Shinanomachi 2 Day Itinerary: winter to enjoy a luxurious sauna and wakasagi fishing in a snowy landscape

Summary

This time we went to Shinanomachi, Nagano Prefecture: ‼️ Relax from the core with a luxurious time in a private sauna in the snowy wilderness! ❄️☺️ Then, after staying at a pension that will fill your heart and stomach, get up early on the second day and go wakasagi fishing ❕🐟. I enjoyed fishing in a comfortable space without having to endure the cold because I was fishing in the boat, not in a hole – 🤭.

It is a healing trip surrounded by nature! Please refer to it when you go to Shinanomachi in winter 🙌💖.

*Please note that information and prices listed are subject to change.

Travel Itinerary

2:14pm Kurohime Station（黒姫駅）

From Nagano Station, transfer to the Shinano Railway to arrive at Kurohime Station! It took us about 30 minutes to get there! It was a snowy day and the station was white – ⛄️✨

Shinano Railway

Kurohime Station is located in Kashiwabara, Shinano-cho, Kamisuunai-gun, Nagano Prefecture. It takes about 30 minutes to get there from Nagano Station by transferring to the Shinano Railway. There is also information that a free ticket to Myokoukougen is a little more economical for a day trip from Nagano Station.

2:30pm Sherokuma Sauna & Cafe

Here you can enjoy a sauna with a wooden deck in the great outdoors. 🧖‍♀️💞It was a great private space because it is completely private! You can charter the room for 15,000 yen for 2 people and use it for 2.5 hours, so you can relax 😉.

There is also a café food, which is good to eat after sauna 🤤. There are places to stay and BBQ places, so if you come with your family or friends who love sauna, you will definitely have fun 👏.

It is nice to see how the enjoyment changes with the seasons! Early reservation is recommended as it is a popular sauna facility 🤭.

Exterior

introspection

Log house with lovely and warm interior 😊.

Introspection 2

Cute 🍎.

Many sauna hats were sold 🥺.

Each one is an original design and handmade so you can only get it here 🤩❣️

All the designs are too cute and would be a great gift for sauna lovers 🫰.

My favorite is this polar bear 🐻‍❄🫧

There were also boots to wear when your feet are cold!

You’ll want a set.

Original design mug 🫶.

This is the sauna exterior!

Normally, there are chairs on the wooden deck, but since there was snow on the ground, they were here 😙.

It has the lovely appearance of a log house!

wood deck

cold bath

KIMOSABEE.

It was made in 3 levels like this: 🙆‍♀️

self-reproduction

The room temperature is said to be able to be raised to 100 degrees! The staff will come to see you regularly to make sure your environment is in good shape. 🙆‍♀️ It was also nice and relaxing to change the scent with eucalyptus and birch leaves 🫠.

Wood stove type

They say it’s a handmade sauna.

SAPPLE JUICE 500 yen

Interesting name, a cross between sauna and apple juice 😂. The juice is made from delicious Nagano apples, and the salt on the rim of the glass gives it a delicious sweetness. You sweat during the sauna, so it looks like you can replenish your salt as well 😉.

This was really good and you should definitely drink it if you go 🥹.

Polar Bear brought it to us: 🐻‍❄️♥️

There was also this lovely and delightful service: ❣️

Free drinking water!

It was delicious water from Shinanomachi😊.

I dived into a bed of snow 😂.

It is a unique way to enjoy the snow country! In an instant, the whole body cools down and replaces the water bath! The fluffy snow was cold but felt good 😊.

T-shirt

🐻‍❄️ mark

rental goods

Bathrobes, bath towels, and hand towels are available for rent!

Changing space

Shirokuma’s DEN

Looks like you can also stay overnight.

introspection

Atmosphere like a mountain cabin

attic

Lights up at night.

Sherokuma Sauna & Cafe is a sauna facility located in Shinano-machi, Kamiminochi-gun, Nagano Prefecture, where you can experience a private wood-fired sauna. The sauna is completely private and offers relaxation in a private space. 16,500 yen for up to two people for 2.5 hours. Visitors can enjoy meals at the attached café and have a good time by visiting with friends and family who love saunas. Early reservations are recommended as the enjoyment changes with the seasons.

6:00pm Guest House Koarai（こあらい）

I stayed at this guesthouse🏠🍀. It was a lovely pension run by a kind couple who made very tasty meals 😊.

The interior was spacious, clean and cozy 😌💞. If you are ever in the neighborhood, stop by!

Room

It was a two-person room! Very beautiful room with high ceilings 😉.

Room 2

Bathroom

Dinner Space

There was also a counter 🙆‍♀️

lounge

Free space! Nice atmosphere with big windows, TV and fireplace~ 🥰. You can relax here 🔥.

Big TV ‼️

Fireplaces are so special and delightful ♥

bath

Relaxing space with the scent of Japanese cypress! Glad to have a big bath 😳♨️

washing place (e.g. for laundry or tableware)

dressing room

Menu

They have a different meal each day! The food here seems to be famous for being so good that some locals come here just to eat! 😊

Each dish is carefully prepared and you can enjoy creative seasonal dishes 🤤. I can see why you would want to go to this one 💗….

wakasagi nanban, Grilled lotus root sandwich, Black bean

Conger eel and potato steamed egg custard

grilled scallop with miso

Deep-fried hail of scabbard fish

mashed tofu salad with garland chrysanthemum and persimmon

Salmon saikyo-yaki

Shinshu Beef Steamed in Seiro

rice cooked with baby sardines, miso soup with nameko mushrooms and pickles

Apple sherbet

front

Room

Homemade Jam

Coffee brewed by a kind master: ☕️

Early bird: ☀️

I woke up early for wakasagi fishing and saw the morning sunrise! It’s so serene and calm, like we’re in a different country 🤭🤭.

morning glow

Beautiful snowy view from the big window in the lounge: ⛄️

Located in Nojiri, Shinano-cho, Josuunai-gun, Nagano Prefecture, Guest House Koarai is a lovely pension run by a kind couple who serve delicious, carefully selected meals. The interior is spacious, clean, and comfortable. If you are ever in the neighborhood, please stop by!

7:15am 7-Eleven Shinshu Shinanomachi Nojiri store

Start of the second day! We stop at the 7-Eleven right by Lake Nojiri! It’s early in the morning so I’ll buy breakfast 🥐. I heard that eating and drinking are allowed inside the fishing boat, so I will buy lunch and drinks! 🙆‍♀️ He enjoys fishing with a drink, so I bought him a can of beer 🍺♥️

I heard you can use hot water too so you can have a cup of ramen 🍜😊.

Nagano craft beer was sold 🍻.

7-Eleven Shinshu Shinano-machi Nojiri store is a convenience store located in Nojiri, Shinano-cho, Kamisuunai-gun, Nagano Prefecture. Located near Lake Nojiri, the store sells a variety of items for sale, including snacks and beverages.

7:40am Sea Spirit & ichibankan（シースプリット&一番館）

This time, I made reservations for wakasagi fishing here in advance! First, you must register and receive a boarding permit 🚢. It looks like it is possible to make group reservations! The staff is very kind and reliable😊.

introspection

A friendly cat greeted us!

Myoko and Kurohime, both are visible and beautiful..!

The road to Lake Nojiri was so beautiful 😍😍.

Fishing boat “Twin Bee”

It was originally a pleasure boat! Cute name 😂.

The sunrise was too beautiful… ✨🌅.

The lake was warmer and more fantastic 😌. Cross this bridge to the fishing boat!

It was worth getting up early 👏.

inboard

Inboard 2

The center is open, and you can fish facing each other! They can do up to 10 people‼️ It looks like it is possible to make reservations for private parties, so it would be fun to have a large group of people together 😁.

Inboard 3

Sea Spirit & ichibankan, located in Shinano-machi, Kamiminochi-gun, Nagano Prefecture, is an inn for fishing, marine sports, and winter sports (no accommodation plans during winter). Wakasagi fishing can be reserved for groups, and the staff is very friendly, so even beginners can enjoy fishing without worries.

8:00am Lake Nojiri（野尻湖）

Once on the boat, start wakasagi fishing immediately‼️ It was a day that was said to be not so good for fishing, but thanks to the full support of our kind captain, we were able to enjoy the fishing! 🥲🫶

Some people seem to be able to catch more than 300 fish when the time is right! The charm of boat wakasagi fishing is that you can enjoy yourself even if you don’t catch any fish, because you can do it in a warm boat while talking and drinking 😙😙😙.

Rental Equipment

Everything you need can be rented (for a fee), so you can go empty-handed 😚. Of course, you can bring your own 🙆🙆.

We started fishing immediately!

Once the fishing line is lowered to the bottom, all you have to do is move the line at the appropriate intervals to attract wakasagi‼️ I had never fished before, but it was easier than I thought it would be and I got used to it quickly. 🙆‍♀️

When I caught it, the tip twitched, so I watched carefully and closely so I wouldn’t miss it 👀.

feed

It seems to be a fly larva,..! It was very small and difficult to stick the needle 💦.

In the end we caught 17 fish 🐟💗.

It’s nice when you catch it yourself, isn’t it? You can take your catch home👍👍.

The captain gave me detailed instructions so it went smoothly 😊.

Fishing tackle that automatically lures the fish!

All you have to do is reel in the fish and you can eat during this time 😊.

This is not a rental item, but we had a special experience with it: 🙆‍♀️

Caught 💖.

The person who was riding with me gave me a stew of tsuko (fish balls): ❣️

It’s already an izakaya where you can eat hot stewed fish while drinking alcohol 🏮😂. It was fun to fish while chatting with everyone 😌.

pickles

Captain.

View from the upper deck!

Looks like a painting 🖼️

Very beautiful surrounded by snowy landscape.

Lake Nojiri is located on a plateau 654 meters above sea level in Shinano-machi. There are sightseeing boats and rowboats by the lake, and marine sports can be enjoyed in summer. In winter, wakasagi fishing is popular, and visitors can enjoy fishing from a boat. A stroll along the lakeside is also recommended, where you can refresh yourself while feeling the fresh breeze.

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