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Shimosuwa
Town in Chūbu, Japan

Shimosuwa

Shimosuwa is a town located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

Plan a trip to Shimosuwa→From Makinohara / Shimada

As of 1 April 2019, the town had an estimated population of 20,055 in 8864 households, and a population density of 300 persons per km2. The total area of the town is 66.87 square kilometres (25.82 sq mi).

Get in

Getting to Shimosuwa

The cheapest way to get here from Tokyo or Kyoto is by bus. You can also get to Suwa by train from Nagano, first go to Matsumoto and take the Limited Express on the Chuo Train line. The bus station is across the street from the train station on Route 20. It is a small office outside the Plaza.

  1. 01
    Kami-Suwa Station

    The main station of the city on the JR Chūō Line, where the Azusa Express stops as well as the local train.

  2. 02
    Suwako

    If you just want to take a look at the Suwa Lake, stopping at the Suwako Service Area is fine.

See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Suwa Geyser Center
  2. 02
    Takashima Castle

    This castle is quite nice but lacks English signs.

  3. 03
    Takashima Park

    The park is especially enjoyable in cherry blossom season.

  4. 04
    Suwa-taisha
Do

Things to do

  1. 01
    Onbashira-sai

    Every six years, Suwa is home to Onbashira-sai, one of the "three dangerous festivals" in Japan.

  2. 02
    Hike the Yatsugatake

    Suwakoland (すわっこランド) (on the SW side of the lake).

  3. 03
    Kirigamine Highland
  4. 04
    Suwa Fireworks Festival
Eat

Where to eat

Soba, bee larvae, raw horse, and fried grasshopper are the local specialties.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.