🏯 Historical Sites in Nagano

Nagano Prefecture is filled with historical places that reflect Japan’s feudal and wartime past. From castle ruins and preserved fortresses to quiet old post towns, these sites offer both scenic charm and cultural depth. All the locations listed here are within Nagano Prefecture and were personally visited for their historical and atmospheric value.

📝 Personal Note

I created this list to highlight the historical depth of Nagano — from majestic castles and old post towns to silent wartime tunnels and ancient battlefields. Each location on this page is one I personally visited, walked through, and tried to understand not just as a tourist, but as someone curious about Japan’s layered past.

Some places like Matsumoto Castle are well-known, while others such as Arato Castle or Iiyama Castle offer quiet solitude and unexpected views. Whether it's the grand black tower of Matsumoto or the cherry blossoms around Komoro and Iiyama, each site holds a piece of Nagano’s story.

I don’t collect stamps or souvenirs, but I do collect impressions — and these places left a deep one.
If you're drawn to history you can feel in the stone under your feet, I hope this list gives you a meaningful starting point.

Man sitting on tatami mat wearing a Japanese samurai armor and helmet with horns, inside a room with gold-colored folding screens.

🏯 Historical Sites in Nagano – My Experience

People with umbrellas walking in front of pink cherry blossom trees and a traditional Japanese building.

🏯 Ueda Castle
（上田城）

Once the stronghold of the Sanada clan, this castle is known for its strategic victories and preserved stone walls. The surrounding park adds a tranquil setting to its military past.

Outdoor area with a wooden pathway, railing, and building surrounded by trees and greenery.

🏯 Arato Castle Ruins（荒砥城跡）

A small reconstructed mountaintop fortress. Offers wide views of the valley and a glimpse into Sengoku-period defenses.

Traditional Japanese castle with multiple tiers and dark blue and white exterior, surrounded by green shrubbery and cloudy sky.

🏯 Matsumoto Castle（松本城）

One of Japan’s original and best-preserved castles. Its striking black exterior and five-story main tower make it a national treasure.

Traditional Japanese-style wooden gate and upper balcony with white walls and wooden slats.

🏯 Matsushiro Castle（松代城）

Another Sanada stronghold, rebuilt in the Edo period. The red bridge, moat, and quiet surroundings make it a lovely historical walk.

Entrance to a tunnel carved through a hillside with wooden framing and a sign warning helmets must be worn. There are trees and plants surrounding the entrance.

🏚️ Matsushiro Underground HQ

A vast underground wartime shelter built beneath Mt. Zōzan during WWII. A rare and sobering historical site.

A busy street in a traditional Japanese town with people walking and gathering, surrounded by wooden buildings and green trees, and mountains in the background on a clear sunny day.

🏘️ Tsumago-juku
（妻籠宿）

A beautifully preserved Edo-period post town on the old Nakasendō route. No modern signage, just wooden buildings and a quiet, timeless atmosphere.

Traditional Japanese castle gate with wooden structure, stone walls, and greenery in the background.

🏯 Komoro Castle Ruins（小諸城址）

This rare “castle below the town” features a dramatic gate, samurai museum, and a lovely park known as Kaikoen. A lesser-known but atmospheric site.

Statues of a warrior and a horse at a Japanese shrine, with colorful banners and trees in the background.

⚔️ Nagano Old Battlefield Park

The site of the legendary Kawanakajima battles between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. Now a peaceful park with statues, shrines, and battlefield markers.

A man standing next to a large stone wall outdoors on a cloudy day.

🏯 Iiyama Castle Ruins（安楽寺）

Though the main keep is gone, the remaining stone walls and quiet hilltop setting retain the air of feudal power. In spring, it’s surrounded by cherry blossoms, enhancing the historic mood.

Traditional Japanese castle with curved roofs on stone foundation, surrounded by water and green trees under a blue sky.

🏯 Takashima Castle
（高島城）

A beautiful castle located by Lake Suwa. Known as the “Water Castle” because of its moat, it is especially scenic during cherry blossom season.