Togakushi : une promenade paisible à travers des forêts sacrées et les traditions du soba
Description
Découvrez les forêts sacrées et les sanctuaires anciens de Togakushi lors de cette visite guidée à pied au départ de Nagano. Parcourez des sentiers de montagne cachés bordés de cèdres imposants, visitez des sites shintoïstes importants tels que Chusha et Okusha, et découvrez les légendes de la mythologie japonaise grâce à votre guide local Anglais. En chemin, admirez les superbes paysages alpins et savourez un déjeuner traditionnel composé de nouilles soba de Togakushi faites maison, une spécialité régionale. Selon la saison et les conditions, l'itinéraire peut également inclure des sentiers forestiers tranquilles, des étangs pittoresques ou des haltes culturelles facultatives.
Options de l'excursion
Itinéraire
En face du café Beck’s, à l’intérieur de la gare de Nagano (juste à la sortie des portillons d’accès au Shinkansen)
Montez dans le véhicule avec votre guide et partez pour Togakushi.
Arrivée à l'étang de Kagamiike. C'est un site spectaculaire, où la verdure et la forêt se marient à merveille et où les montagnes de Togakushi se reflètent à la surface de l'eau, tel un « kagami » (miroir en japonais). ＊＊Remarque : ce site n'est pas accessible pendant les mois d'hiver en raison de la neige, mais sa beauté au fil des saisons en fait un lieu incontournable.＊＊
Nous découvrirons un petit bijou caché et admirerons une magnifique rangée de portes shintoïstes rouges au sanctuaire Tenmei Inari. Nous nous dirigerons ensuite vers l'entrée du quartier d'Okusha. **Remarque : cet endroit n'est pas accessible pendant les mois d'hiver en raison de la neige, mais sa beauté le reste de l'année en fait un lieu incontournable.＊＊
Arrivée dans la région d'Okusha. Vous verrez d'imposants cèdres vieux de 400 ans qui bordent le chemin menant à Oku Sha. Ce parcours au cœur de la forêt s'étend sur environ 2 km : il passe par la porte rouge Zuishinmon, longe des cèdres et mène jusqu'au hall principal, qui se dresse de manière spectaculaire à flanc de montagne, sur le mont Togakushi. **Remarque : le sanctuaire d'Okusha n'est pas accessible en hiver en raison de la neige, mais les visiteurs peuvent tout de même profiter du sentier bordé de cèdres, qui offre une vue imprenable, ainsi que du paysage hivernal paisible qui s'étend tout au long du chemin.＊＊
Arrivée au sanctuaire d'Okusha, le plus reculé des cinq sanctuaires de Togakushi. Ce sanctuaire est dédié au dieu de la force, qui a déplacé le rocher pour permettre à Amaterasu de sortir de sa cachette. Le sanctuaire d'Okusha est considéré comme le plus important des cinq sanctuaires de Togakushi. Ensuite, nous retournerons à l'entrée du quartier d'Okusha. **Remarque : le sanctuaire d'Okusha n'est pas accessible en hiver en raison de la neige, mais les visiteurs peuvent tout de même profiter du sentier bordé de cèdres, qui offre une vue imprenable, ainsi que du paysage hivernal paisible qui s'étend tout au long du chemin.
Arrivée au sanctuaire de Kuzuryusha, qui abrite un dragon à neuf têtes, dieu de l'eau. Ici, les agriculteurs prient pour que la pluie tombe. De plus, il est également vénéré comme dieu des mariages. **Remarque : le sanctuaire de Kuzuryusha n'est pas accessible en hiver en raison de la neige, mais les visiteurs peuvent tout de même profiter du sentier bordé de cèdres, qui offre une vue imprenable, ainsi que du paysage hivernal paisible qui s'étend tout au long du chemin.＊＊
Visite facultative du musée Togakure Ninpo (entrée non comprise).
Visitez le sanctuaire de Chusha (sanctuaire central) Dégustez un délicieux bol de soba de Togakushi, l'un des plats de soba les plus célèbres du Japon, dans un restaurant local. Découvrez le sanctuaire principal de Togakushi, dédié à Tajikarao-no-Mikoto, le dieu qui a ramené la lumière dans le monde. Admirez l'allée bordée de cèdres et l'architecture traditionnelle.
Rendez-vous sur Hokosha. Le sanctuaire inférieur, dédié à Ame-no-Uwaharu, une divinité associée à l'érudition et à l'agriculture. **Remarque : le sanctuaire Hokosha peut être inaccessible en hiver en raison de la neige, mais les visiteurs peuvent tout de même profiter du sentier bordé de cèdres, qui offre une vue imprenable, ainsi que du paysage hivernal paisible qui s'étend tout au long du chemin.
Option « Temple Zenkoji » : visitez ce site bouddhiste historique et profitez d'un service de navette pratique pour retourner à la gare de Nagano.
Montez dans le véhicule avec votre guide et rejoignez la gare de Nagano. Remarque : la durée de cette visite dépend du rythme de marche du groupe ; veuillez donc prévoir un peu de temps en plus pour votre programme suivant.
Points forts
Ce qui est inclus
Avis des voyageurs
Informations importantes
- Transports en commun disponibles à proximité
- Déconseillé aux voyageurs avec des problèmes à la colonne vertébrale
- Déconseillé aux femmes enceintes
- Déconseillé aux voyageurs avec des problèmes cardiovasculaires
- Condition physique moyenne requise
- Merci de ne pas manger ni boire de café à l'intérieur du véhicule afin de le garder propre pour tout le monde. L'eau en bouteille et les petits animaux de compagnie dans des cages de transport sont autorisés.
- En cas d'arrivée tardive, le circuit ne pourra pas être prolongé.
- Veuillez porter des vêtements et des chaussures adaptés à la marche. Togakushi se trouve à environ 1 100 mètres d'altitude. S'il pleut, il fera froid, même en été.
- Pas de poussettes
- o8Experience est une agence de voyage locale qui propose des visites privées et en petits groupes à Nagano et dans les régions environnantes. De la gastronomie à la culture, en passant par la nature et l'histoire, nous concevons des voyages enrichissants sur mesure pour les voyageurs curieux. Rendez-vous sur o8Experience pour en savoir plus.
Avis(7)
It’s an amazing and truly unique experience! The surrounding nature is so beautiful and calming. Our guide was super helpful and knowledgeable, telling us about both Japanese history and his own experiences. The area is one of the few left with strong Shinto beliefs and we really enjoyed learning and participating in local traditions. We also appreciated the time span of 4-6 hours. It suited us very well and gave us time to rest and go sightseeing in Nagano later in the day. Lastly we’d like to recommend going to the optional Ninja Museum. Entry fee was affordable (1000 yen). Do however make sure you have some time to solve the maze! It’s great fun but we did in fact not make it out and had to get help from staff, lol!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re really happy to hear that you enjoyed the beautiful nature, local traditions, and the peaceful atmosphere of the area. It was a pleasure sharing both the history and personal stories with you, and we’re glad the 4–6 hour tour length worked well for your day in Nagano. And yes — the Ninja Museum maze can be surprisingly tricky! We’re glad you had fun with it, even if the staff had to come to the rescue. Thank you again for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back to Nagano someday!
My guided tour of the Togakushi shrines and surrounding forest and natural botanical areas was one of the highlights of my trip to Japan. Masayo OKABE was a phenomenal guide. She speaks excellent English and knows so much about Japanese culture and history in addition to the natural sciences and botany.I took the bus up from Nagano to meet her at the start of our hike near the shrine. We proceeded through a promenade of 300 year-old huge cedar trees. She made the culture of shrines in general alive for me so that I will be able to apply what I learned to all the other sites I will encounter in Japan. I had thought of doing this on my own using an all trails map, but was afraid of being attacked by bears so I hired a guide and I’m so glad I did because I got so much more out of the experience due to Masa’s knowledge. My tour lasted around five or so hours. The cost was ¥18,000. When I return to Japan, I will definitely seek her out again to explore the Alps above Nagano.
Highly recommend this activity. We enjoyed it immensely even under extreme weather conditions, it rained heavily throughout so part of the trail to the shrine was slippy and quite a climb but all was OK. The trees and colours are just right atm so if it's a dry sunny day it would be spectacular. Masa, our guide was charming and helped make the day pleasant even in rain, he told us all the stories. He took us to a lovely authentic restaurant with great food, much better than expected as some tours that part of the day is disappointing. It's a windy drive but we went as a small group in a comfortable vehicle. Thankyou Masa for a great day!
Thank you so much for joining us — and for powering through the weather with such good energy! Togakushi can definitely feel like an adventure on a rainy day (the cedar forest trail can get steep and a little slippery), so we’re really glad to hear you still enjoyed the walk, the stories, and the autumn colors. On a clear day that approach to the shrine is breathtaking, but there’s also something special about the mist in the trees, right? We’re also happy you liked the local lunch stop. We always try to avoid “tour food” and take our guests somewhere we’d actually bring friends. I’ll make sure Masa sees this — he’ll be so happy to hear your kind words. Thank you again for spending the day with us, and we hope the rest of your time in Nagano is sunny and relaxed! ☀️🍁 – o8Experience
Our guide Masa was very knowledgeable about the local area, and knew the best restaurant for an authentic soba experience, which was amazing! Although it was a little rainy in the morning, the tour was amazing. The shrines and the forest were very beautiful! Highly recommend you take this tour with Masa, if you can!
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the tour despite the morning rain — Togakushi truly holds a special kind of beauty in all weather. Masa will be very happy to know his soba recommendation hit the spot! The combination of serene forest paths and sacred shrines makes this area one of our favorite hidden gems, and we're so glad you got to experience it. We really appreciate the recommendation and hope to welcome you back for another adventure in Nagano! – o8Experience Team
The tour was very nice and the guide as well! I had a wonderful day and would totally recommend this :)
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're really happy to hear you had a wonderful day and enjoyed the tour and your guide. Your recommendation means a lot to us 😊 We hope to welcome you back again for another o8Experience!
Stunningly beautiful location. The guide was fantastic, he has family connection to the area and can ground you in a sense of place and history. His knowledge about the shrines and Shintoism was wonderful. The lunch at a local restaurant was super tasty too. Highly recommend the walk and the guide. Only suggestion is if you go in early spring the walk can be quite icy, so shoes with good traction is a must.
Thank you so much for your kind words and thoughtful feedback. We’re really glad to hear you enjoyed the walk, the delicious local lunch, and especially the guide’s personal connection to the area. His deep roots and understanding of Shintoism and the local shrines truly add something special to the experience, and it's wonderful to know that came through. Appreciate the tip about footwear in early spring as well—great advice for fellow travelers. Thanks again for joining us, and we’d love to welcome you back anytime. – o8Experience
It was a wonderful, informative personal tour for only two of us. Masa, our guide, was outstanding, accommodated our pace, interests, and food. Masa suggested leaving earlier than scheduled to avoid crowds, which worked out well. Kagami Iki Pond was absolutely beautiful, with autumn leaves and mountains reflected on the water's surface. We visited four of the main shrines, plus an additional hidden one, and learned about Shinto and how to properly bow and clap at shrines. The hike to Okushi was the longest and the most challenging, but the path is well maintained and accessible for anyone in modest shape. Lunch was authentic soba at a restaurant over 100 years old. At the end of the tour, Masa dropped us off at the Zenko-ji Temple because we mentioned we wanted to try the Beni-Beni pie. Masa was born and raised in the Togakushi area and, therefore, very knowledgeable, providing a unique perspective. His English was very good as he completed graduate school and worked in London prior to moving back to Nagano. Masa also took many pictures of us at the different sites, that he sent to us the next day as part of the package. Overall, we highly recommend this tour company to anyone interested in sightseeing in the Nagano area.
Thank you so much for your detailed review! We’re delighted to hear that you had such a wonderful and personalized experience with Masa as your guide. It’s great that his local knowledge, attention to your pace, and thoughtful suggestions made the tour even more special. Visiting Kagami Ike Pond with the autumn leaves and mountains reflected in the water must have been breathtaking, and the added visit to a hidden shrine sounds like such a unique touch! We're glad you enjoyed the authentic soba lunch and that Masa’s insights on Shinto enriched your experience. It’s also wonderful to hear that Masa took care of all the little details, from avoiding crowds to taking photos for you and dropping you off at Zenko-ji Temple for the Beni-Beni pie. Thank you for recommending us, and we’re so happy that Masa’s knowledge and personal touch made your time in Nagano truly memorable!
