- Exploring the World of GeGeGe no Kitaro in Chofu - 21 May 2026
- How Does Happy Entry Work at Tokyo Disney? - 20 May 2026
- The Beginners Guide to Soba in Japan - 15 May 2026
If you want to spend some of your time in Nagano making things or exploring the local food (or sake) scene in a more hands-on way, what are your options? Here are eight experiences to try…
Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
1. Paint the Great Wave
The original artist of the Great Wave off Kanazawa, Hokusai, hails from Obuse in Nagano, which makes it only right that you should create your own version at this Paint and Sip Class in his hometown.
You’ll make your own way to Obuse, just 30 minutes by train from Nagano, then start with a walk through town.
A quick visit to a local sake brewery follows, then you’ll visit the Housaki museum for inspiration – and finally, sit down in your painting class ready to create your own version of the masterpiece – with a little bit more sake to get those creative juices flowing.
Check pricing and availability here.
2. Make a Watch
If you have a horologist (watch collector) in your family, this could be their dream day out.
You’ll be met by your guide at Nagano Station and whisked off to nearby Shimosuwa, the home to traditional watchmaking in Japan. Here you’ll visit the watch museum, before spending five hours creating your own personal timepiece.
This activity runs sporadically, so check dates carefully if it’s something you’re interested in.
Check availability and prices here
3. Cook Some Oyaki
Discovering a cute shop that sold these delicious dumplings was one of the highlights of my trip to Nagano, but it turns out you can also try and make them yourself – at that very shop.
You’ll meet your guide at Nagano Station before a short walking tour through Nagano’s backstreets to reach the Ogawanoshodaimonten store, where you’ll spend the next 80 minutes creating your own oyaki dumplings, which you can then tuck into with some tea.
The tour finishes with a short walk around the streets surrounding Zenko-ji temple – there’s a lot to discover around here so it would be great to have a local helping you out.
Check availability and prices here
4. Samurai and Crafts Combo
This is a fun half-day activity if you’re traveling with children.
Start by making origami samurai figures, then, embrace your own inner samurai or ninja with (safe) versions of swordfighting and ninja star throwing.
The tour concludes with a mini scavenger hunt on the way to Zenko-ji temple.
Check times and availability here.
5. Wield a Katana
While the experience above uses child-friendly foam swords, this one lets adults handle a more realistic version.
However, before that, you’ll spend a few hours learning about the history of Nagano and Zenko-ji temple on a walking tour – after all, you need to know what you’re going to learn to protect with your new sword skills!
Now, the fun bit, you’ll dress in a yukata and hakama trousers and learn a selection of sword postures with a sword of your own.
Note: True katana cannot be used in tourist experiences such as this, so you’ll be using a replica akin to those used in films.
Check times and availability here.
6. Sake Tasting Walking Tour
You can drink sake at any izakaya in Nagano, but taking a sake tour helps you learn more about what types you might like – and taking one early in your trip (as Nagano might be if you’re following our Central Japan itinerary) will give you more confidence when ordering sake during the rest of your trip.
This tour starts at Zenko-ji with a short tour around the temple, then you’ll head to a sake store to taste different types of sake and a few local snacks. From here, you’ll head to an old sake factory to learn about the sake-making process, then head back to the station, where the tour concludes.
Check prices and availability here.
7. Go Stamp Collecting
Not the type you put on letters, but instead we’re talking about printed stamps dedicated to Japan’s seven lucky gods.
This is a self-guided experience, and you start by buying a shrine-stamp sheet at Nagano’s Tourist Information Office for 800 yen. Now walk around the seven shrines collecting stamps of the ‘lucky’ gods each celebrates.
It’s a fun way to see more of Nagano than you might otherwise.
Our guide to the Nagano shrine-stamp walk explains how it works and tells you a little more about each of the gods whose stamps you’ll collect.
8. Embrace Nagano’s Spiritual Side (including a temple stay).
A fire ritual in Tokyo is one of the most amazing things I’ve seen in Japan, and in this tour, you don’t just get to witness the ritual but take part in it yourself.
After this, you’ll visit Zenko-ji with the guide to get a deeper insight into this important temple.
From here, you’ll take part in a Matcha tea ceremony – before heading to your simple Shukubo temple lodging near Zenko-ji to spend the night.
If you’re interested in the spiritual side of Japan, this would be a must-do in Nagano
Check availability and prices here
That’s my selection of hands-on related activities in Nagano, so which one will you choose to make your stay in Nagano more fun?
Who Writes This Blog?
My name is Helen Foster, and I’m a journalist and author. My travel articles have appeared in publications including The Australian, Escape, RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, Sainsbury’s Magazine, and more.
I’ve traveled to Japan eight times before – solo and with my partner and visited over 25 towns and cities. My last visit was November 2024 so, everything here is pretty up to date.
