Zen • Hot Springs • Cultural Immersion
Nagano: A 5-Day Journey of Purification
Amid Timeless Landscapes
1,410 – 2,090 USD per person
View Rates & Details ↓Operating Period / Duration
Year-round / 5 Days / Non-group
Price
1,410 – 2,090 USD / per person
Minimum Guests
1
Location
Perfect Before or After Your Stay in TokyoNagano, Shinshu
*Approx. 90 minutes from Tokyo via Shinkansen
Departure
JR Tokyo Station
Departure Time
11:00 AM
Highlights
Staying at a Temple Lodging Within the National Treasure of Zenko-ji
Within the grounds of Zenko-ji, a temple long revered by feudal lords, a special temple stay awaits, offering Zen practice and refined Buddhist cuisine of the highest quality.
Samurai Heritage and Living Traditions
Wander through Shinshu’s historic castle towns, embraced by majestic landscapes, and encounter Japan’s spiritual culture through samurai heritage, tea ceremony, and pottery.
Soba: A Gastronomy of Living Energy
Taste Togakushi soba — counted among Japan’s three greatest — alongside sake and the gifts of the earth, savored with every sense.
Bessho Onsen: A Hot Spring Retreat for Beauty and History
The oldest hot spring in Shinshu, beloved by samurai across the ages — an immersion in Japan’s distinctive aesthetic of bathing.
Itinerary
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Arrival: Travel from Tokyo Station to Nagano by Shinkansen, accompanied by your chosen Bento (lunch box).
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Stroll through Nakamise Street Wander the lively shopping street that leads to the temple gate, sampling local treats and letting the spirit of the place settle in.
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Sutra Copying at the Temple LodgingView DetailSteady your breath in the deep quiet and gently turn inward, meeting yourself in the stillness.
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Shojin Cuisine That Awakens the Senses Savor Shojin Ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine), prepared with gratitude for the blessings of the earth, as you slowly enjoy its rich, seasonal flavors.
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Joining O-Asaji at Zenko-jiView DetailTake part in the predawn service that begins with the sunrise, beginning your day with a quietly purified heart.
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Zen Meditation at the Temple Lodging Following the morning service, quiet your mind with a Zen meditation session, finding deep inner peace and mental clarity.
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Sake Brewery Visit and Stroll Visit a historic sake brewery and enjoy a leisurely stroll while experiencing its traditional craftsmanship and aroma.
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Transfer to a Hot Spring Town by Train Enjoy a relaxed journey to your next destination while watching the changing landscapes unfold outside the window.
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Therapeutic Hot Spring ExperienceView DetailSoak in the ancient waters of Bessho Onsen to cleanse both body and mind, restoring energy within an atmosphere of timeless serenity.
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History Walk in Ueda Castle TownView DetailTouch centuries of history at Ueda Castle Ruins and wander the evocative streets of the surrounding town.
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Nourishing Lunch of Ueda’s Mountain Bounty Restore yourself with Ueda’s seasonal ingredients. Choose from our curated recommendations for a midday pause.
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Mindful Tea Ceremony Travel by train to Nagano and experience matcha whisked with Shinshu’s pure waters to quietly balance your body and mind.
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Relaxing Moments in the Hot Spring Unwind in the hotel’s hot spring and gently ease away the fatigue of the day.
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Traditional Soba-Making ExperienceView DetailEncounter master craftsmanship while personally making and savoring this traditional local delicacy.
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Matsushiro Pottery Experience Experience the art of Matsushiro pottery, known for its distinctive bluish glaze and serene beauty.
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Tracing History in a Healing Samurai Hot Spring Soak in a hot spring said to have once served as a secret retreat of the warlord Takeda Shingen, where his soldiers healed their wounds and fatigue.
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Apple Picking ExperienceView DetailIn the bracing air of the orchards, reach up and harvest sun-ripened apples by your own hand.
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Walking the Town of Hokusai Wander the atmospheric lanes of Obuse, where Katsushika Hokusai spent his final years, breathing in the lingering air of artistry.
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Returning to Tokyo Connecting from a limited express to the Shinkansen, return to Tokyo by early evening, carrying the quiet fullness of five rich days.
Ready to Book?
If this itinerary is perfect for you, click here to proceed. You will start by confirming the number of guests and entering any special requests.
Proceed to Booking→Have Questions or Wish to Customize?
Whether you have questions or want to customize your pace and activities, reach out here. We are happy to help and will reply within two business days.
Inquire & Customize→What’s Included
✓ Included
- 4 nights’ accommodation
- 4 breakfasts, 4 dinners
- Tea ceremony experience, soba-making experience, pottery experience, and pottery shipping
- Apple orchard visit
- All transportation costs, including round-trip Shinkansen from Tokyo
- English-speaking guide (sake brewery visit, Ueda Castle, and Zen meditation)
- Water and/or tea provided at restaurants
✗ Not Included
- Transportation to the meeting point
- Transportation and activity costs during free time
- Lunches
- Guide services (except for sake brewery visit, Ueda Castle, and Zen meditation)
- Visa and passport fees
- Travel insurance
- All personal expenses
- Extra meals and drinks
Accommodation
Day 1
Zenkoji – Nagano
- Room Type: Japanese-style Room
- Bed Type: Futon
A temple lodging within the precincts of Zenko-ji is a historic shukubo where pilgrims can stay and experience Buddhist culture firsthand. Through the O-Asaji morning service, shakyo (sutra copying), and refined shōjin cuisine, it offers a stay in which the mind gently comes into balance amid profound stillness.
Day 2
Bessho Onsen – Nagano
- Room Type: Japanese-style Room
- Bed Type: Futon
A distinguished, long-established ryokan in Bessho Onsen, founded in the late 19th century, dedicated to the deep tradition of Japanese hot spring hospitality. With waters celebrated for their skin-softening qualities and refined kaiseki cuisine drawn from Shinshu’s seasonal harvest, it offers a setting in which to truly rest within the quiet of an old onsen town.
Days 3-4
Matsushiro – Nagano
- Room Type: Classic Twin Room – Mountain View
- Bed Type: Two single beds
A resort hotel set in a quiet natural setting in the Matsushiro area of Shinshu. Featuring spacious hot spring baths, a sauna, and lounge facilities, it offers a relaxing stay where you can unwind and recover from your journey.
Ready to Book?
If this itinerary is perfect for you, click here to proceed. You will start by confirming the number of guests and entering any special requests.
Proceed to Booking→Have Questions or Wish to Customize?
Whether you have questions or want to customize your pace and activities, reach out here. We are happy to help and will reply within two business days.
Inquire & Customize→
Nagano, the Sacred Land of Wellness
Since my student days, I have been to Shinshu countless times, falling in love with its changing seasons. To me, Nagano feels like a quiet hometown of the heart.
The journey begins the moment you board the Shinkansen from Tokyo, choosing an ekiben almost instinctively at the station. Watching the satoyama landscape glide past the window while slowly enjoying your carefully selected Bento (lunch box) becomes a gentle prelude to the authentic Japanese cuisine that awaits.
You will walk through quiet forests filled with fresh air, sit in zazen within ancient temple grounds, and encounter a food culture rooted in centuries of tradition. This is not the Japan often seen on social media, but a more genuine experience shaped by lived moments. May it bring a quiet sense of harmony to both body and mind.
Who curated this travel experience?
Central Japan Destination Specialist
Gallery
Staying at the National Treasure Zenko-ji Temple Lodging
Within the historic grounds of the National Treasure Zenko-ji Temple, a stay at the temple lodging offers a rare opportunity to deeply connect with Japan’s ancient spiritual culture. In the early morning, you may take part in the Osaji, where solemn Buddhist chanting fills the air, and experience shakyo (sutra copying) in quiet reflection — a once-in-a-lifetime wellness experience found only here. It is a moment to gently calm the mind and step away from the demands of everyday life.
For dinner, enjoy the finest shojin ryori, delicately prepared with seasonal ingredients and refined craftsmanship. Staying within Zenko-ji, with its approximately 1,400-year history, allows you to experience the essence of Japanese tradition and stillness with your entire being.
Samurai Heritage and Living Traditions
With an English-speaking guide, explore Ueda Castle Ruins, where legendary samurai once fought, and stroll through the castle town where samurai culture still lives on. This journey invites you to step deeply into Japan’s history and aesthetic sensibilities.
At a traditional tea room, experience a tea ceremony featuring seasonal wagashi and matcha in a serene, quiet setting — a mindful moment to gently calm the mind. You will also take part in a pottery experience using Matsushiro ware, a traditional craft with over 200 years of history. Shaping clay with your hands allows you to quiet the mind, forget the noise of daily life, and reconnect with yourself in a deeply restorative way.
Soba: A Gastronomy of Living Energy
In the sacred mountain area of Togakushi, you will try your hand at making Togakushi soba, one of Japan’s most celebrated buckwheat noodles. This hands-on process becomes a form of active meditation, sharpening focus and gently restoring inner balance.
At a sake brewery near Zenko-ji with over 380 years of history, you will encounter Japan’s refined fermentation culture and brewing traditions. Through carefully crafted sake, you experience a quiet depth of flavor shaped by time and craftsmanship. You will also take part in an apple harvesting experience, engaging all five senses as you reconnect with Nagano’s abundant nature — a simple yet enriching encounter with the gifts of the earth.
Bessho Onsen: A Hot Spring Retreat for Beauty and History
Bessho Onsen, long cherished as a “beauty bath,” is said to be one of the oldest hot springs in Shinshu. Its mildly alkaline waters are known for leaving the skin smooth and refreshed, offering a sensation similar to natural skincare.
At a historic ryokan representing Bessho Onsen, you will enjoy traditional Japanese hospitality alongside a refined kaiseki dinner that highlights seasonal ingredients. In the quiet hot spring town filled with drifting steam, you can gently unwind and release the pace of everyday life. Surrounded by the nature and traditions of Shinshu, this stay offers an exceptional wellness experience for both body and mind.
Sutra Copying at the Temple Lodging
At the revered temple lodging within the precinct of Zenko-ji, you will spend a quiet, restorative hour. With brush in hand, you trace each character of the sutra one by one — a meditation of the fingertips that releases stray thought and brings you fully into the present.
Releasing the noise of daily life and entrusting yourself to the historic stillness of this space, the mind grows clear and a deep sense of peace settles in.
Joining O-Asaji at Zenko-ji
O-Asaji, held every morning without fail in the main hall of Zenko-ji, is a traditional Buddhist service that begins in the hushed hours before the town awakens. As chanting reverberates through the hall, every sense is heightened, drawing you into a sacred space utterly removed from ordinary time — a rare and grounding way to reset.
Therapeutic Hot Spring Experience at Bessho Onsen
With a history stretching back over 1,400 years, Bessho Onsen is a timeless hot spring town where temple silhouettes such as Anraku-ji, with its National Treasure octagonal three-story pagoda, appear quietly along its atmospheric streets.
Once treasured as a place of healing, its renowned waters gently dissolve fatigue and bring body and mind back into balance. Surrounded by the shifting beauty of the seasons, time here unfolds slowly — offering a rare, deeply restorative experience found only in Shinshu.
History Walk in Ueda Castle Town
At Ueda Castle Ruins Park, you will trace the legacy of the Sanada clan within the historic grounds. Known as the fortress that once turned back the Tokugawa forces, this site quietly preserves the strategy and spirit of Japan’s warrior culture.
As you walk through landscapes that shift with the seasons, you can feel the distinct Japanese sensibility — the quiet stillness, the depth of history — gently revealing itself.
Traditional Soba-Making in Togakushi
In the sacred land of Togakushi, nurtured by pure mountain water, you will try your hand at soba-making using the traditional technique of ippombo marunobashi, where the dough is evenly rolled into a perfect circle with a single rolling pin.
This mindful process of gently working with the dough brings a sense of calm and focus. Enjoying freshly made soba on the spot allows you to fully experience, through all five senses, the culinary heritage and artisanal skill passed down through generations in Shinshu.
Apple Picking in Shinshu’s Orchards
You will visit an orchard nestled among Shinshu’s rich mountains, nurtured by pure water and clear air. Picking apples in season becomes a direct, sensory exchange with the land — a quietly grounding ritual that gently restores body and mind.
Each crisp bite, fragrant and bright, distills the abundance of Shinshu’s autumn into a single, unhurried moment of nourishment.
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Terms and Conditions for Agent-Organized Tours
1. General Provisions
This tour is organized and operated by SEED COMMERCE TOKYO CO., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as "the Company"). The travel contract shall be governed by these Terms and Conditions and the Standard General Conditions of Travel Agency Business as approved by the Japan Tourism Agency. In the event of any discrepancy between these Terms and Conditions and the Standard General Conditions, these Terms and Conditions shall prevail.
2. Formation of Contract
The travel contract is concluded when the Company accepts the reservation and the customer completes the credit card payment on this website.
3. Payment
All tour fares must be paid in US Dollars (USD). The Company shall not be held responsible for any fluctuations in exchange rates or fees charged by the customer’s credit card issuer.
4. Special Provisions Regarding Cancellation Fees
Notwithstanding the provisions of the Standard General Conditions of Travel Agency Business, the following cancellation fees shall apply due to the strict non-refundable policies of our affiliated accommodation facilities and partners:
- 60 days or more before Departure Date: Full refund minus a 6.16%–8.16% processing fee*
- 30 to 59 days before Departure Date: 20% of the total tour price
- 15 to 29 days before Departure Date: 50% of the total tour price
- 14 days or less before Departure Date: 100% of the total tour price
Please note: This processing fee applies only to cancellations made 60 days or more before the Departure Date. Credit card processing fees, currency conversion fees, and applicable taxes imposed by our payment provider will be deducted from the refund amount. The exact deduction is approximately 6.16%–8.16% of the original payment, depending on the card brand and exchange rate at the time of refund.
5. Disclaimer
The Company shall not be liable for any changes to or cancellation of the tour itinerary caused by circumstances beyond its control, including but not limited to:
(a) Natural disasters, adverse weather conditions, infectious diseases, or armed conflict.
(b) Delays, cancellations, or accidents involving transportation or accommodation providers.
(c) Orders issued by government or public authorities.
6. Compensation for Changes
In the event that the itinerary is modified due to any of the reasons specified in Section 5 (Disclaimer), the "Compensation for Changes" stipulated in the Standard General Conditions shall not be payable.
Last updated: April 23, 2026
Planner and Operator: SEED COMMERCE TOKYO CO., LTD.
Address: 5th Floor, EX Ebisu Nishi Building, 2-8-4 Ebisunishi, Shibuyaku, Tokyo, Japan
Registration: Tokyo Prefecture Government Registration No. 2-8950 / Certified Travel Service Manager: Kohey Hara