Togakushi Kodo Trek

Why this route

Smart routing, not a shortcut

Most visitors start at the Middle Shrine and struggle up to the Upper Shrine during the busiest hours of the day. We do the exact opposite. By tackling Okusha's steepest ascent in the morning, while your energy is highest and the forest is still quiet, you reach the shrine in something closer to the silence it was built for.

On this trek

Five things worth the early start

Beat the crowds. Conquer Okusha's rigorous, steep final ascent first thing in the morning, before the tour buses arrive.

Walk the Kanmichi. An ancient trail through the sacred forest, with genuine ups and downs — not a flat stroll.

Let your guide choose lunch. A good local soba restaurant, picked by someone who knows the area.

Choose your start. Join directly at the Togakushi trailhead, or travel together from Nagano Station.

Breathe the highlands. Crisp air at 1,200 m, beneath a cedar avenue that has stood for four centuries.

The route

Seven hours, one old road

Discover the spiritual heart of Nagano on a trekking route built for travelers who want a genuine connection with nature — and the physical accomplishment that comes with it. Whether you meet your guide directly at the Togakushi Okusha entrance or travel together from Nagano Station on the express bus, the climb to the Upper Shrine comes first, while your legs are freshest and the morning light is still low through the trees.

The 400-year cedar avenue leading to Togakushi Okusha — The cedar avenue to Okusha — some of these trees have stood for four hundred years.

After descending from the Upper Shrine, the trail continues along the Kanmichi, the old Path of the Gods. It isn't purely downhill — expect a dynamic, undulating trail with a few short climbs of its own, giving you time to actually notice the forest rather than rush through it.

"Your guide picks the restaurant, so lunch is one less thing to plan."

Lunch is Togakushi's famous soul food: handmade soba, buckwheat noodles rooted in centuries of local history. Your guide chooses the restaurant, picking a good one for the day.

A guest pausing on the cedar-lined approach to Togakushi Okusha — Through the Zuishinmon gate and onto the old approach — the same path pilgrims have walked for centuries.

From lunch, one more gentle climb leads down toward the Middle Shrine (Chusha), where the afternoon slows: grand shrine architecture, the quiet energy of ancient trees, and free time for souvenirs before the express bus carries you back to Nagano Station.

Standard schedule