This temple is absolutely beautiful and one of the favourite so far comparing to other many shrines in Japan. There are much less tourists here which gives you the opportunity to savour and enjoy the surroundings. The template has been so well preserved and has lots of small shrines and a gate on the approach up to it with beautiful trees and plants and lanterns all around. There are also lots of little restaurants and places to buy souvenirs. We had a really enjoyable walk up to see this - 25 minutes from Nagano station and it was well worth the walk. A really beautiful place.

Monzen Terrace Enya is a great place to eat out in Nagano Japan. A bit away from downtown Nagano, it is however quite close to the Zenkoji temple and which is highly recommended as an accommodation. The food is an imaginative mix of western (e. g. pizza and pasta) and Japanese styles.

The Jigokudani Monkey Park (地獄谷野猿公苑, Jigokudani Yaen Kōen) offers visitors the unique experience of seeing wild monkeys bathing in a natural hot spring. You get off the vehicle and go on a gentle 30 minute walk through a spectacular forest and arrive at a gorge. For a very reasonable cost, you then enter the restricted area where you can dwell and watch the monkeys at play and bathing. The park is inhabited by Japanese Macaques, which are also known as Snow Monkeys.