gotanda, a capsule hotel in Shinagawa, I went to Shinjuku to meet a friend for dinner, sightseeing and some drinks.

Shinjuku is one of the busiest wards in Tokyo. It houses one of the world’s busiest railway station, commercial establishments, and government offices.

You can visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building which has free entrance to the observation deck of each tower. The observation decks offers 360 views of Tokyo and surrounding cities. If it’s a clear day, you will be able to see Mt. Fuji as well.

Strolling around Shinjuku at night was also fun. With hundreds of restaurants to choose from, it was a challenge to decide where to eat. We ended eating at a local diner serving Japanese dishes.

We capped the night with some drinks at Ni-chome then headed to the station just before the last train on Yamanote Line departs.

That’s it for  my 3rd day in Japan. Tomorrow we’ll explore the rest of Tokyo!

You might also like:

5 Days in Nagano and Tokyo Summary
Day 1-2: 5 Days in Nagano and Tokyo
Day 4-5: 5 Days in Nagano and Tokyo

After planning and costing for a 5 day trip, transportation alone will cost me about Php15,000. Good thing tourists in Japan have the privilege to purchase a Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) which will allow tourists unlimited train, buses and ferry rides owned by Japan Rail Group. You can learn more about the JR Pass on their website.

Since I’ll be exploring Nagano and Tokyo areas only, I decided to get the JR East Pass (Nagano-Niigata Area) which is valid for 5 days. This pass covers JR East Lines in Tokyo, Nagano, and Niigata, plus non JR Lines in Nikko, and Gala Yuzawa during winter. Though you can purchase this pass in Japan, I got mine at Klook website for only 17,000 yen or Php8164 pesos. It’s 1000 yen or Php480 cheaper if you’ll purchase it outside Japan. I also like how convenient it is to purchase on their website.

Let’s start with the journey now and let’s explore Nagano and Tokyo using the JR East Pass (Nagano-Niigata Area).

Day 1

Arrival

Upon arriving at Narita International Airport, I went straight to JR East Travel Service Center located at Basement 1 Floor to exchange my Klook voucher with the actual JR East Pass (Nagano-Niigata Area). The transaction was really smooth. I just provided my printed voucher and passport. The staff is really nice and she can speak good English. Inside the JR office, you can also get brochures and pamphlets that can guide you through your journey.

Please note that there’s another type of JR East Pass which covers the Tohoku Area.

Since I’ll be traveling straight to Nagano from the airport, I also booked my train tickets and reserved seats in the same office. The JR East Pass also allows you to reserve seats for free, so better take advantage of that.

My route will be:

Narita International Airport Terminal 2 & 3 to Tokyo Station via Narita Express or NEX
Tokyo Station to Nagano Station via Hokuriku Shinkansen
Nagano Station to Shiojiri Station via Limited Express Shinano

All these train rides are covered by the JR East Pass including seat reservations for free.

Nagano is a landlocked prefecture surrounded by the Japanese Alps. The train ride to my destination offered a very scenic view of the Japan’s mountain ranges and country side. Nagano hosted the Winter Olympics in 1998 and this made the prefecture a very popular world-class winter sport destination. The prefecture also offers a different charm during other seasons. Since it was summer time, the prefecture is covered with lush greenery of the forests, rice fields, and fruit farms.

Day 2

During my 2nd day in Japan, I explored Matsumoto City and the neighboring Azumino City.

Matsumoto Station

Matsumoto Station is located in Matsumoto City. It is served by Shinonoi Line, Oito Line, Chuo Main Line, and Kamikochi Line operated by Alpico Kotsu, a private railway operator. The station has a high glass panel windows giving passengers a view of the Southern Japanese Alps. Matsumoto Station also has some restaurants and a department store.

Matsumoto City Museum of Art

Built in 2002, the Matsumoto City Museum of Art features works of Matsumoto artists and artworks inspired by the nearby Japanese Alps.

During my visit, a special exhibition of Yayoi Kusama, a Matsumoto City native, was on going. I planned of visiting her museum in Shinjuku but sadly, tickets were already sold out for the succeeding months. I was very happy when I learned that she has an ongoing exhibition in Matsumoto City. Yayoi Kusama’s exhibit features her early drawings, paintings and sculptures. She is known for her hallucinogenic artworks with lots of dots. One of her famous artwork was the Infinity Mirror Room.

Matsumoto City Museum of Arts is a short walk away east of Matsumoto Station. You may also ride a bus or taxi just in case you are not into walking.

On your 2nd day, you may also visit Matsumoto Castle, Seikando Bookstore, Nawate Dori and Yohashira Shrine. You may read more about these attractions on my previous blog post about places to see in Matsumoto City.

Getting There:

Since I stayed at my Mom’s place in Shiojiri City, I just took the train from Shiojiri Station to Matsumoto Station. Using your JR Pass, you can ride the Limited Express trains to save time. Local train will take about 18 minutes.

Blueberry Azumino

Azumino City is located north of Mastumoto City. It serves as a gateway to the Japanese Alps which are popular for hiking during summer and snow sports during winter. It is also home to several farms growing fruits in season.

During my visit, my family drove me to Blueberry Azumino, a small farm where guests can pick their own blueberries. It was my first time and I had so much fun! For 1000 yen, I was able to eat all the blueberries I want and took home 400 grams for free! Blueberries in Azumino City are in season from late June to early October.

Fruit picking is a popular activity in Nagano. Farm owners open their properties to tourists during harvest seasons. Nagano is known for strawberries, apples, grapes, oranges, peaches, blueberries and more.

Getting There:

The nearest train access from Blueberry Azumino is Hitoichiba Station. From the station, it’s about 40 minute walk or less than 10 minutes by car or taxi.

You might also like:

5 Days in Nagano and Tokyo Summary
Day 3: 5 Days in Nagano and Tokyo
Day 4-5: 5 Days in Nagano and Tokyo

The first time I went to Matsumoto was in 2005 when I visited my Mom who lives in Shiojiri, a small town that is few train stops away from Matsumoto. I also visited during Spring of 2015, and the most recent one was last January.

Matsumoto maybe a small city but it is rich in culture and historical structures. You will also find here one of Japan’s National Treasure.

Matsumoto Castle

Matsumoto is home to one of the famous historic castles in Japan, the Matsumoto Castle. It also called the “Crow Castle” because of its black exterior. Matsumoto Castle was built from 1592 to 1614 in a plain unlike other castles which were built on top of hills or mountain. The castle is also unique for having both a secondary donjon and a turret adjoined to its main keep.

Matsumoto Castle is famous during spring for it’s cherry blossom trees. It also also one of the Four National Treasure Castles of Japan.

Yohashira Shrine

On the way to Matsumoto Castle you will find Yohashira Shrine, a small religious shrine where wedding ceremonies usually takes place.

Nawate Dori

Just right outside Yohashira Shrine is Nawate Dori (street). This shopping street features Edo Era themed shops making you feel like you were transported to the olden times. Various shops sells antique products, traditional Japanese candies, breads, and souvenirs.

Every June, the city celebrates Frog Festival in Nawate Dori. This decade old festival attracts frog fans from all over Japan. I’ll definitely check this out if I happen to visit in summer.

Seikando Bookstore

I happened to past by this structure en route to Matsumoto Castle because this traditional Japanese structure was still standing in between modern buildings. Upon closer inspection, I found out that it was actually a bookstore selling second-hand books. According to my research, Seikando Bookstore owner built the structure to resemble like a mini Matsumoto Castle. Interestingly, Seikando actually means second-hand.

These are just some of the sights I was able to visit in Matsumoto City. The city also serves a gateway to neighboring attractions in the region such as Hakuba, Suwa, and Hida Takayama.

Matsumoto City Map Guide

Getting There

From Tokyo
By Train – take the Shinkansen Hakutaka to Nagano then transfer to Limited Express Shinano to Matsumoto. Travel time is almost 3 hours.
By Bus – take a bus from Shinjuku Bus Station to Matsumoto Bus Station. Travel time is 3 hours.

From Nagoya
By Train – Limited Express Shinano to Matsumoto. Travel time is 2 hours
By Bus – take a bus from Meitetsu Bus Center in Nagoya Station to Matsumoto Bus Station. Travel time is 3.5 hours.

From Osaka
By Train – take the Shinkansen Nozomi to Nagoya then transfer to Limited Express Shinano to Matsumoto. Travel time is 3 hours.
By Bus – take a bus from Hankyu Sanban Gai in Osaka Station to Matsumoto. Travel time is alsmost 6 hours.