Nagano and Shirakawa-go

A couple of weeks ago, we took a special family trip to see some of the incredible winter scenes in central Japan.  Specifically, we visited the Jigokudani Monkey Park just outside of Nagano.  We found a cute little hotel nearby and made the drive.  After an arduous 45 minute hike from the parking lot, we found the monkeys.  It was fun to watch dozens of monkeys running and playing around.  The park has one large natural spring in which the monkeys will soak most mornings and nights during the winter.  We were fortunate to arrive before they all left the hot spring. 

 

After the hot spring, we drove around different parts of the outlying area of Nagano to see the sites.  The first sight was the Matsushiro imperial underground headquarters.  These series of tunnels were built in the last bit of WWII when US forces threatened to invade Japan.  Thousands of Korean slaves were forced to dig massive tunnels.  The Japanese military wanted the Emperor at the time to relocate to the tunnel for his safety.  He refused, believing that if he did, the military leaders would take over control of all war decisions.  History scholars speculated that had the Emperor taken refuge in these tunnels, the military leaders would not have surrounded after the two atomic bombs were dropped and the war would have been fought city by city.

Nagano was also the site of the 1998 Winter Olympic Games.  The speed skating stadium is still in use in Nagano, and it's called the M-Wave.  Inside we found several teams, including the national Japanese team, practicing speed skating.  Our girls were mesmerized and we watched for several minutes before meandering through the olympic museum, which was also in the M-Wave.  We had a great time at this museum, especially the bobsled simulator, which the girls did 15-20 times.

We spent two nights in Nagano.  Each night, we went down and soaked our cold away in wonderfully hot onsens, which are Japanese bath houses.  The girls loved these trips and with their momma.

 

 In between the two main destinations of our trip (Nagano and Shirakawago), we stopped off at Matsumoto castle, which is the oldest existing original castle of its kind in Japan.  It was a pleasant stop, and we enjoyed climbing up and down the castle.

That night, after a treacherous drive on narrow mountain roads through a blizzard, we made it to our last destination, the Shirakawago area.  Specifically, we stayed in Gokayama.  This area is known for dozens of small villages that are hundreds of years old and secluded in tiny mountain valleys.  The houses in these villages have unique thatch roofs that are built without any nails and can hold the heavy winter snows.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it was wonderful to see.  Many of these homes have been converted into bed and breakfasts, stores, or museums.  Many are still lived in and owned by private families.

We had a wonderful evening.  Our hostess made us a wonderful dinner and then introduced many aspects of the local culture to us.  We were there with two other families and we all enjoyed sitting around the cooking fire and chatting and playing together.  The next morning, after a wonderful breakfast, we explored the surrounding area.  The snow began falling as we walked around, which definitely added to the magical feeling of the villages.

Before leaving for home, we went to a nearby museum displaying a unique cultural product of the area, washi paper.  The area has been famous for producing washi paper for centuries, and in the museum we went to, our girls even got to make their own washi paper post card, which they were thrilled about.

It was a wonderful trip, and we were grateful for the chance to see this area of Japan in the winter.