With water trickling down from the Hotaka Mountains and a cool climate with high night-day temperature variation, the Hakuma area is well-suited to buckwheat production, and is a major producer within the “buckwheat country” of Nagano. Many lodgings and soba restaurants in the Hakuba area offer experiences making soba noodles produced from this buckwheat. Experiences are approachable even for those with no experience, and participants can try their freshly made soba on the spot. Popular with families and students.
Due to its high altitude and dramatic night-day temperature shifts, there is always a high likelihood of cloud formation around the village of Hakuba, and there are several spots for viewing this sea of clouds in the mountains, such as in the Nodai area and the Donguri Panorama Observation Deck in the Kurashita area. At Kitaone Kogen Morgenrot, there is a tour that takes visitors up the mountainside at dawn by cable car. With some luck, you may be able to catch an incredible sight: a sea of clouds colored soft shades of red by the fiery rising sun.
“Three-Tiered Autumn” refers to the beautiful sight Hakuba Iwatake is famous for: snow-capped peaks, mountainside autumn colors, and green foothills all on view at once. With sweeping views of the Hakuba Mountains, the terrace at Hakuba Mountain Harbor is one of a handful of places in Japan where the incredible three-tiered autumn spectacle can be seen. The best time to visit is from mid- to late-October. Come and enjoy the beautiful contrast of these three interwoven color schemes.
Shinshu beef is a brand of beef cattle raised in Nagano Prefecture and is called “apple-fed beef” because it is raised on feed with apples added. Its meat is characterized by its tenderness, aroma, and excellent marbling. There are many restaurants in Nagano Prefecture that specialize in sukiyaki using this Shinshu beef, and people become to call it sukiyaki in Nagano Prefecture. It is a must-try when you travel to Nagano.
“Ego” is made by boiling and dissolving seaweed called “ego-so” and hardening it, and is a local traditional dish in Niigata. At a time when refrigerators did not yet exist, it is a highly preserved marine product that has a valuable ingredient for obtaining nutrients that were often in short supply in Nagano as it has no ocean. It is said that ego-so which came from Niigata, was sold out in the Hokushin region and rarely reached the larger towns of Nagano and Matsumoto, and that it was introduced and took root mainly in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture.
“Edible flowers” are flowers that can be eaten, and the English word “edible flower” has become a common name in Japan. Edible flowers are made without pesticides or with low amounts of pesticides and can be eaten raw, and are often served with food or sweets. In Hakuba Village, edible flower production is thriving, and many restaurants serve dishes using edible flowers or hold edible flower events. How about a nice “flower meal” in Hakuba Village?
Located in Chubu region, Nagano Prefecture sits near the center of Japan. Mountains as high as 2,000 – 3,000 meters run north to south in this landlocked prefecture. Even though rice has been a staple for centuries in Japan, buckwheat, which adapts well to severe winter weather or poorly conditioned land, has been grown all over Japan as a substitute for rice when the rice yields are low. Nagano’s climate, which has a big difference in temperature between day and night, makes soba produced in Nagano quite flavorful. Soba noodles made in Nagano using locally produced buckwheat are called Sinshu Soba, one of the most known dishes in the prefecture. Ina city, located in southern Nagano has a unique soba noodle called Takato Soba, which is served with a dipping sauce made with the extract of Japanese radish and roasted miso.
Miso – one of the most significant seasonings in Japanese cuisine, is a traditional fermented food made from soybeans and Koji kin, a fermentation culture. Japan has various kinds of miso unique to the region and they are used not only in miso soup but also in a wide variety of Japanese regional cuisine. Shinshu miso, mainly made in the Nagano Prefecture, is said to be first made back in the Sengoku period by order of a powerful warlord in the region, Takeda Shingen. Shinshu miso is made from rice koji and soybeans, thus being called rice miso. It is light yellow in color and slightly on the spicy side. Gohei Mochi is a traditional regional food that’s been around in the city of Ina in southern Nagano. It used to be one of the offerings to thank God for blessing the farmers with new rice crops, and to ask for next year’s abundance again. To make Gohei Mochi, smash firm, steamed uruchi-mai (white rice) and divide them into small flat pieces, put them on skewers, brush them with a mix of miso paste, mirin, sugar and crushed walnuts, then grill them over a traditional irori stove or a gas stove.
Located right in the center of Japan, Nagano Prefecture is surrounded by land, and the mountain range, which soars as high as 2,000 – 3,000 meters, runs down north to south. Saku City in the eastern part of Nagano is known for its koi fish farming. The Chikuma river’s serene water is perfect for the production of rice and koi fish farming. Back in the day, farmers used to farm koi fish in the rice paddies while growing rice. These days, koi fish farming is done in farming facilities. The koi fish around the area is called Saku-Goi. The meat is dense with just the right amount of fat, and yet it has no distinctive smell of the koi fish. Some of the popular Saku Goi dishes are Arai, which is koi fish filleted and sliced, then soaked in ice water to remove the smell, Umani, a soy and sugar-simmered dish, or Koi Koku, which is also simmered but with miso. Koi fish is quite nutritious and it pairs well with Sake, the Japanese rice wine.
Located in the Chubu region, Nagano Prefecture is landlocked and mountains as high as 2,000 – 3,000 run through the region from north to south. Japan is unique in the sense that Sake is made all over the country and each region has its own renowned brand of Sake. Particularly, Nagano is known for its many distilleries. Sakudaira in Saku city, located in the upper reaches of the Chikuma river, is known for its production of rice. For over 350 years, the area has been making sake and developing new ways to grow rice suited for sake making. Saku city has a cold climate and it is surrounded by Mt. Asama in the north and the Yatsugatake mountains in the south, along with the Chikuma river that runs through, making it abundant with water. The pristine water, called Shikomi-mizu, is the main ingredient of Japanese sake and it makes or breaks the quality. These factors – Saku city’s climate and an abundance of water make their Sake unique and original. There are 13 distilleries around the area and each one has its own philosophy of Sake making. Many of them offer tastings, so it’ll be a fun experience. One of those places that attract tourists is KURABITO STAY, the one and only hotel in the world that offers its guests Sake making while staying at an old distillery.
