Located north west of Tokyo, Nagano can be reached within 2 hours via Shinkansen from Tokyo. Global coverage of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games held in Nagano helped the prefecture gain popularity amongst travellers. While most commonly known as a hub for winter festivities, Nagano's highlands and deep forests make the region a stunning autumn destination. The prefecture is one of Japan's only eight landlocked prefecture featuring mountainous terrains, hot springs and historic castles. It is also conveniently located near such premier sightseeing spots as Mt. Fuji, Hida-Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa, and the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route.

​

Nagano's is the birthplace of shinsu soba (buckwheat noodles). The region's mountainous terrain makes it difficult to grow rice. Instead, buckwheat is the staple of Nagano. The drastic day and night temperature differences and volcanic ash soil creates the perfect environment to cultivate buckwheat. Nagano's is also associated with producing high quality miso thanks to its pure water and highland air quality.