Nagano

Nagano City is located in the central part of Honshu Island, and is the capital of Nagano Prefecture, one of the few inland prefectures in Japan. Nagano has developed from a village attached to Zenkoji Temple into a big city, formerly known as the Shinano (信濃) district, where many daimyo and samurai families left their footprints during the Warring States period. In 1998 Nagano successfully hosted the Winter Olympic Games.

Zenkoji Temple and Teramae-Cho

Nagano Zenkoji Temple was founded in 644 A.D. and is a 1,400-year-old temple dedicated to Japan’s oldest secret Buddha. The city of Nagano grew out of the temple’s Teramae-cho (寺前町), and it is the belief in this temple that has contributed to the prosperity of Nagano today.

Sanada clan and Matsushiro Domain

The Sanada clan was a famous samurai family during the Warring States period, and they fought in important battles such as the Battle of Sekigahara and the Battles of Osaka. In 1622, Sanada Nobuyuki (真田信之) received a title from Tokugawa Hidetada (徳川秀忠) and became the lord of the Matsushiro Domain. The next ten generations of the Sanada clan lived in Matsushiro Castle, and built the Sanada Residence and the Bunbu School in the castle town. In 1966, the 12th head of the Sanada family donated a large number of artifacts that had been handed down from generation to generation, which are now kept in the Sanada Treasures Museum.