Obuse lies on the Nagaden line about halfway between Nagano and Yudanaka, which makes it a natural stop on the way to or from the monkeys. It is one of the smallest towns in Nagano Prefecture and one of the most carefully kept: a compact centre of storehouses, gardens and a lane paved with blocks of chestnut wood.
Its fame rests on two things. In the 1840s the wealthy merchant and scholar Takai Kozan invited the artist Katsushika Hokusai, then in his eighties, to stay and paint here. And Obuse has grown chestnuts for centuries, turning them into some of the best-known sweets in the region.
Top things to do: Obuse
Visit the Hokusai Museum
The Hokusai-kan shows the artist’s paintings rather than his better-known prints, along with two festival floats whose ceilings he decorated with waves, a dragon and a phoenix. It is a ten-minute walk from the station.
Look up at Gansho-in
At the temple of Gansho-in, on the edge of town, the ceiling of the main hall carries Hokusai’s great phoenix “staring in eight directions”, painted near the end of his life and still vivid.
Eat chestnuts every way
Try kuri-okowa (sticky rice steamed with chestnuts), kuri-kanoko (chestnuts in sweet paste) and chestnut soft-serve. In the autumn harvest weeks the confectioners serve fresh chestnut desserts that draw long queues.
Taste sake and wander the lanes
A sake brewery in the centre offers tastings, and many households take part in an “open garden” scheme. The town is flat and small enough to see in two or three hours.
How to get there
- From Nagano: about 25 minutes by Nagaden limited express, 35 by local train.
- From Yudanaka: about 25–30 minutes by Nagaden train.
- Pass: the Snow Monkey Pass covers the Nagaden trains, so you can break the journey here at no extra cost.
Insider tips
- Do Obuse on your way back from Yamanouchi: see the monkeys in the morning and stop here for a late lunch.
- Gansho-in is about 2 km from the station; a town shuttle bus runs on some days, or rent a bicycle.
- Several museums close on irregular days in winter. Check ahead.
Best tours & tickets: Obuse
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Obuse and the rest of the Yamanouchi area:
Private day trip from US$510 per group Tokyo: Nagano Snow Monkeys, Shibu Onsen & Obuse Tour
A long private day from Tokyo that does the area justice: the monkey park, a walk through Shibu Onsen and a stop in Obuse, the chestnut town where Hokusai painted in his last years. Priced per group.
- Snow monkeys, Shibu Onsen and Obuse in one day
- Private vehicle for up to six people
- Guide with you throughout
Private premium tour from US$441 per group Nagano / Tokyo: Luxury Private Snow Monkey Park & Zenko-ji Tour
For travellers who mind the journey as much as the destination: a private day in a premium vehicle, with the monkey park at its heart and a choice of Zenko-ji, the Matsushiro castle ruins, Shibu Onsen and Obuse around it.
- Premium vehicles for the long drive
- Zenko-ji, Shibu Onsen and Obuse on the menu
- Snow monkeys at Jigokudani
Private day tour from US$181 Nagano: Togakushi Shrines & Top Highlights Private Tour
A private day centred on Togakushi’s shrines and cedar forest, with room to add a second stop — the snow monkeys, Zenko-ji, Obuse or Shibu Onsen. A good second day once you have seen Jigokudani.
- The giant cedar avenue to Togakushi’s inner shrine
- Combine with the monkeys, Zenko-ji, Obuse or Shibu Onsen
- Private car and guide
