Food & Cultural Walking Tour around Zenkoji temple in Nagano
Overview
Enjoy having Oyaki(Japanese Stuffed Dumplings) in front of a traditional Japanese sunken hearth, and also you have local sweets & Matcha tea as we walk through Zenkoji temple's town area in Nagano.
- Taste 2 Oyaki(Japanese Stuffed Dumplings), Miso soup & Soba Tea in a traditional Japanese sunken hearth.
- Explore Nagano's back street area, where is not on your guide book and you see 1400 years history of national treasure temple
- Taste the best Nagano’s sakes with nibbles like soy source beans and some Japanese pickles. Also you can have Nagano’s miso soup
- Having a Matcha tea in the traditional Japanese style tea place.
- 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.
*Please let us know if you have any food restrictions beforehand*
- Taste 2 Oyaki(Japanese Stuffed Dumplings), Miso soup & Soba Tea in a traditional Japanese sunken hearth.
- Explore Nagano's back street area, where is not on your guide book and you see 1400 years history of national treasure temple
- Taste the best Nagano’s sakes with nibbles like soy source beans and some Japanese pickles. Also you can have Nagano’s miso soup
- Having a Matcha tea in the traditional Japanese style tea place.
- 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.
*Please let us know if you have any food restrictions beforehand*
Inclusions
- Lunch
- Matcha Tea & Sweets
- Sake Tasting(optional)
What to expect
Meet Up At: Meet you infront of Starbucks at Nagano station.
We will explore the greater part of Zenkoji temple town where is an old and residential area. We will visit 2 - 3 local shops to try authentic Japanese bites and sweets.
⇨
Stop At: Oyaki House
Taste Nagano's special product "Oyaki", which is Japanese stuffed dumplings and from local village called "Ogawa". Oyaki is cooked in irori, which is a traditional Japanese sunken hearth and you can have it near by cozy & warm bonfire.
⇨
Walking High Street to Zenkoji Temple
You can look around some Nagano’s local products for souvenir on the high street and see 1400 years history of National treasure temple.
⇨
Walking on back street.
You can choose options to see some important shrines or you can pop in a local shop to have pretty Japanese local sweet.
⇨
Arrival at Matcha Tea Place
You have Matcha tea in Japanese style House and also very nice sweets.
⇨
Pop in local shop on back street
You can pop in local shop to see Nagano’s local products and you can have nice chat with the staff.
⇨
Tour Concludes *The time depends on the group
Sample Menu
• Matcha tea & sweets
• Oyaki (Japanese Stuffed Dumplings)
We will explore the greater part of Zenkoji temple town where is an old and residential area. We will visit 2 - 3 local shops to try authentic Japanese bites and sweets.
⇨
Stop At: Oyaki House
Taste Nagano's special product "Oyaki", which is Japanese stuffed dumplings and from local village called "Ogawa". Oyaki is cooked in irori, which is a traditional Japanese sunken hearth and you can have it near by cozy & warm bonfire.
⇨
Walking High Street to Zenkoji Temple
You can look around some Nagano’s local products for souvenir on the high street and see 1400 years history of National treasure temple.
⇨
Walking on back street.
You can choose options to see some important shrines or you can pop in a local shop to have pretty Japanese local sweet.
⇨
Arrival at Matcha Tea Place
You have Matcha tea in Japanese style House and also very nice sweets.
⇨
Pop in local shop on back street
You can pop in local shop to see Nagano’s local products and you can have nice chat with the staff.
⇨
Tour Concludes *The time depends on the group
Sample Menu
• Matcha tea & sweets
• Oyaki (Japanese Stuffed Dumplings)
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Not suitable for person who needs gluten free food.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
792shaunt
April 2023
Masa was super friendly and easy to talk in english As Aussies there were many hidden gems to see.TY
Masa was super friendly and easy to talk in english As Aussies there were many hidden gems to see.TYGina_F
October 2023
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Masa. We visited a traditional Nagano building where they prepared Oyaki over the hot coals for us. Exploring the temple and learning about the different rituals of the locals was another highlight. An interesting and informative tour!
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Masa. We visited a traditional Nagano building where they prepared Oyaki over the hot coals for us. Exploring the temple and learning about the different rituals of the locals was another highlight. An interesting and informative tour!michaelsS1363BH
October 2023
Massa showed us parts of Nagano we would have never found ourselves. We started with a snack of hot buns. We got to sit directly at the fire where they were cooking and making them. Then he took us through the temple complex, where he gave some insight on how he uses the temple. Afterwards we wen...
Massa showed us parts of Nagano we would have never found ourselves. We started with a snack of hot buns. We got to sit directly at the fire where they were cooking and making them. Then he took us through the temple complex, where he gave some insight on how he uses the temple. Afterwards we went to a sake tasting, where we got to speak to local producers. Since we don't drink alcohol, he arranged for us to try amazake instead. We wound our way back to central Nagano where we stopped at a private museum and some of the local businesses. We finished with making our own green tea. Throughout the tour he added tidbits of local history, some of it personal and some of it general, which added depth to our understanding of Nagano. What we really appreciated is that he took photographs during the entire tour, so that we could focus and enjoy what we were looking at and not spend time trying to get the perfect shot. Finally, he gave us some great advice finding things we were looking for. We would recommend that anyone visiting Nagano to book a tour with Massa.Corey H
October 2023
Masa is the man with the plan. He is a Nagano local who speaks English perfectly and was able to show us some really unique parts of Nagano along with the main attractions. The highlight is definitely having the traditional oyaki (dumplings) made over an open fire. Oishi! He met us at the train ...
Masa is the man with the plan. He is a Nagano local who speaks English perfectly and was able to show us some really unique parts of Nagano along with the main attractions. The highlight is definitely having the traditional oyaki (dumplings) made over an open fire. Oishi! He met us at the train station and even helped us locate our train home and helped us purchase the tickets for the way back. He was our personal photographer as well and emailed us the photos of the experience. Arigato gozaimas Masa!patrickrF7475TL
October 2023
My wife and I had a fantastic time exploring Nagano with Masa. It was such a delightful experience walking around and talking as we viewed the local sites, shrines, and temples in Nagano. The tour was casual and fun. The food we had along the way was delicious. This was a perfect way to enjoy the...
My wife and I had a fantastic time exploring Nagano with Masa. It was such a delightful experience walking around and talking as we viewed the local sites, shrines, and temples in Nagano. The tour was casual and fun. The food we had along the way was delicious. This was a perfect way to enjoy the more tranquil side of Japan after spending a few days in the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. I'd recommend this to anyone visiting Nagano city. Couldn't ask for a better way to explore the area.kimz876
April 2023
5 star in customer service! We missed our train stop at Nagano and therefore our tour but the tour company generously offered to do a private, make-up tour once we finally arrived in Nagano two hours later! We were able to visit a delicious restaurant where we ate a local, unique food; visit a sm...
5 star in customer service! We missed our train stop at Nagano and therefore our tour but the tour company generously offered to do a private, make-up tour once we finally arrived in Nagano two hours later! We were able to visit a delicious restaurant where we ate a local, unique food; visit a small, historic museum as well as a few temples and Shrine. Although our time was limited, Massa was able to provide us with ample explanation so we could feel we were able to experience the beauty and food of Nagano. The exceptional offer to give us a personal tour alleviated our frustrations as we retraced our train journey. It was not expected on our part, but the company offered us, knowing we made our mistake in earnest and had lost the money on the group tour. Thank you, Massa and company. I would obviously recommend this company and their services.