The City of Nagano, the capital of Nagano Prefecture, is located nearly in the center of Japan.
The City, which was built originally in front of Zenkoji and has developed concurrently with this famous Buddhist temple, has a long history.
　

■Zenkoji Temple
Zenkoji Temple was built 1,400 years ago. Inside Hondo, the Main Hall, the secret image of Buddha (IKKOSANZON AMIDANYORAI) is enshrined. There is a pitch-dark corridor (OKAIDAN) underneath the altars, where visitors can touch the key to the paradise.

■Higashiyama　Kaii　Gallery
This gallery has about 700 landscapes by a leading landscape artist of modern Japan, Kaii Higashiyama.

■Olympic Memorial Arena
The M-Wave, the Nagano Olympic Memorial Arena, offers not only world-class ice skating facilities but also many other kinds of entertainment. The M-Wave was the venue for speed skating events in the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games and the opening and closing ceremonies.

■Nagano Olympic Museum (in M-Wave)
Here you can newly experience the excitement and sensation of the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games, the highlights of which are reproduced in video, 3D Hi-vision, and a bobsledding simulator. Various instruments and goods used in the Olympic Games are on display here.
　

■Iizuna & Togakushi Highland
Iizuna and Togakushi Highland are spread out at the foot of Mt. Iizuna and Togakushi Range. These areas are on a plateau rising over 1,000 meters above sea level and have been designated as a national park. They are popular destinations for hikers, campers, mountain climbers, and skiers from all parts of the country.

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