24/05/2026
With the arrival of warmer weather, it is a perfect time to explore the quiet, spiritual side of Nagano within Myoko-Togakushi Renzan National Park.
The park is home to Togakushi Shrine, a complex of five sanctuaries with a name that translates to "hidden door." This name is tied to the Shinto myth of Amano-Iwato, the heavenly rock cave. According to legend, when the sun goddess Amaterasu hid inside a cave, the other deities gathered to lure her out. As she peeked outside, the god of strength, Ame-no-Tajikarao, pulled the cave door open to restore light. Local tradition says this stone door was flung to Nagano, forming Mount Togakushi.
Rather than enshrining the sun goddess herself, three of Togakushi's shrines honor three of the deities who orchestrated her rescue. The remaining two shrines, Hokosha and Kuzuryusha, complete the pilgrimage circuit. Kuzuryusha enshrines a nine-headed dragon revered as the guardian of the land’s water.
This legendary landscape later became a major center for Shugendo, an ancient practice of mountain asceticism. For centuries, pilgrims came to these forested mountains for physical and meditative training along steep ridges and inside hidden caves.
To connect you with this history and local village life, we have designed a four-day Kammui Adventure. This journey brings together the spiritual trails of the shrine area with a hands-on masterclass in traditional Togakushi soba making, a craft the region is famous for nationwide. Along the way, you can embrace the quiet pace of the mountains with a stay in a luxurious local ryokan. This experience offers a grounded look at a side of Nagano that lies off the main tourist trail, where myth and quiet nature meet.