Nagano and Niigata - A relaxing and cultural escape for Rugby World Cup travellers
The Nagano Prefecture is known as one of the premium destinations to visit for rugby fans looking to escape the intensity and rush of the World Cup. The idyllic spots and cultural landmarks can provide the ideal spot for fans to recharge their batteries in between World Cup games.
JR EAST PASS
JR East offers the JR EAST PASS for international visitors to Japan which allows sightseers to travel around freely for 5 days on the JR East Japan network. JR East also provides useful information on special pass conditions as well as information on many of the region’s must-see tourist spots.
Click here to get your JR EAST PASS.
Nagano Prefecture
Zenkoji Temple
Nagano’s symbol Zenkoji Temple has drawn a large number of people of any belief since ancient times. Today, some six million people visit the temple per year. In Nagano City, which flourished with Zenkoji as its centre, rugby fans can see historical buildings worth visiting.
Located next to Zenkoji Temple are famous soba shops. And don’t forget to buy an oyaki, a special food made in Shinshu.
Access
Take the Zenkoji Temple bus from JR Nagano Station, approx. 15 minutes. Get off at Zenkoji Temple Daimon.
Matsumoto Castle
Matsumoto Castle is one of five castles designated as ‘National Treasures of Japan’ and the oldest castle donjon remaining in Japan. Construction began in 1592 of the elegant black and white structure with its three turrets. Because of the elegant black walls, Matsumoto Castle is sometimes called ‘Crow Castle’. Inside the castle are steep stairs and low ceilings leading past displays of armour and weapons from the Sengoku Period (Warring States Period) when the castle was built. The narrow wooden windows, once used by archers and gunmen, provide amazing views of the Japanese Alps, Matsumoto City and the koi and swans circling in the moat below.
Access
Take the North Course on the Town Sneaker Bus from JR Nagano Station. Get off at Matsumoto Castle/City Hall.
Kamikochi
Surrounded by mountains over 3,000 meters in altitude, Kamikochi is the ground base for mountain climbing in the Japanese Alps. The best thing about this tour is the powerful impact that the mountains make at such short range. Even if you don’t know the first thing about mountaineering, you can enjoy hiking all around Taisho Pond and Kappa Bridge. With clean air and beautiful natural scenery, Kamikochi is a place where both mind and body can relax.
Access
Take the bus from JR Matsumoto Station, approx. 1 hour, 40 minutes. Get off at Kamikochi. Alternatively, take Matsumoto Electric Railway from JR Matsumoto Station and get off at Shin-shimashima Station. Then take the bus, approx. 1 hour, 10 minutes. Get off at Kamikochi.
Oykot
Oykot train was created around this concept of rustic Japan and bringing people to home villages, where the true heart of the Japanese people resides. Gazing at the rice paddies fading into the distance, passengers feel a sense of calm and healing. To help bring home the image of the home village, with its scenic rice paddies, rivers and mountains, this train was named Oykot, which is “Tokyo” spelled backwards. In Japanese, the name is written in hiragana as “Oikotto”.
Availability:
The train runs between Nagano Station and T?kamachi Station.
Niigata Prefecture
Bordered by the great Shinanogawa and Agano rivers, Niigata was a key location along the Kitamaebune route, and as such thrived both as a major maritime transportation hub as well as a centre of cultural and culinary growth. Niigata is famed for its abundance of seafood provided by the Sea of Japan and for its superb sake, brewed from locally grown rice. The natural beauty of Sado Island, brimming with traditional culture, is around 60 minutes from Niigata Bay on jetfoil. Around two hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen, Niigata is a one-of-a-kind destination. Rugby fans will not be short of activities in Niigata, with opportunities to relax and soak up the culture of throughout the region.
Northern Culture Museum
This museum is housed in a resplendent Japanese-style mansion, the former family residence of the preeminent landowner in the region. Rugby fans can take a peek at more than 65 rooms where this gono* once lived and stroll around the beautiful Japanese garden. From the cherry blossoms of spring to the richly coloured leaves of autumn, you can enjoy nature’s splendour year-round.
*A gono was the home of a wealthy farming family, which lived at the Edo Period. With large landholdings and financial power, such families held great influence over the local area.
Access:
10 minutes from Niitsu Station by taxi
Ponshukan
Have your fill of Niigata’s own rice and sake at this museum located inside Echigo-Yuzawa and Niigata Stations. The highlight is a well-stocked tasting room featuring more than 90 kinds of sake from which to sample (a fee applies). At Echigo-Yuzawa Station, rugby travellers can even take a dip in a sake hot spring bath for the full experience!
Access:
Get off at Echigo-Yuzawa or Niigata Stations.
Sado island
Home to traditional culture, this verdant island on the Sea of Japan is just about 60 minutes from Niigata on the Sado Kisen Jetfoil. Named after an offshore crag resembling two turtles, nearby Futatsugame beach is a great place for a dip in the sea. At Ogi Port you can take a ride in a tarai-bune, a tub-shaped wooden fishing boat still used to this day. The Sado Gold Mine, once the leading producer of gold and silver in Japan, is a great field trip destination. And every year from April to October, especially in June, locals from around the island perform nighttime Noh theatre by firelight, a tradition that peaks in June. It takes about 60 minutes to Sado Island on the Sado Kisen Jetfoil.
Access:
About 60 minutes to Sado Island on the Sado Kisen Jetfoil. Departs from the Niigata Port Sado Kisen Ferry Terminal accessible by bus from Niigata Station.
GENBI SHINKANSEN
Modern art created by prominent artists especially for the GENBI SHINKANSEN is on exhibit in each car. Additionally, the train features a café that serves Tsubame Coffee, a popular beverage from Tsubame-Sanjo, and desserts made from carefully selected local ingredients under the supervision of Chef Romi Igarashi from romi-unie.
Other attractive onboard features include a playroom where kids can interact with modern art first hand, and train windows offering beautiful panoramas along the route.
Availability:
This train runs between Echigo-Yuzawa Station and Niigata Station.
Comments on RugbyPass
It’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
27 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
1 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
27 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
2 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
2 Go to commentsWhy not let the media decide. Like how they choose the head coach. Like most of us we entrust the rugby system to choose. A rugby team includes the coaches. It's collective.
14 Go to commentsHi NIck, I have been very impressed with him and he seems a smart player who can see opportunities which Bobby V _(who must be an international 6_) doesn’t see or have the speed to take advantage of. If he continues to improve and puts on 5kgs then he could be a great 8. He is a bit taller than Keiran Reid at 1.93m and 111 kgs, so his skill set fits his body size and who knows where it will lead. I hope the spate of Achilles tendon issues have been dealt with by the S&C people. It’s been a very long time since Mark Loane and Kefu stood out at 8. The question is will we be able to hold onto him, if he does make it he will be pretty hot property. I disagree with the idea of letting them go to the Northern Hemisphere and then bring them back.
27 Go to commentsBilly Fulton 🤣🤣🤣🤣 garrrmon not even close
14 Go to commentsDoes the AI take into account refs? hahaha Seriously why not have two on field refs to avoid bias?
24 Go to comments